What happened to 40 hours?

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It hasn’t been discontinued, it’s just less common than it once was. My parish has them regularly for various intentions.

If the blessed Sacrament will be exposed, adorers have to be there with Him the whole time. It is usually best to have two people just in case something happens. So this means at least 80 lay people have to commit to an hour during the 40 hours (including overnight). Scheduling, getting commitments, etc. is a big job; however, it is properly the role of the laity to do it.

If you’d like to see a 40 hours vigil at your parish, speak to your pastor and offer to arrange it. It is a beautiful blessign and well worth it. You may want to start with a shorter timeframe if there is an regular adoration at your church. For example, from the end of an evening Mass until midnight (which we’ll have today). 😃
 
It sounds like a lot of organizational work. I know my parish has perpetual adoration, and there’s always a call out look for people to fill in spots.
 
fred_conty said:
Does anyone know why “Forty Hours” was discontinued?
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Probably lack of volunteers to be there from 10 PM - 6 AM

My Saturday evening Church (see signature below) has 24 hour adoration, and is constantly calling for volunteers. My weekday Church, St. Philomena, has daytime adoration only. But for the first Friday of each month, they do have the 40 hour adoration, begging all the time for late night volunteers. 😦
 
Thanks for all the replies. However I’m referring to the real 40 hours length of adoration.
It started eith on one day and ended the second day after 40 hours, or it lasted three days of a total of 40 hours. This occured in every parish once a year at different times.
 
fred_conty said:
Thanks for all the replies. However I’m referring to the real 40 hours length of adoration.
It started eith on one day and ended the second day after 40 hours, or it lasted three days of a total of 40 hours. This occured in every parish once a year at different times.
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We are all talking about the same thing. And the reason why it has been discontinued in most places is the same - lack of adorers to be with the Blessed Sacrament.

It is absolutely possible to bring it back at your parish and many others. It takes commitment on the part of the laity to organize. You may be that person for your parish!
 
TrueLight said:
LOL. Well I’ve never heard of this 40 hour adoration!
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The Forty Hours Devotion begins with a Solemn Mass of Exposition, which concludes with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and a procession. The Blessed Sacrament remains on the altar in a monstrance. During the next 40 hours, the faithful gather for personal or public prayer in adoration of our Lord. The Blessed Sacrament is reposed in the tabernacle for the daily Mass, and then returned for exposition after Mass. At the end of the devotions, the Mass of Deposition is offered, again concluding with a procession, benediction and final reposition of the Blessed Sacrament. While the forty-hour period should be continuous, some Churches break-up the time, reposing the Blessed Sacrament at night because of security reasons.

The Forty Hours Devotion can be seen almost like a parish mini-retreat or mission. A guest priest may be invited to give a series of homilies. Confessions should be offered and encouraged. Consequently, an appropriate time to schedule Forty Hours is either Advent or Lent.

From here.

It’s a beautiful practice, but does require that the lay faithful at the parish be ready to stay with our Lord (in shifts) thoughout the entire 40 hours. If the OP wants to see something like this return to his parish for Easter, now is the time to start planning. Ash Wednesday is Feb 22 this year (2012).
 
Mrs_Sally said:
The Forty Hours Devotion begins with a Solemn Mass of Exposition, which concludes with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and a procession. The Blessed Sacrament remains on the altar in a monstrance. During the next 40 hours, the faithful gather for personal or public prayer in adoration of our Lord. The Blessed Sacrament is reposed in the tabernacle for the daily Mass, and then returned for exposition after Mass. At the end of the devotions, the Mass of Deposition is offered, again concluding with a procession, benediction and final reposition of the Blessed Sacrament. While the forty-hour period should be continuous, some Churches break-up the time, reposing the Blessed Sacrament at night because of security reasons.

The Forty Hours Devotion can be seen almost like a parish mini-retreat or mission. A guest priest may be invited to give a series of homilies. Confessions should be offered and encouraged. Consequently, an appropriate time to schedule Forty Hours is either Advent or Lent.

From here.

It’s a beautiful practice, but does require that the lay faithful at the parish be ready to stay with our Lord (in shifts) thoughout the entire 40 hours. If the OP wants to see something like this return to his parish for Easter, now is the time to start planning. Ash Wednesday is Feb 22 this year (2012).
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Thanks Mrs. Sally. 🙂
 
fred_conty said:
Does anyone know why “Forty Hours” was discontinued?
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This devotion is still around, but is less popular than it was back in the day.

The reason why is that back in the day, parishes were a lot more close knit and a lot smaller geographically, making the request to travel to church at midnight or 4 a.m. a lot less of an obligation.
 
Kielbasi said:
This devotion is still around, but is less popular than it was back in the day.

The reason why is that back in the day, parishes were a lot more close knit and a lot smaller geographically, making the request to travel to church at midnight or 4 a.m. a lot less of an obligation.
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Our parish manages this quite well, and we are probably 99% all commuters from other cities, some as far away as an hour.

newadvent.org/cathen/06151a.htm

te-deum.blogspot.com/2010/11/new-photos-assumption-grotto-at-night.html

It all depends on your priorities. If it’s important, you will make it work. We manage to make it work, so I can’t see why any other parish can’t do the same. 🤷

~Liza
 
The Forty Hours fell out of common observance as part of the post-conciliar liturgical free-for-all. I suppose it could well have made a come-back, but it didn’t have a chance. These days, it seems to have been superseded by “Perpetual Adoration” as championed by the late Pontiff. 🤷
 
malphono said:
The Forty Hours fell out of common observance as part of the post-conciliar liturgical free-for-all. I suppose it could well have made a come-back, but it didn’t have a chance. These days, it seems to have been superseded by “Perpetual Adoration” as championed by the late Pontiff. 🤷
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Perpetual adoration is a good thing no? I wish there were one by me.
 
TrueLight said:
Perpetual adoration is a good thing no? I wish there were one by me.
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Personally, I much prefer the Forty Hours. I’m not a fan of “Perpetual Adoration” for a variety of reasons which I shan’t go into here.
 
malphono said:
Personally, I much prefer the Forty Hours. I’m not a fan of “Perpetual Adoration” for a variety of reasons which I shan’t go into here.
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The 40 hours devotion is indeed beautiful. Perpetual adoration has a very long history also. It was practiced by St Clare of Assisi and the “Poor Clares” from the founding of the order.
 
I am a team “captain” for our 24 hour adoration on every First Friday of the month, and am responsible for getting myself and other adorers to come and adore for my time slot. Some months we do really well, and some months, not so well…but the Midnight to 4 am adorers are very faithful.
 
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