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Promoting Prayer and Christ's Eucharistic Presence
 It is a notable element of the St. Cecilia Dominican charism that Christ’s
Presence in the Eucharist is promoted in ways both basic and
extraordinary. The quiet revolution of Eucharistic Adoration has made
remarkable inroads as individuals and parishes rediscover this greatest of
all gifts. In all 23 schools of the Congregation our students receive
religious instruction in prayer, doctrine, and the sacraments. This
effort extends to the families of our students where love is taught and
the faith is meant to be lived. By means of Holy Hours, organized prayer
groups, and whole school rallies, our school communities are encouraged to
experience Christ’s presence in both profound and simple ways.
Aquinas School just outside of Washington, D.C. has
benefited from five years of Perpetual Adoration in the parish. The
Eucharistic Chapel is accessible to both groups and individual students.
Most recently Sr. Dominic Mary has organized and promoted a group called
Parents in Prayer. By signing up to spend time during the week in
adoration, parents, staff, faculty and students are encouraged to share in
the power of a unified effort of prayer. It was a great opportunity to
promote Eucharistic Adoration among the families in this parish school
with a concerted campaign reinforcing for some and introducing to others
the gift of His Presence. The response has been a beautiful outpouring of
unity and devotion. It has increased awareness of the need to pull
together family to family and provide something concrete that individuals
can do in times of need both individual and societal, whether it be in
response to 9/11, the occasion of the sniper terror or the concern for
impending war. Parents in Prayer highlights the bond that unites
our families to us and to one another.
At the
St. Henry School Open House for the start of
the 2002-2003 school year, Sr. Mary Anne stood before parents and
announced that they would be devotion-raising instead of fund-raising this
year. The Home and School groups would suspend all efforts to benefit the
school materially, with a special focus on building “treasure for
heaven”. The plan included a monthly family holy hour with silent prayer,
a short inspirational talk and hymns of praise with Benediction of the
Blessed Sacrament. The reflections are directed to increasing awareness
of Christ’s presence and His many gifts. The first holy hour drew almost
300 people. In the months to follow that number has steadily increased to
close to 400. The response has been tremendous from parents, faculty and
the parish as a whole. In the busy lives of our families such an idea
helps to put things into perspective. One note that Sr. Mary Anne received
speaks of this response with all of its potential to help with
prioritizing and the simple act of sanctifying through the powerful prayer
of Christ’s presence. A young mother writes:
“My first grader came home in
tears after ‘a bad day at school’. My husband
had a meeting. Dinner was trying. I had dozens
of excuses not to be at the Holy Hour. But I packed up the four little
ones, and we came. Thank you. I needed to be reminded how much Christ
loves me. How He longs to know me, and for me to know Him. My first
grader—who protested our coming—belted out each and every beautiful song
of worship. When our baby fussed, he (the first grader) encouraged me
to stay. Miracles happen when we open ourselves up to God’s mercy.”
When the Dominican Fathers hosted a Youth 2000 at the
Parish in 1999 & 2001 its success sparked a fire in the school. Sr. Maria
Christi wanted to capture the experience which combined Eucharistic
Adoration and great expressions of enthusiasm. What followed was a
school-wide celebration of “Catholicity” as the students gathered in the
gym for a rally like no other! Accustomed to a monthly First Friday
celebration, the students were aware of the gift of Christ’s presence and
the power of prayer. They sang, listened to talks and spent time in
adoration. The day included a Eucharistic Procession, an International
Rosary and Benediction as 400 students participated with spirit and
conviction. What students, parents and teachers at
St. Gertrude’s
discovered was the importance of celebrating what defines our faith and
gives it life.
The school benefits from the leadership of the
Dominican Fathers and the brothers in the novitiate for the Eastern
Province. Clearly, all that is happening at St. Gertrude’s must make St.
Dominic proud!
A Community Charism
Living the charism of our founder is a priority for
all of our schools. At St. Vincent de Paul School in Denver a Eucharistic
Adoration Chapel was designed within the school and generates grace 24
hours a day. They, along with numbers of other school communities,
promote First Friday Adoration with the added benefit of daily visits to
the Blessed Sacrament. In this age when life-long learning is promoted,
it is refreshing to see the promotion of life-long devotion.
As Sister Mary Anne reflected on her original
inspiration, she found herself, as other sisters have before her, asking
how she could best strengthen family life and promote a greater sense of
devotion. Sister inquired in prayer: “What would Dominic do? He
preached so people could hear, understand and accept, and then he took them
a step further. If people know and believe in Jesus as a person, they
will have to change their lives. They will want to change their lives.” |
