Must someone always be present with the Eucharist when the Eucharist is exposed?

[Robin_McCracken]

My child’s school has Eucharistic Adoration every Friday.
The monstrance with Jesus inside is left on the altar in the chapel.
My daughter (and others) go in to make a visit. Often times they enter and Jesus is exposed with no one present. When they leave, there is often no one to take their place. My child has offered to organize a list of people who would be able to adore so that the chapel is never without a person. She is meeting with much resistance. “Kids will come just to get out of class. It is OK to do it this way in a school.” And even one person said, “What is the difference between that and the Eucharist being in the tabernacle? There is not a constant person with the tabernacle”
This was the school’s chaplain, a priest. I am so disheartened and disappointed in this school’s adoration protocol.
My daughter spent a week this past summer with the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration. She loves the lord and is very upset over this. She is passionate and has said to me, “Jesus is alone.” (with tears) She has meet with the chaplain 3 times and the principal once. Her religion teacher agrees with her but has no power to change it. (both this year’s and last year’s)

I have been taught that Jesus is not to be left alone. I have taught my children that as well. I realize that sometimes a scheduled adorer may have an emergency and not be able to come, but that should be the exception, right? My daughter is very upset (as am I). She said she doesn’t know how but she is not giving up in trying to correct this.
Is there a doctrine about this or are we being too ‘stressed out,’ over this as the principal says?

Thank you

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

You are correct, if the Eucharist is exposed then someone should be present.

Redemptionis Sacramentum

[138.] Still, the Most Holy Sacrament, when exposed, must never be left unattended even for the briefest space of time. It should therefore be arranged that at least some of the faithful always be present at fixed times, even if they take alternating turns.

Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist outside Mass:

1. Where there cannot be uninterrupted exposition because there is not a sufficient number of worshipers, it is permissible to replace the blessed sacrament in the tabernacle at fixed hours that are announced ahead of time. But this may not be done more than twice a day, for example, at midday and at night.

Note that a “sufficient number of worshipers” is required for exposition and if there is not a sufficient number then the Eucharist is to be reposed.

And from the USCCB:

Every effort should be made to ensure that there should be at least two people present. There must absolutely never be periods when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed and there is no one present for adoration.

When the Eucharist is exposed it is also vulnerable, anyone from the misguided pious (who might try to take the host home) to the mischievous (who might desecrate it) have easy access to the Eucharist. When the Eucharist is in a locked tabernacle those scenarios are not possible. That is why the canon law sets strict standards for tabernacles:

canon 938 §3. The tabernacle in which the Most Holy Eucharist is reserved habitually is to be immovable, made of solid and opaque material, and locked in such a way that the danger of profanation is avoided as much as possible

canon 938 §5. The person responsible for the church or oratory is to take care that the key of the tabernacle in which the Most Holy Eucharist is reserved is safeguarded most diligently…