How to Establish Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in a Parish

Establishing a Chapel of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration is doing something phenomenal both in this world and in the spiritual realm, helping to bring broken people to Jesus, “… who called you out of darkness into His marvellous Light” 1 Peter 2:9 The most important work you can do is bringing people into relationship with Jesus.
To establish Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration (PEA), It’s important to educate people about Adoration, what it is, explaining about the graces obtained etc, so they understand ITS TRUE VALUE. By doing this, they learn that their Holy Hour is more than just covering a space of time, but that they are fulfilling an important role in the Mission of the Church… and hence they will be more willing to make a commitment to joining the roster to become a regular Adorer or Guardian of the Blessed Sacrament.

THE PROCESS OF PLANNING A PARISH MISSION AND INVITING ADORERS.
There are a number of options. The simplest way is to simply have a Mission weekend, which includes a training session or workshop. In addition to this, you can have evening Guided Holy Hours and/or a full day Eucharistic Retreat, Healing night or Priest’s Retreat (half day), Children’s Adoration, preceding your Mission weekend. (See separate Programmes for these in Resources)

PRAY
Ask Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament to obtain this great grace for your parish. Invite others to join you in praying for this intention. If you feel inspired to become a Missionary to spread Eucharistic Adoration in your area, start by get a little team together of those who love Adoration. Having a Priest on your team would be a great blessing, then go out to Parishes. Or you may simply be doing this in your own Parish.

APPROACHING THE PARISH PRIEST
Make an appointment to meet the Parish Priest and his assistant Priests if possible. Share with him a prepared vision of the Mission you wish to carry out. We use an excerpt from the Eucharistic homily that will be used at a Mission weekend. (see Homilies in Resources) Giving the priest the message first is ESSENTIAL, as priests have not always been formed in the practise of Eucharistic Adoration. This does a great service to the Priest himself and to his ministry. If this Priest is willing to go ahead, make sure you get his contact details and those of the Parish Secretary.

Set a date with the Parish Priest for a Mission weekend and for the meeting to train coordinators. Adoration is coordinated by the laity, thus not adding to the many responsibilities of the priest.
Get contact details of Parish Priest and Parish Secretary.

ADVERTISING
Make a Flyer to advertise your Mission Weekend, including the meeting for training co-ordinators for the new chapel. (Consider making separate flyers for each event e.g. Retreat Day/Healing Night/Priests Retreat etc) Advertise the events using Flyers and written notices in the Parish Bulletin and Noticeboards, surrounding Parishes and Catholic Schools, Catholic groups and Catholic social media sites, newspapers etc. This needs to be done at 4 weeks in advance. Include information about the plan to establish a Perpetual adoration chapel in the Parish. Closer to the events, consider a leaflet drop in the area including shopping centres. A week before the mission have someone speak at the end of all Masses, about Eucharistic Adoration, and invite people to come to the mission. Outline the purpose and value of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration and include personal testimony.

PREPARING FOR THE MISSION
Make a list of contact details of people you may wish to communicate with. (see checklist below)
Write Programme
Make advertising flyers.
Order books and printing of inspirational cards etc
Email the program (and run sheets, optional) to all relevant people. Have a list of all team members.
If you are having a Retreat Day, talk to Morning Tea co-ordinator, discuss requirements, ask for home-baking to be included if possible. Estimate catering numbers.
Organise speaker to speak at all Masses week prior to promote mission.
Make a list of Mass Times and venues and who is going to speak.

Questions to ask Parish Secretary or Priest:
Ask about approx. numbers for each Mass, (for printing quantity)
Get contact details of all those in the Parish we need to communicate with.
Are there already some dedicated adorers we can contact?
Ensure there is a table in the foyer of the church for books, leaflets, rosaries and all material promoting Eucharistic Adoration.

MISSION SIGN-UP WEEKEND.
On the Mission weekend, with your team, arrive 30 minutes before each Mass and from the people of that Parish select a few helpers (USHERS) for the distribution of invitations after the homily, and give them instructions.(See template ‘Ushers Instructions’)

For the Mission we have a selection of prepared homilies designed to share with the people the message of the primacy of the holy Eucharist and Eucharistic Adoration. We then invite them to participate in a regular holy hour. This anointed homily/talk will be given at all the Masses over the weekend by someone on your team, priest or layperson. If a layperson is giving the presentation, the Parish Priest is sometimes willing to allow you to speak at the time of the homily, otherwise it fits in well after Holy Communion.

