Perpetual Adoration before Vatican II?

[Maximilian75]

To what extent did this beautiful custom exist before the Council?

 

[Limoncello4021]

I can’t answer well, but I know that the 40 Hours devotion in the U.S. dates back to St. John Neumann, and I do remember it being announced from the pulpit and out family attending. I do not remember perpetual adoration–I’m sure we would have gone if it had been offered. But that could have been just my parish at the time (I’m 61).

 

[commenter]

Some convents had “Adoration” for a set number of hours each day, but a some had it perpetually. Not sure about men’s orders, but likely some had it.

Parishes had 40 hours, as noted, as well as benediction, which includes adoration. But a more common feature before Vatican II was "making a visit "to the Blessed Sacrament. Churches were open all day long, and people recognized Jesus is just as “adorable” in the Tabernacle as in the monstrance.

The difference was, and is, that if Jesus is in the monstrance, you have to have at least one person present. But adoration of Jesus in the Tabernacle is sadly neglected today. There is noisy commotion right before, and right after Mass, as if Jesus were not present. This was the time when huge numbers of Catholics used to pray the most, far more than the number that go to adoration chapels now.

So while parish adoration chapels are a good thing, they are a mixed blessing.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

But a more common feature before Vatican II was "making a visit "to the Blessed Sacrament. Churches were open all day long, and people recognized Jesus is just as “adorable” in the Tabernacle as in the monstrance.

Yes, I am very sad that churches in USA nowadays are usually locked so you cannot “make a visit”.
I don’t need Jesus to be out of the tabernacle.
But if I want to pray Rosary or stations in a church on a weekday, I have pretty much the half hour before certain Masses to do it, which can be iffy both in terms of getting there precisely at that time, and because other people are arriving for Mass with their own expectations - some want to pray silently, some want to chat in the church.

I understand the security reasons why many churches need to be locked, but I very much treasure the handful of places that are open 24/7 or at least for most of the daytime hours.

Yesterday I stayed about 10 minutes after Mass to light one candle to the Sacred Heart and then say a quick Hail Mary and short prayer to St. Joseph and they turned all the lights off in the church while I was praying and I had to grope my way to the exit in the dark, as the sun had set.

 

[commenter]

commenter:

But a more common feature before Vatican II was "making a visit "to the Blessed Sacrament. Churches were open all day long, and people recognized Jesus is just as “adorable” in the Tabernacle as in the monstrance.

Yes, I am very sad that churches in USA nowadays are usually locked so you cannot “make a visit”.
I don’t need Jesus to be out of the tabernacle.
But if I want to pray Rosary or stations in a church on a weekday, I have pretty much the half hour before certain Masses to do it, which can be iffy both in terms of getting there precisely at that time, and because other people are arriving for Mass with their own expectations - some want to pray silently, some want to chat in the church.

I understand the security reasons why many churches need to be locked, but I very much treasure the handful of places that are open 24/7 or at least for most of the daytime hours.

Yesterday I stayed about 10 minutes after Mass to light one candle to the Sacred Heart and then say a quick Hail Mary and short prayer to St. Joseph and they turned all the lights off in the church while I was praying and I had to grope my way to the exit in the dark, as the sun had set.

“We walk by faith and not by sight”.

 

[OraLabora]

The difference was, and is, that if Jesus is in the monstrance, you have to have at least one person present. But adoration of Jesus in the Tabernacle is sadly neglected today. There is noisy commotion right before, and right after Mass, as if Jesus were not present.

At our abbey, the tabernacle is in a separate and beautiful Blessed Sacrament chapel flooded by natural light. There are 6 chairs with kneelers in white oak, and a marble and bronze tabernacle and an altar as sometimes a Mass will be celebrated there. The architecture, like the main church’s, is modern (the church was consecrated in 1994). It is most conducive to adoration of Jesus in the tabernacle at all hours.

I can say from experience that this place is very well used both before Mass, and at other hours by people on retreat and visitors.

 

[Sunbreak]

I recall 40 hours devotion but I don’t recall that there was any regular perpetual adoration in my parish in Detroit in the 1950s and 1960s.

 

[otjm]

Our parish has had Perpetual Adoration for something like 25 years.

At one point, access was available to the church, and people could also go into the main area for a short visit to the blessed Sacrament in the main body of the church, as well as to the chapel. Common sense was not all that common, as homeless people would wander in. After items were stolen, common sense prevailed, and doors were locked, and one needed to know the combination.

 

[Augustinian]

I understand the security reasons why many churches need to be locked, but I very much treasure the handful of places that are open 24/7 or at least for most of the daytime hours.

A lot of churches nowadays don’t have the number of people around all day. It isn’t like they need really tight security, but you just can’t open the doors if there aren’t people keeping an eye on the property.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Yes, I said “I understand the security reasons why many churches need to be locked”.
We are not living in Mayberry RFD these days.

As I said, there are a handful of churches in my areas that do keep a chapel open 24/7 or at least for long hours during the day, and I keep track of which ones those are. Some of them do not have people around at all times during the day (or night), but are in safe or isolated neighborhoods and tend to keep it on the downlow that they stay open.

 

[anon64350612]

Yesterday I stayed about 10 minutes after Mass to light one candle to the Sacred Heart and then say a quick Hail Mary and short prayer to St. Joseph and they turned all the lights off in the church while I was praying and I had to grope my way to the exit in the dark, as the sun had set.

Cell phone flash light Tis_Bear! Comes in handy.