217 York Street, Bangor, Maine 04401
Phone: (207) 217-6740
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Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament1. Cell phones: If you have one, please bring it (there is no phone system accessible outside Cemetery Office hours), but please keep it on silent mode.
2. Sign in: Please be sure to sign in upon arriving for your scheduled hour (by highlighting your name).
3. The Blessed Sacrament may never be left alone when exposed in the monstrance. If there is an emergency, please notify your Division Leader.
4. Know your Division Leader: Please have his or her contact information posted at home and in your wallet, purse, and/or cell phone.
5. Know your hour prayer partner and how to reach him/her. On your first visit, please greet and/or introduce yourself to your prayer partner after you have greeted the Lord. Those who share the same Holy Hour are encouraged to exchange contact information (as well as with your “hourly neighbors” – those who have the hour prior and after).
6. Finding a substitute: The best method is to have a substitute already agreed upon, prior to any need (family, friends, or other parishioners). Division Leaders can help in finding a suitable substitute. Please always contact your Division Leader when you are having a substitute cover your hour. (Offer to swap hours!)
7. Church doors: The front doors of St. Mary’s Church are unlocked only on weekday mornings (for 8:30 Mass). The general public can come to the Adoration Chapel (even if not signed up for a slot) when the Cemetery Office is open: Mon. Tues. Thurs. Fri. 9-2 (the door is NOT unlocked and they must call the number posted on the door to be let in). Please be sure to close the door securely behind you – both when entering and departing.
8. Books and prayer materials are in conformity with Church doctrine. They are for use within the Adoration Chapel; please do not “borrow” and take home. Donated materials must be approved by the parish office; anything not approved will be removed.
9. Chapel closings: In the event of cancellation due to weather, you will receive both a phone call and e-mail from the Division Leader. When in doubt, please call your Division Leader. Holiday schedules will be listed on the parish web site, in the parish Bulletin, and on myParish app.
10. Access code: For the sake of our security, please do not share your access code. If a substitute needs the code, please be sure to contact your Division Leader with the substitute’s contact information.
11. Chapel Etiquette: Please remember that we are not only in God’s House, but in His very presence.- The Adoration Chapel is meant for quiet Adoration (in silence). It is not the place for vocal prayer. Please keep noise to a minimum (turn cell phones to silent mode).
- No food, no drink, no handicrafts are permitted.
- Modest and appropriate apparel at all times (no bare feet, tank tops, short shorts, etc.).
- Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14). Children are certainly most welcome, and parents are encouraged to bring their little ones to Adoration. Please remember that their behavior should reflect not only a joy and confidence in our Lord, but also respectful consideration for others praying.
- • Mon. Nicole Behr & Nadine Henry
• Tues. Pat Martin & Patti Lindemann
• Wed. Alex Freeman & Maureen Dillane
• Thurs. Susan McDonald (6 a.m.-2 p.m.) & Spike Brimmer (2 p.m.-9 p.m)
• Fri. Jane Israel (6 a.m.-2 p.m.) & Val Eisworth (2 p.m.-9 p.m)
• Sat. Tim Clark & Sheila Cookson
Remember – Jesus Is Truly, Really & Substantially Present in the Blessed Sacrament
excerpts from SUGGESTIONS ON EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
by Fr. Martin Lucia [with edits by Msgr. Andrew Dubois]
Adoration is an extension of the source and summit of our faith … the highest form of worship, which is the Mass. It is not a substitute for Mass, but it is an extension of that supreme act of worship whereby individual parishioners unite in committing at least one hour each week to adoring before the Most Blessed Sacrament. This form of prayer bestows graces upon entire parishes as well as on individual members.
Adoration appeals to our faith and is an authentic witness to our belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. It is putting faith into action. This form of prayer has been attractive to people throughout the centuries because those who witness the faithful practicing this devotion, as supported by the pastor and the parishioners, deepen their understanding of and belief in the Real Presence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, a visible reminder of Christ’s supreme act of love, His passion, death, and resurrection.
Adoration can take place before the Tabernacle or a Monstrance. Exposition in a monstrance allows the adorer to see and recognize The Body of Christ, who is visibly present under the appearance of bread (the host) and is a reminder of the intimacy we share with the Lord in the Eucharistic banquet.
Exposition reminds every adorer of the responsibility to fulfill faithfully one’s commitment to the hours for which they are scheduled, especially since the suggested [and approved] norm for [St. Paul the Apostle Parish when] having Jesus exposed in the monstrance is that there [must] be at least two adorers present and He must never be left alone. Could not these words of our Lord be applied here: “Indeed, this is the will of my heavenly Father, that everyone who looks upon the Son, and believes in him, shall have eternal life. Him I will raise up on the last day” (John 6:40)?
A simply and tastefully decorated Adoration Chapel provides an easy, attractive, and practical way of rendering God the adoration, thanks, and praise which are His due because He is our Creator and our Redeemer; it provides us with the recurring opportunity to make reparation for our personal sins and those of all mankind, living and deceased (i.e., the poor souls in purgatory) and to make petition to God for the constant help we need. It also shows our gratitude to our Lord for His ongoing, sacramental presence among us in our tabernacles/churches. It is also a reminder of the primary purpose of reserving the Blessed Sacrament, which is to share the Blessed Sacrament with our brothers and sisters who cannot be with us at Mass (an act of charity, a spiritual work of mercy).
Spiritual benefits and graces, which can be attributed to a parish Adoration Chapel, include:- an increase in Mass attendance and reception of the Sacraments;
- a return of fallen-away Catholics and increase in the number of conversions;
- an increase in religious and priestly vocations;
- a renewal of Catholic family life and strengthen of marriages;
- a desire to go forth and evangelize others with the “Good News of Jesus Christ; and
- a strengthening of the parish community (“the Mystical Body of Christ”) which is centered on the head and heart of the parish, Jesus, who is truly, really, and substantially present in the Blessed Sacrament.
Besides prayer for the success of the program, the most important single factor in a successful adoration program is the whole-hearted support and encouragement of the pastor. Announcements from the pulpit and bulletin notices from the pastor are a must in the success of any adoration program. An occasional announcement or preaching on the need and value of Eucharistic Adoration will serve to keep up the interest and enthusiasm. Short articles in the weekly bulletin may serve as an ideal way to instruct and inspire people too. Above all else, there is nothing as inspiring to parishioners as the pastor, priests, and deacons of the parish setting an example by making Holy Hours themselves. As Pope Pius XII pointed out to the Roman clergy, "If you want the faithful to pray willingly and piously, precede them in the church with your example, praying for them. A priest kneeling before the tabernacle in a dignified attitude, in a profound contemplation, is a model of edification for the people, an admonishment and an invitation of emulation in prayer."
Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the same Lord who calmed the sea and cast out the demons. St. John Paul II said that "our essential commitment in life is to persevere and advance constantly in Eucharistic life and piety and to grow spiritually in the climate of the Holy Eucharist."
How does one spend an hour before Jesus exposed in the Blessed Sacrament? This hour Jesus wants you to spend with Him is spent any way you want. You may bring your own prayer books, use the books in the chapel, read the Bible, pray the Rosary, or just sit, relax, and enjoy the sweet peace the comes from simply being in the Presence of God. You may feel you can't pray well. Don't let this discourage you. The mere fact that you take time out at a specific time each week to spend an hour with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament pleases Him very much and is a prayer of great faith.