Eucharistic Adoration, a Sure Sign of Catholic Renewal
By Dr. Jeff Mirus ( bio - articles - email ) | Sep 22, 2014
In a large church, Eucharistic Adoration is normally held in a side chapel. The number of adorers is seldom great at any one time. In fact, often people deliberately spread themselves thin to cover an around-the-clock cycle.
Not so yesterday in the State of Oklahoma.
In Oklahoma City, the performance of a Black Mass led to massive Eucharistic Adoration as well as Eucharistic processions in response. Technically, it was a Black Mass only in form, since the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City won a court case which forced the organizers to return the stolen host. But the intent was still there, and the blasphemous “enactment”—also obviously a grave insult to Catholics—was not prohibited by civic authority.
Just as an aside, can you imagine an equally offensive mockery of any other group being allowed?
Anyway, in Oklahoma City, some 3,000 Catholics joined Archbishop Paul Coakley for adoration at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. My point is that when it comes to Eucharistic Adoration, 3,000 people is an astonishingly large number
My home parish, All Saints Church in Manassas, Virginia, is the largest parish in the State of Virginia. It has a brand new church—an enormous church—which seats 1,500. Only half of the Oklahoma City crowd would have fit in our church. Not even the 1,600 who joined Bishop Edward Slattery at Holy Family Cathedral in Tulsa for the same purpose would have fit in my gigantic parish church.
Envisioning the same crowd in your own local church will put this in perspective. This was big. This was very big.
Jeffrey Mirus holds a Ph.D. in intellectual history from Princeton University. A co-founder of Christendom College, he also pioneered Catholic Internet services. He is the founder of Trinity Communications and CatholicCulture.org. See full bio.
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
-
Posted by: [email protected] -
Mar. 22, 2017 11:11 PM ET USA
My daughter graduated from this school many years ago when it was Catholic. It has since gone down hill. Sad but look at who they appreciate- Pelosi and Sebellius. Much of this is the fault of the bishops and cardinals of Washington DC. Notice I used a small "b" and "c". That is the best they deserve.
-
Posted by: lovison4584 -
Sep. 23, 2014 6:58 PM ET USA
It was big but St John Paul II called for 24/7 Perpetual Adoration in every parish in the world. It is a shame that Eucharistic Adoration is in decline since John Paul II's pontificate. 24/7 Perpetual Adoration worldwide is the answer to all our culture woes, our theological woes, our life woes.
-
Posted by: koinonia -
Sep. 22, 2014 6:36 PM ET USA
This testimony is a testimony to faith in the Eucharist; (and even the satanists appear to have acknowledged the reality of the Real Presence). But the faithful taking the time and the effort to come together in faith is a consolation in these times. The statistics among so many of the faithful with regard to the doctrine of the Christ's Real Presence are disappointing, but hopefully the witness of these baptized brethren will serve as a stepping stone to a resurgence among all Catholics.