Immediately after the homily/talk is given, invitations and pencils are distributed by the little team who are ready. The person presenting the homily will call them forward. They are to place an invitation and pencil in each person’s hand, with a smile! This is the most personal and effective way. We have discovered that if the invitations are in the pews from the beginning, people often make up their mind BEFORE hearing the message. We must remember that the Holy Spirit is very active in the anointed homily and many people’s hearts are moved to desire to spend silent time with Jesus. The people now have a few minutes to sign up for a holy hour at a time slot of their choosing. On this invitation there are time slots for morning, afternoon, evening, and night, with boxes to be ticked. There is also a box for those who wish to help coordinate the Chapel. After a few minutes the team will be asked to collect the invitations. (You can collect after the Offertory.)Some people will require longer, and it is fine to leave it with them.
Keep all the filled invitations in a safe place.

TRAINING A COORDINATING TEAM/ ESTABLISHING A GUARDIAN ROSTER.
A well organised coordinating team is needed to support all the Adorers/Guardians on the roster, and to ensure that Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration can be maintained on an ongoing basis.
In THE WEEK FOLLOWING THE MISSION there will be a meeting, previously advertised, for those who are willing to help run the Chapel. It is here that the coordinating team will be trained. Roles for each person will be clarified and using the information gathered on the invitations a roster of adorers or guardians will be established.
BEFORE YOUR MEETING PRINT ENOUGH COPIES OF THE ROLES BELOW, THE STRUCTURE ETC (SEE TEMPLATES)

HOW A PERPETUAL ADORATION CHAPEL FUNCTIONS
A Perpetual Adoration Chapel is organised using a roster system, where all 168 hours in a week are covered by committed Adorers. Every Adorer on roster, also known as a ‘Guardian’, is assigned to a specific hour of prayer. This is called a ‘Holy Hour’. They take turns to come to the Chapel to spend time with Our Lord when they are rostered on, signing in and out, to record their attendance.
It is the Guardian’s responsibility to find someone who can substitute for them if they cannot attend their Holy Hour. This is so Our Lord is never left alone, and that Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament can continue throughout the day and night without interruption, 24/7.

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE:

CO-ORDINATOR
*Organisation of the programme
*General oversight of the programme

DIVISION LEADERS (4)
*Morning-6.00 am to 12 Noon; Afternoon-l2 Noon to 6:00 pm;
*Evening-6.00 pm to 12 Midnight; Night-12 Midnight to 6:00 am.
*Initial scheduling.
*General oversight of time divisions.

CAPTAINS: (12)
*Contact person responsible for two hours 7 days a week.
*Ensures that each hour is always attended and helps find a substitute if someone cannot make their holy hour.

GUARDIANS
Each person who does a Holy Hour is called a Guardian.

.DIVISION LEADERS (see Division Leader role document)
As soon as possible after the Mission, eg the Monday evening, at a meeting, the division leaders are chosen. The invitations are sorted into five groups, according to the time divisions checked off (morning, afternoon, evening or night) and not checked off. Each of the (4) division leaders fills out the roster-chart for their time division. Each person/invitation is randomly assigned an hour in the time division they chose. Both their name and telephone number are recorded on the roster-chart. (Use pencil, because there may be changes before the roster-chart is complete.) Then, they call the people who have signed up, to reconfirm their hour.
Lastly, one person does the same for the invitations where a time-division was ‘not checked off’.

ESTABLISH THE SCHEDULE
The following guidelines should be explained to each Guardian/Adorer:

1. Thank them for wanting to spend an hour with Jesus each week.
2. Confirm the day and hour.
3. Be encouraging and supportive and share with them the many blessings that come from their holy hour; so that they will look forward to coming each week.
4. If there is a need, ask if they would like to be a captain and/or if they would be willing to take more than one holy hour a week, and/or if they would be willing to be on the SUBSTITUTE LIST.
5. Record their email address so that a mailing list may be compiled.
   CAPTAINS (see Captain role document)
   After the schedule is completed have copies made for the priest, coordinator and Adoration Chapel. The division leaders need 12 captains to be in charge of each one of the 24 hours of the day throughout the entire week.(2 hours each) Each division leader will fill out a Captain Chart for each of the 3 captains in their time division and give a copy to each one. Each captain is the contact person for their division leader.
   As a captain, for instance, ‘Joseph’ will be in charge of the adorers from 8:00 am to 10:00 am throughout the entire week. ‘Mary’ will be the captain for the adorers from the 10:00 am to 12:00 am time slot, etc.
   The captain will call each adorer on their list before Adoration begins to tell them the:

