I left the Tabernacle uncovered

[joeybaggz]

Apologize, no I don’t think that is necessary as it is not something that you signed up for and then deliberately blew off. Acknowledge it and then take your direction from the priest, not a bad idea.

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

I rarely see a veiled tabernacle these days, so I wouldn’t fret that much; the monstrance is another story (as others have pointed out).

 

[7_Sorrows]

If no one explained to you what you are supposed to do if you have to leave and no one else is present, you cannot be held
responsible this time.
Do you know who the person or persons are who take care of the Adoration chapel?
If so, contact them, explain what happened and ask them what the procedure is for you to follow if it happens again.
Are you planning on becoming Catholic?

 

[JimG]

In our perpetual adoration chapel there are at least two adorers signed up for each hour of the day. We are instructed never to leave the chapel unattended. If someone does not show up for their hour, we call them, or call someone else to come in, or else stay until someone does come in to take our place.

 

[ZMystiCat]

My parish does perpetual adoration, though there are times throughout the day when no one is there. If that is the case, you’re supposed to close it, and there’s a sign on the door of the chapel letting you know to do so. (There’s also a sign by the tabernacle saying to close it if you’re the last one out.) Personally, I’ve never had to close it, but I have come by a couple times when it was closed. Either way, I find it weird, since we’re normally not allowed to touch the tabernacle. Those are the two cases where we’re encouraged to, and considering the nature of exposing/concealing Christ, it feels really weighty.

 

[Canvas]

My Parish has a Perpetual Adoration Chapel.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Please contact whoever is in charge of the adorers and ask them what the correct procedure is.

As a general rule, you should never leave the exposed Blessed Sacrament alone. Jesus is “exposed” when in a monstrance (the sunburst or other shaped thing that holds a consecrated host for viewing) or when the tabernacle doors are open. You are supposed to wait for the next person to arrive or else, if no one shows up, follow whatever procedures have been set up for that chapel.

Usually there is a sign with the procedures posted somewhere. If there isn’t such a sign, you may want to ask the person in charge of the adorers to please make one. Some chapels have a phone number where you’re supposed to call someone to substitute if the designated person doesn’t arrive. Other chapels just require that you cover the exposed Blessed Sacrament by using a veil, closing a curtain, closing tabernacle doors or whatever they have set up. Then you can leave.

If the Blessed Sacrament is already locked in a tabernacle, you can still adore and not have to worry about doing anything when you need to leave.

 

[paperwight]

since we’re normally not allowed to touch the tabernacle. .

Do you mean in your parish specifically? I don’t think there is a blanket rule that laity can never touch the Tabernacle. Sacristans or EMHCs frequently have to check how many Hosts are there, for instance.

In fact, I gather from one or two actions by various foreign visitors to our parish, in some cultures it is permitted to touch even the Monstrance out of devotion . And I even found a visitor encouraging her young son on to the Sanctuary the other day to touch the Tabernacle, because, she told me ‘If they touched the Tabernacle, they believed in their culture that their prayers were guaranteed to be answered’!

 

[godisgood77]

So, I went to adoration planning on being there for 15 minutes but about 5 minutes in the two other people left. After being in adoration for 20 minutes no-one came in. I didn’t know what to do if no-one came but I had to leave. Will I get in trouble for leaving the Tabernacle uncovered and alone?

OP - I would not worry about it…it’s not a big deal. If some does give you a hard time, just let them know I said it was okay …Seriously though, I’m certain that God will be okay.

 

[ZMystiCat]

Do you mean in your parish specifically?

I’m not sure how general the rule is. There is a sign, though, saying to not touch the tabernacle. With that said, I’m not sure how heavily enforced it is, since there’s rarely a priest in the chapel. Personally, I’ve never seen anyone do it except to open/close the tabernacle.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Sometimes they put up those signs if there are people in the parish who tend to do a lot of “touching” when they pray.
I have seen one lady who likes to get up close and touch the monstrance at adoration. Because she is very visibly physically disabled, and is clearly praying very intensely when she spends her minute or so touching the monstrance, I don’t see any harm in that. I would be concerned if everybody was doing it though.

 

[Muzhik]

We have Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in my city, and in fact this last week we just celebrated 40 years of continuous Adoration. In all those years we have tried to have at least 2 people in Adoration at the same time (“Whenever two or more of you are gathered in My name…”) 24 hours a day, 362 days a year. The three days are through the 3 days before Easter, which is also when we do a major cleaning operation. Sometimes I have been the only one in there, esp. in winter when people catch colds, but I always stay there until a replacement comes.

The Archbishop attended and offered Mass in celebration of the 40th anniversary. Check it out:
http://www.powerofprayerdbq.com/Summer2018Newsletter.pdf

 

[Zach]

I went to adoration in a church I’ve never been to before. I was in a pew near the front and saw a colored image on the Tabernacle. It looked like female and male figures at a table or altar. Is this common to have an image, drawing or painting on the front of the Tabernacle?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

There are many different kinds of tabernacles, and it is not out of the question to have a religious picture or design on the front of one.

 

[TheLittleLady]

The three days are through the 3 days before Easter, which is also when we do a major cleaning operation.

Also because the Church requires Adoration of the Exposed Eucharist to be suspended during the Triduum.

 

[Muzhik]

There are many different kinds of tabernacles, and it is not out of the question to have a religious picture or design on the front of one.

Allow me to show off my command of trivia and useless knowledge:

“Tabernacle” comes from the Hebrew word for “Tent”. “The Feast of Tents” is more properly called “The Festival of Tabernacles”, and a better translation of John 1:14 is “The Word became Flesh and Tabernacled among us.”