Perpetual Exposition Chapel

Could you not watch one hour with Me...
(Matthew 6:21, 26:40)

Perpetual Adoration Society
History of our Chapel
Monstrance
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Testimonials
Role of Coordinator
Prayers
Links
Articles
Quotes

Perpetual Adoration Society

Saint Jude Church enjoys a Chapel of Perpetual Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Entrance to the Chapel is on the north side of the Parish Office Building. The Perpetual Adoration Society has the responsibility of making sure that at least two adorers are present at every hour of the day and night. The Local Ordinary is Bishop John D'Arcy, Pastor/Chaplain is Rev. William Schooler, Head Coordinators are Betty Niedermeyer and Ed Dahm.

We invite you to come and spend any hour with our Lord. If you would like to commit to a specific time and day each week, please call Betty Niedermeyer at 483-3722 for more information.

History

The History of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration at St. Jude's in Fort Wayne, Indiana, across from Parkview Hospital.
In 1984, parishioners approached Father Pfister about having a Perpetual Eucharistic Exposition Chapel at Saint Jude. Bishop John D'Arcy gave permission after just a few minutes. Originally the suggestion was made to convert part of the cry room in the church for this purpose, but Father Pfister suggested using the Sisters of Notre Dame’s chapel. The sisters were very excited about this, so the room was modified, painted and furnished. Father Lucia spoke at all the Masses and time slots were filled within a short period of time. On October 28, 1984 - the Feast Day of Saint Jude - the Perpetual Adoration Chapel was opened.

Several years later, the original altar in the chapel was reduced to more appropriately display the Monstrance. In 1999, the chapel was recarpeted, repainted, and handicap ramps were added to make it more accessible. Also in 1999, our chapel celebrated its fourteenth anniversary with adorers having spent 472,000 hours in our Lord's presence. While other parishes in Northern Indiana have Adoration, Saint Jude is the only parish that observes Perpetual Adoration 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The chapel is located in the new Parish Center (the old convent). The entrance is on the north side, across the parking lot from the church.

Benefactors include Bert and Catharine Dahm. They were original charter members of St. Jude in 1939.

Monstrance

In February of 1980, Mary Derheimer, a St. Jude parishioner, passed away from cancer. Her parents wanted to use money from her estate for St. Jude Parish. They suggested to Father Pfister the donation of a Mary vestment.
Around that time, someone had broken into St. Jude Church and tried to steal the original Monstrance, but cut themselves in the process and was taken to Parkview Hospital. The crucifix on top was broken off in the process.

The Sisters of St. Clare in Evansville, Indiana built a new Monastery which was smaller than its predecessor. Having a single chapel, these sisters required only one Monstrance, and attempted to donate their second Monstrance to the Historical Religious Museum in the Cathedral in Fort Wayne. This Monstrance had been used in the outside public chapel of the old Mother house for Sunday Benediction with the rosary. Since these sisters are cloistered, they only saw the Monstrance from behind a grill and curtain. It was later moved inside and seen only through a grill for Benediction. The nearest estimate is that this Monstrance is close to 100 years old.

Father Widman, who was Curator of the Historical Religious Museum at that time, and Mary Derheimer’s dad began discussing the subject at the Knights of Columbus. Father Widman approached Father Pfister about purchasing the Monstrance for St. Jude's developing Adoration Chapel. Mary’s name was engraved on the Monstrance by a jeweler who did the work for "no charge." A few years later, the gold was replated due to wear.

Mary Derheimer’s family considers it "a blessing" to know that Mary "provided the resting place for Jesus in our Chapel."

Catechism of the Catholic Church

"Christ Jesus, ... is present in many ways to his Church . . . most especially in the Eucharistic species."[198] (1373) The mode of Christ's presence under the Eucharistic species is unique. It raises the Eucharist above all the sacraments as "the perfection of the spiritual life and the end to which all the sacraments tend."[199] In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist "the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained."[200] "This presence is called 'real' - by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be 'real' too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present."[201] (1374 ) It is by the conversion of the bread and wine into Christ's body and blood that Christ becomes present in this sacrament. (1375)

Click here for more information on Catechism.

Prayers

Prayers of Blessed Mother Teresa
"O God, we believe You are here. We adore You and love You with our whole heart and soul because You are most worthy of all our love. We desire to love You as the Blessed do in Heaven... Flood our souls with Your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess our whole being utterly, that our lives may only be a radiance of Yours. Shine through us, and be so in us, that every soul we come in contact with may feel Your presence in our soul. Let them look up and see no longer us, but only Jesus!"

The fruit of silence is PRAYER. The fruit of prayer is FAITH. The fruit of faith is LOVE. The fruit of love is SERVICE. The fruit of service is PEACE.

Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament
PO Box 1701 Pittsburgh, NY 12901
Ph: (518) 561-8193 Fax: (518) 566-7103

Prayer of Pope John Paul II
"Lord Jesus, Who in the Eucharist make your dwelling among us and become our traveling companion, sustain our Christian communities so that they may be ever more open to listening and accepting your Word. May they draw from the Eucharist a renewed commitment to spreading in society, by the proclamation of your Gospel, the signs and deeds of an attentive and active charity."

Prayer for the Spread of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration
Heavenly Father, increase our faith in the Real Presence of Your Son, Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. We are obliged to adore Him, to give Him thanks and to make reparation for sins. We need Your peace in our hearts and among nations. We need converstion from our sins and the mercy of Your forgiveness. May we obtain this through prayer and our union with the Eucharistic Lord. Please send down the Holy Spirit upon all peoples to give them the love, courage, strength and willingness to respond to the invitation to Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. We beseech You to spread Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament in parishes around the world. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen

Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament help us to spread the glory of Your Son through Perpetual Eucharisitic Adoration.

Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that You art present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already come, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.

Fatima Prayers

Angel’s Prayer – With the Blessed Sacrament suspended in the air, the angel at Fatima prostrated himself, and recited this prayer:

O Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifference by which He is offended. By the infinate merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of poor sinners.

Pardon Prayer
My God, I believe, I adore, I trust and I love Thee! I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not trust, and do not love Thee.

Eucharistic Prayer
Most Holy Trinity, I adore Thee! My God, My God, I love Thee in the Most Blessed Sacrament!

Links

Adore Christ For Peace includes information on how to start your own Adoration Chapel and locations of nearby Adoration Chapels, etc. by the Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament, PO Box 1701 Plattsburgh, NY 12901 Ph: (518) 561-8193 Fax: (518) 566-7103

The Monks of Adoration This is an incredible site on many Catholic interests (in their yellow pages) not the least of which is tons of information on Eucharistic Adoration.