*STARTING DATE
*LOCATION OF CHAPEL
*PARKING ARRANGEMENTS
*LOCATION OF REST ROOM

• SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS
  *NAMES OF ADORERS PRECEDING AND FOLLOWING THEIR HOLY HOUR
  *HOW TO OBTAIN A SUBSTITUTE
  *NAME AND PHONE NUMBER OF THEIR CAPTAIN AND DIVISION LEADER

GUARDIANS (see Guardian role document)
Each person who does a Holy Hour is called a Guardian. They ensure that, during their rostered Holy Hour, Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is never unguarded or left alone.
Every Guardian should try to have a Prayer Partner. A Prayer Partner is someone who shares your Holy Hour. The aim is to have at least two Guardians per hour. (Although only one person is needed.)
If you cannot attend your holy hour, you must inform your Prayer Partner and confirm that they are attending, otherwise, you will need to organise someone else to substitute for you.
(see How to find a substitute document)
A Guardian is part of a Prayer Team. Prayer Teams consist of the Captain and their Guardians. For example, the Captain for 12midnight to 2am and all Guardians who have a Holy Hour in the same 2-hour block, 12midnight to 2am, are one Prayer Team.

CHAPEL COORDINATOR (see Co-ordinator role document)
Finally, there is an overall Coordinator chosen, who is mainly responsible for the administrative tasks that keeping the Chapel operating smoothly.

LEADERSHIP MEETING
Once the roster-chart is set, the division leaders and captains call another meeting to familiarize themselves with their responsibilities and have a clear understanding of their duties. Perpetual Adoration should begin within two to four weeks, after the Mission weekend.

SMALL PARISH
Parishes that are not large enough to have Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration can join together. One host parish can satisfy the needs of several parishes. Our priest can speak at all the Masses at the host parish and do the same at a neighboring parish the following weekend. Alternatively, send out Lay speakers to surrounding parishes to speak and issue invitations, on the same weekend as the Mission.

WHAT CAN THE LAITY DO TO EVANGELISE?
*Educate yourself about the benefits of, and reasons for, Perpetual Adoration.
*Talk to the parishioners who have not signed up and invite them to participate in spending one hour each week with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
*Place announcements in parish bulletins, give video presentations on Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, have a lending library with our books and audios, pass out our pamphlets, prayer cards or newsletters, and put up some of our posters.
*Call your friends and invite them and their families to Perpetual Eucharistic
Adoration. Make home visits and neighboring parish visits. Use networking.
*Give presentations to existing organizations in the parish, such as: Legion of Mary,
St. Vincent de Paul Society, prayer groups, and others.
*Ask adorers, who are already signed up, to take an extra Holy Hour each week.
*For Feast Days – to honour Our Lord or the saint; ask parishioners to do join the Adoration Program by doing an hour a week. For Christmas Day, for example, what better present could anyone give to Jesus but to commit themselves to spend an hour a week with Him, so the parish can have Perpetual Adoration?

LOCATION FOR PERPETUAL EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
The best location for Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration is a chapel. A chapel can be kept warm in the winter and air-conditioned in the summer. It creates an atmosphere for quiet intimacy with the Lord. People generally feel more secure in a smaller place. If the church does not have a chapel, any small room can be converted into one. A sacristy, crying room, baptistry, room in the presbytery, convent or school, are all suitable locations for a Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel.

SUBSTITUTE LIST
Every Guardian should try to have a Prayer Partner. A Prayer Partner is someone who shares your Holy Hour. The aim is to have at least two Guardians per hour. (Although only one person is needed.)
If you cannot attend your holy hour, you must inform your Prayer Partner and confirm that they are attending, otherwise, you will need to organise someone else to substitute for you.
(see How to find a substitute document)

TALK – PERPETUAL EUCHARISTIC ADORATION IS A MINISTRY
(This is a talk to give to those who volunteer to help with the running of the Chapel. It can be shortened.)

Those who volunteer to help with managing a chapel are not mere administrators,
we are here to serve, to evangelise, to plant seeds.
It’s Important to see ourselves as Eucharistic evangelists. Using the words of St Paul, we need to ’make known this infinite treasure’

Every little thing we do towards the establishment of a Perpetual Adoration Chapel is first and foremost an act of Love of God. It enables a person, many in fact, to come into the presence of Jesus and be healed and transformed by Him. This work warms the heart of Jesus, who has made Himself vulnerable by His burning love for us. Jesus will spend all eternity thanking you. Every person we encourage to come into the presence of Jesus contributes to the renewal of our Church. One heart at a time!

