How Often Does Your Parish Celebrate Benediction Services?

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In the last decade in my Parish devotion towards the Blessed Sacrament in particular Benediction/Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament has fallen to an extremely sullen form. Except for Holy Thursday no other time in the year does our parish celebrate a prayerful Benediction service. Sadly; it might seem that some could easily lay blame on the clergy the Shepherd and Spiritual Director of his sheepfold. However; priests in my Archdiocese are run ragged due to very low numbers of clergy both in the English and French deaneries. Oftentimes we take our priest for granted especially in places that have a large contingency of priests and deacons in abundance. On an Archdiocesan level Benediction services from either deanery has fallen drastically. Fewer priests translates increasingly to No Masses, lay led services and a falling away of faith.

I am at a loss except through fervent prayer how to encourage more Benediction services.
We once had extremely devout White Fathers, Franciscan, Capuchin congregations of priests in our Archdiocese. They’ve all since have either retired or have been called back to major home centers like Montreal and Toronto. We really need to pray more precious priestly vocations and deacons to help them. It hurts when you our present priests health seriously affected by fatigue. The average age of priests in my archdiocese is between 58-75. One priest just turned 50.
 
At parish level, rarely if ever. At our Benedictine abbey, benediction every first Friday of the month after Vespers. Adoration every Sunday after Vespers and also after Vespers of solemnities and certain feasts.
 
Every Friday evening, as part of Holy Hour, and on other special occasions.
 
centurionguard said:
In the last decade in my Parish devotion towards the Blessed Sacrament in particular Benediction/Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament has fallen to an extremely sullen form. Except for Holy Thursday no other time in the year does our parish celebrate a prayerful Benediction service. Sadly; it might seem that some could easily lay blame on the clergy the Shepherd and Spiritual Director of his sheepfold. However; priests in my Archdiocese are run ragged due to very low numbers of clergy both in the English and French deaneries. Oftentimes we take our priest for granted especially in places that have a large contingency of priests and deacons in abundance. On an Archdiocesan level Benediction services from either deanery has fallen drastically. Fewer priests translates increasingly to No Masses, lay led services and a falling away of faith.

I am at a loss except through fervent prayer how to encourage more Benediction services.
We once had extremely devout White Fathers, Franciscan, Capuchin congregations of priests in our Archdiocese. They’ve all since have either retired or have been called back to major home centers like Montreal and Toronto. We really need to pray more precious priestly vocations and deacons to help them. It hurts when you our present priests health seriously affected by fatigue. The average age of priests in my archdiocese is between 58-75. One priest just turned 50.
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As a parishoneer you may be able to reinsert the practise in your church. Start with the feast of Corpus Christi.This is the perfect time to bring awareness of the Risen Lord. Try to organize a service with Benediction including a Eucharistic Procession. This can be either a large route or a small one . Indoor or outdoor. Processions bring attention and reverance.
Eucharistic Adoration will bring a reawakening to Our Lord on a parish level. Adoration is a lay driven program. It may be a hour a week or few hours daily.Offer to supervise this.
Priests are reluctant to start services without a committment from their parishoneers.
One person can make a difference.
 
Our parish only has Benediction on certain occasions. At the moment I cannot recall when those times are. We certainly don’t have weekly Benediction.
 
Never. I drive to a parish run by the Franciscans to attend Benediction whenever I can. 3:00pm on Fridays is a tough time though. I really wish that there was a more convenient time available.

If anyone knows of a parish in St. Louis that has Benediction during non workweek hours please let me know.
 
Every day in May, every day in June, possibly every day in October, every Sunday in Lent, every Wednesday of every week, and possibly every Tuesday. 🙂
 
Only after Stations of the Cross on Friday evenings during Lent.

Sad.
 
In my Parish, it nearly died out until we were joined around 15 years ago by two priests who had converted from the Anglican priesthood. Suddenly we were engulfed by Popish practices that much of the Catholic communion had long since abandoned.

We now celebrate a Blessed Sacrament Procession and Benediction (with Latin hymns and chants) following our last Sunday morning Mass on the feasts of Christ the King and Corpus Christi. We also have Benediction (with English hymns and chants) as a separate service on the First Friday of every month.

I refined my skills as a thurifer when I was aged 9 or 10. Every week, we had a devotional Novena service to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour followed by Benediction. Most people only came for 9 weeks, but we altar servers were in for the long haul. After around 6 months, I had learned how to fill the church with smoke from just a small amount of incense. This came to the notice of our Archbishop who was keen on lots of smoke and I used to be collected by his secretary and driven to Confirmation services and foundation stone laying ceremonies where His Grace felt that the local standard of incensing was too tame.
 
jimrob said:
In my Parish, it nearly died out until we were joined around 15 years ago by two priests who had converted from the Anglican priesthood. Suddenly we were engulfed by Popish practices that much of the Catholic communion had long since abandoned.

We now celebrate a Blessed Sacrament Procession and Benediction (with Latin hymns and chants) following our last Sunday morning Mass on the feasts of Christ the King and Corpus Christi. We also have Benediction (with English hymns and chants) as a separate service on the First Friday of every month.
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The Anglicans down my way do it weekly to beautiful choral settings of the O Salutaris and Tantum Ergo, and ending with the Marian anthem in latin. My parish does it once a month, but rather half heartedly.
 
Every Thursday at my Cathedral parish. On Thursday, we have Exposition after the noon Mass and Adoration all afternoon. We pray Vespers at 5:00 p.m. Then confession is available from 5:45 on. Benediction is at 6:30, with a long set of sung divine praises, incense, altar servers, etc. It’s beautiful.

Our rector leads our young adult group in Exposition, Adoration, and Benediction every fourth Sunday afternoon.

We have conventual Franciscans.👍

Bring us more of those “popish” practices!!!
 
I’m not sure. We have adoration every First Friday, though, so maybe then…? 🤷 I’ll have to ask.
 
what exactaly is a benedictine service? i dont think i have ever been to one.
 
Every day except Saturday unless the priest is busy, in which case we have Exposition led by a sister without Benediction. Twice on Mondays.

People in the parish wanted it and were willing to organise it so that’s what we got. 5-6.30pm on weekdays, 6.30-7.30pm on Sundays, 7.30-9pm on Mondays.

OP: if you haven’t got the priests available to have Benediction, you could still have Exposition led by laypeople. Maybe speak to someone about it. You would probably be able to get a regular Adoration going and ask the priests if they would lead Benediction at the end on an occasional basis. It would be better than nothing!
 
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