Perpetual
Exposition Chapel
Could you not watch one hour with Me...
(Matthew 6:21, 26:40)
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.
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.
See also Adoration Articles
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." |
"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 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!
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. |