Our job is to impart to others the immense VALUE of a holy hour, and also why it is so important that Jesus is not left alone.

Why would we choose to help run an adoration chapel and what IS the value of a regular holy hour?
For ourselves:
In Adoration Jesus restores us, transforms us, gives us peace, courage and strength, assures us of our salvation
For our families and friends:
Perpetual Adoration enables the Good Shepherd to be completely available to the needs of all our parishioners.
For humanity:
In eucharistic adoration we use the weapons of God and not the weapons of man to bring peace to the world and to usher in the eucharistic reign of Christ
For Jesus Himself:
There is no better thought to have than to realise the reality that God thirsts for our love.
It is the message of the cross……”I thirst” ((John 19:28)
His love for us is so immense it makes Him vulnerable.

Every aspect of organising perpetual adoration, from updating a roster to being responsible that the hours in your division are always covered, is a form of Eucharistic evangelization.
With every telephone call you make, God uses your voice as a form of evangelization.
Every word you speak is accompanied by his grace to encourage each person you talk with to come to the Eucharist.

We thank you abundantly in anticipation for your work and in the words of Mother Theresa – we are all doing ‘something beautiful for God.’

CHECKLIST
Write Programme
Make advertising flyers.
Write run sheets for each event (optional)
Email the program and run sheets to all relevant people. (Have a list of all team members)
If you are having a Retreat Day, talk to Morning Tea co-ordinator.
Estimate catering numbers.
Speak at all Masses week prior to promote mission.
Make a list of Mass Times and venues and who is going to speak.

QUESTIONS TO ASK PARISH SECRETARY OR PRIEST:
Ask about approx. numbers for each Mass, (for printing quantity)
Get contact details of all those in the Parish we need to communicate with.
Are there already some dedicated adorers we can contact?

MAKE A LIST OF CONTACT DETAILS OF PEOPLE YOU MAY WISH TO COMMUNICATE WITH:
Parish Priest
Assistant Priest/Deacon
Parish Secretary
Music and Tech person.
Sacramental Co-Ordinator
Catechists Co-Ordinator
Youth leaders
Morning tea group
Charismatic prayer group:
Ministry help/music
Local Primary and Highschool contacts: Secretary/Principal/RE co-ord?
Lay Parishioners who want to be involved.

ADVERTISING FLYER TO GO TO:
Parish
Surrounding Parishes/schools
Catholic papers
Website
Facebook page and other social media
Catholic schools primary high school

PRINTING: (Some we take with us some is printed in the Parish we are visiting.)
Flyers
All Talks/Presentations
Invitations
Handout before Masses
Workshop sheets:
Structure
Instructions for Guardians, Co-ords, Div. Leaders, Captains.
Roster and Substitute list templates.
Sign-in sheet
Instructions for initial phonecall (?needs reviewing)
(White Folder for all chapel docs)
“I call you Friends”
Inspirational Eucharistic handouts eg Litany to the Blessed Host
Runsheets

TO TAKE (OR POST) FOR MISSION WEEK
Your talks and run sheets
Pencils/baskets/invitations
Ushers instructions
Initial handout flyers
Promotional material
Poster- Eucharistic Sacred Heart of Jesus
Table:
Books
Leaflets
Our cards
Rosaries
Mass equipment

OTHER HELPFUL NOTES:
BOOKS – EXAMPLES
How Can you Mend a Broken Heart?
I, the Lord am with you always. In memory of Me (Christine McCarthy)
Watch and Pray Archbishop Barry Hickey
Come to Me in the Blessed Sacrament VP Lucia
I am with you always, Until the End of This World. BAC Australia Pty Ltd
In Sinu Jesu
The Divine Mercy Message booklet
PRAYERS:
JPII Letter to Priests
Worthy is the Lamb
How to pray the Rosary
‘I Thirst’ cards
Lord, increase our Faith
The Miracle Prayer – If you need help obtaining these resources please email apostlespa@gmail.com

SMS to those who have signed up – wording
Hello … (name)
Thank you for committing to a weekly Holy Hour at St. ……
Your hour is …(hour) on …(day). If this is not convenient for you please call me.
I am your division Leader and together with your Captain … (name),
we are happy to assist you with any questions.
God bless you,
… (name)

When asked about costs. We stress that we never charge for our ministry.
“Freely you have received; Freely give.” Matt 10:8
We never promote or suggest the idea of donations, but if people offer to make a donation that is OK.

QUESTIONS:
Feel free to email apostlespa@gmail.com and we will email or call you to discuss your query.