perpetual adoration question??

[seek1st]

I know that during exposition of the Blessed Sacrament there should be two people scheduled to be present. Someone from another parish just asked me if there is a new regulation that says if there is only one person in the chapel adoring, the Blessed Sacrament must be reposed for that time.

This doesn’t make sense to me. But I thought I would ask for the collective wisdom of this list.

We have perpetual adoration and have many hours scheduled with only one adorer - most really like it that way.

 

[tee_eff_em]

I know that during exposition of the Blessed Sacrament there should be two people scheduled to be present.

How do you “know” that? (ie On what authority do you say two people should be scheduled?)

tee

 

[maria_rose]

I know that during exposition of the Blessed Sacrament there should be two people scheduled to be present. Someone from another parish just asked me if there is a new regulation that says if there is only one person in the chapel adoring, the Blessed Sacrament must be reposed for that time.

This doesn’t make sense to me. But I thought I would ask for the collective wisdom of this list.

We have perpetual adoration and have many hours scheduled with only one adorer - most really like it that way.

In My parish we have perpetual Adoration 24/7 and there are times when only one adorer is scheduled. Interestingly enough there always people just showing up to pray . So they’re never alone. I don’t know of any regulations to this , but to me it seems fine.

 

[seek1st]

Well, I was sure that it was in the official guidelines for setting up perpetual adoration. “two people should be on the schedule for each hour” now I can’t find that.

But as I look for this statement I find something else… from the Real Presence documentation.

1. 
   *]How many people are needed to have a Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration program in a Parish?
   *]There are 168 hours in a week. Theoretically, all that is needed are 168 people willing to make one Holy Hour on a weekly basis. Realistically, however, it is necessary to have more than 200 in case of illness, vacations or other situations that may arise necessitating a substitute.
   does anyone else know where to look?

 

[seek1st]

How do you “know” that? (ie On what authority do you say two people should be scheduled?)

on the EWTN website I found this quote about the suggested norm of two adorers per hour…
everyone understands that the Lord should never be left alone and if one person is present, then they stay until someone else comes.

Why is exposition in the monstrance preferred?
To see Jesus visibly present under the appearance of the small white host is much more conducive to intimacy than hidden away in the tabernacle. Moreover, it adds an extra responsibility on the adorers to be sure to be faithful to the hours they are scheduled, since the suggested norm for having Jesus exposed in the monstrance is that there should be at least two adorers present, and He must never be left alone. Could not these words of our Lord be applied today: “Indeed, this is the will of My heavenly Father, that everyone who looks upon the Son, and believes in Him, shall have eternal life. Him I will raise up on the last day.”

 

[Mordocai]

probably because in case one person has to leave due to emergency, there is at least one other person present.

 

[JimG]

It’s good if there can be at least two scheduled at a time, but not always possible. Sometimes there is only one.

 

[Veritas41]

I know that during exposition of the Blessed Sacrament there should be two people scheduled to be present. Someone from another parish just asked me if there is a new regulation that says if there is only one person in the chapel adoring, the Blessed Sacrament must be reposed for that time.

This doesn’t make sense to me. But I thought I would ask for the collective wisdom of this list.

We have perpetual adoration and have many hours scheduled with only one adorer - most really like it that way.

I’ve never heard of the two-person rule, and I’ve been involved in Eucharistic adoration for 10 years. I remember a notice in our adoration chapel that if the person scheduled to come in after your time didn’t show up, it was necessary to stay there until someone else show up because the Blessed Sacrament was not to be left alone, which might be the reason for the two-person rule you have heard of (it may be just one parish’s rule, not one binding on all parishes) --to have someone there in case the other person doesn’t show up for some reason

 

[Future_Prodigy]

i’ve never heard of not being able to leave the Blessed Sacrament alone before… Whats the rational behind thatout of curiousity?

 

[puzzleannie]

my former parish has the Blessed Sacrament exposed for Adoration 8 hours every day, and the new pastor shortened the hours because there were several times the chapel had been left empty and unlocked because someone did not show up, had to leave early for whatever reason. Also some people had the mentality “I own the hour from 2-3, nobody else is allowed in here during MY time”. The secretary was continually be called out of the office to repose the Blessed Sacrament or to take the hour herself, or calling people to find substitutes. Also the Church is downtown, and street people frequently come in the chapel, and were frightening or even harassing elderly people who were there alone.

To correct abuses he now allows shorter hours and has new regulations. 4 people must sign up and commit to each hour, and must find their own substitutes, to insure that no one is there alone, for safety, and so that these problems do not occur again. Not a Church rule, the pastors rule, for wisdom and prudence.

 

[Veritas41]

i’ve never heard of not being able to leave the Blessed Sacrament alone before… Whats the rational behind thatout of curiousity?

This is taken from Redemptionis Sacramentum. *
[137.] Exposition of the Most Holy Eucharist must always be carried out in accordance with the prescriptions of the liturgical books.235 Before the Most Holy Sacrament either reserved or exposed, the praying of the Rosary, which is admirable “in its simplicity and even its profundity”, is not to be excluded either.236 Even so, especially if there is Exposition*,** the character of this kind of prayer as a contemplation of the mystery of the life of Christ the Redeemer and the Almighty Father’s design of salvation should be emphasized, especially by making use of readings taken from Sacred Scripture.237
[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.

I would guess it’s a matter of reverence for Christ. If we’re going to expose the Blessed Sacrament for worship somebody should be there

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Well my wife and myself go together, so during our scheduled hour, there are almost always two people.

 

[InLight247]

i’ve never heard of not being able to leave the Blessed Sacrament alone before… Whats the rational behind thatout of curiousity?

The real presence is in the Eucharist. When the Sacred Host is exposed, our Lord is making himself vulnerable. That’s why we need people to guard Him.