‘A welcoming place to be with the Lord’
Parishioners of St. Aloysius Church celebrated the 10-year anniversary of Perpetual Adoration at the parish on the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Aug. 15. The day-long celebration included Masses, recitation of the rosary, Holy Hour and Benediction – all in English and in Spanish – along with a festive meal prepared jointly by the Knights of Columbus and the Hispanic community. (Photos by Barbara Case Speers | Catholic News Herald)HICKORY — Parishioners at St. Aloysius Church gathered Aug. 15 to celebrate a joyful milestone: 10 years of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration.
The Mass and anniversary celebration coincided with the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, when the parish’s Perpetual Adoration Chapel first opened in 2011. Father Bob Ferris, former pastor, returned to offer the Mass, remembering the joy but also the work it took to open the Perpetual Adoration Chapel 10 years earlier.
The effort took about three years, Father Ferris recalled, starting with educating parishioners about the importance of Eucharistic Adoration, along with the usual logistical planning: finding a location for the chapel, lining up adorers to man the round-the-clock schedule, and organizing a core committee of volunteers to oversee the project to completion, among other tasks. Yet their hard work was inspired by the knowledge that Adoration – spending time with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist – would bring spiritual graces to the entire parish community.
“My motivation to institute Perpetual Adoration was based on my personal experiences in Adoration, both before I was a priest and during my first year as a priest serving at St. Gabriel in Charlotte, where Perpetual Adoration had already been established for years,” Father Ferris remembers. “I found great comfort and peace being present before Jesus in the monstrance. It was there that clarity of thought and deep peace occurred for me and a deepening of my love for Jesus.”
He notes the importance of Eucharistic Adoration was defined by Pope Benedict XVI in his encyclical “Sacramentum Caritas” (“Sacrament of Love”): “In the Eucharist, the Son of God comes to meet us and desires to become one with us; Eucharistic adoration is simply the natural consequence of the Eucharistic celebration, which is itself the Church’s supreme act of adoration. ... The act of adoration outside Mass prolongs and intensifies all that takes place during the liturgical celebration itself. Indeed, only in adoration can a profound and genuine reception mature. And it is precisely this personal encounter with the Lord that then strengthens the social mission contained in the Eucharist, which seeks to break down not only the walls that separate the Lord and ourselves, but also and especially the walls that separate us from one another (191-193).”
“This last point is particularly important in today’s society,” Father Ferris says.
St. Aloysius’ day-long celebration included Masses, recitation of the rosary, Holy Hour and Benediction – all in English and in Spanish – along with a festive meal prepared jointly by the Knights of Columbus and the Hispanic community. Unity in the love of Christ was the unspoken theme of the day.
Fifty-eight of the original adorers are still involved, notes Barbara Hancock, who oversees the ministry. Evening and early morning time slots – among the most difficult to fill – have been a special focus for Hispanic parishioners, she notes.
Hancock expresses thanks to God “for all the favors He has bestowed upon us, and also to thank our adorers both past and present and, hopefully, elicit new adorers.”
She has always “felt a sense of peace and unconditional love whenever I was in private devotion with the Holy Eucharist,” calling it a “perfect time to reflect on life and all that God has given us.”
In her role as coordinator of the ministry, which she considers a calling from God, Hancock oversees all aspects of the chapel, both spiritual and physical. The ministry has continued despite the challenges of the pandemic.
“We were very fortunate to have been able to keep the Adoration Chapel open during the pandemic due to the devotion of our adorers, especially our senior citizens and our Hispanic community,” Hancock says.
“This time with Jesus is a time of self-healing, a time of friendship with the Lord, a time of self-reflection when all personal problems and cares are put into proper perspective, a time to feel the love of Jesus and know that He is always there interceding on our behalf.”
John and Lorraine Lamonica have been praying at the Adoration Chapel for 10 years, every Saturday at 1 a.m. “We selected the 1 a.m. hour to have peace and quiet, get closer to God,” John Lamonica says. “During this time we pray, read, meditate and, yes, sometimes nap,” and during that time, “all of the week’s trials and concerns are lifted off.”
His wife Lorraine says, “I had to ask John why did he want to do 1 a.m. in the morning – we’ll get no sleep! He said it’s a tiny sacrifice to spend time with the Lord.”
Gia Maxson spends the 10 a.m. hour every other Friday at the chapel, as she has for a decade. “I wanted the silence,” she says. “Adoration gives me peace.” She thought the chapel could use more stained glass, though, so she got the green light to hold a garage sale in Holy Family Hall that has raised over a thousand dollars to put toward new windows.
Hancock points out several other physical improvements have been made to the chapel thanks to the support of parishioners and adorers, including reupholstering of the chairs and kneelers, new carpets and installation of a sanctuary lamp.
Current pastor Father Larry LoMonaco calls the Adoration Chapel “a good neighbor.”
“It is wonderful to look out my window and see people praying continuously day and night. I cannot calculate the good that comes from all these prayers. I am grateful for all the dedicated adorers who persevere even during inclement weather – rain, snow, ice and sleet – to pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament,” Father LoMonaco says, noting that even non-Catholics stop by to find “the Adoration Chapel a welcoming place to be with the Lord.”
He also expresses thanks to everyone who helped organize the Aug. 15 celebration. “It took many hands working together to make our 10th anniversary celebration a huge success. I appreciate the willingness and dedication of all the volunteers who made this special occasion a celebration we will always remember.”
— Barbara Case Speers, Correspondent
