Perpetual

Adoration

in the Christchurch Diocese

Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration began in the Diocese of Christchurch on Sunday June 30th, 2013.

Perpetual Adoration is held at the St Gregory’s Chapel in Bishopdale in the Catholic Parish of Papanui. On this page you can download everything you need to know about Perpetual Adoration. You can also signup online. Please click on any topic below for more information.

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Perpetual Adoration and the Traffic Light Framework

The Perpetual Adoration chapel is opening from Friday May 29th at 12pm at St Gregory’s in Cotswold Ave.

Here are some guidelines to keep in mind if visiting St Gregory’s.

 

  1. Adoration will be in Main church Monday through Saturday from 8am-10pm and the chapel at other times including all day Sunday.

 

  1. All Adorers will sign in in the normal way in the dedicated adoration sign in book inside the church at the back by the last green pew (and in the chapel) as normal.

 

  1. All visitors must sign in when attending adoration. In the church please sign in in the foyer and in the chapel please use the sign in book.

 

  1. The numbers in the chapel are limited to 12 only. 

 

  1. During daily Mass in the main church the Blessed Sacrament will be reposed. 

 

  1. Daily Mass times are Tues, Wed, Fri and Sat at 9.15am and Thurs at 12pm.  

 

  1. Please use hand sanitizer before you enter the church/chapel and as you depart.  

 

  1. If you are unwell, or have been in close contact with a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19 please do not come to adoration.

 

  1. The full operational plan is available to be read here.

 

Thanks and God Bless,

Matt O’Connell,

Diocesan Perpetual Adoration Coordinator

027 536 9407

What is Eucharistic Adoration?

Eucharistic Adoration is the practice of worship/praying before Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament exposed in a monstrance on an altar. Many parishes around the Diocese already have times of Eucharistic Adoration. In the gospel, Jesus asked his disciples to spend one hour with him. In Eucharistic Adoration, we too can spend an hour with Jesus. “Of all devotions, that of adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the greatest after the Sacraments, the one dearest to God and the one most helpful to us”. St Alphonsus Liguori

What is Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration?

Perpetual Adoration is where Jesus, in the Blessed Sacrament, is exposed in a monstrance, on an altar, in a particular Church or chapel, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including right throughout the night. This practice of

Perpetual Adoration has developed greatly over the last century. Pope Benedict XVI, in his Apostolic Exhortation on the Eucharist recommended, Bishops “to set aside specific churches for perpetual adoration”.

What is a Holy Hour and why should I make one in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament?

A holy hour is simply spending time with God—talking to Him, but also listening to Him. Time before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament truly does just that. Although a holy hour can be made any place where you can bring yourself before the presence of God, here are some reasons for recommending that the holy hour be made in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. 

  • It is normally a place without distractions.
  • The Holy Hour is an extension of the Eucharist in which Christ gives Himself as our Living Bread for our spiritual life.
  • In Holy Communion your soul is permeated with God — like wax melted into wax. There can be no deeper presence of God here on earth than the one brought to us in the Blessed Sacrament. This is why it is called the “Real Presence.”

What do I do during a Holy Hour?

A holy hour is an exercise of love, not a project to be accomplished. You can say the Rosary, read a spiritual

book, read some prayers, or you can just do nothing and simply rest with the Lord. “I look at him and he looks at me” – A person’s answer to St John Vianney when he asked him why he went to the church to pray every day before the tabernacle for hours.

Why spend one hour?

Any amount of time spent before the Most Blessed Sacrament is valuable and beneficial. But here are some reasons for spending a full hour:

  • It’s a generous gift to the Lord of your precious time — in thanksgiving and gratitude for all the blessings you’ve received, and in reparation for sin. In the garden he asked his disciples to watch for one hour.
  • It gives you time to quiet your mind and heart from the busyness from of life, and to rest awhile, so that you can concentrate a little on Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.
  • It gives you time to listen to Our Lord.

Graces and Fruits of Adoration

“Today there is a “Eucharistic springtime” in the Church: How many people pause in silence before the Tabernacle to engage in a loving conversation with Jesus! It is comforting to know that many groups of young people have rediscovered the beauty of praying in adoration before the Most Blessed Sacrament … I pray that this Eucharistic “springtime” may spread increasingly in every parish.
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVIPope Emeritus
“The spiritual lives of our families are strengthened through our Holy Hour”.
Blessed John Paul II
Blessed John Paul II
“During a Holy Hour our love for Jesus becomes more intimate, our love for each other more understanding, and our love for the poor more compassionate”.
Blessed Mother Teresa
Blessed Mother Teresa
“A Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration is the best way to grow spiritually (outside of Mass).”
Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
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Testimonies

"Imagine if all Catholics truly believed and understood this ‘truth’ of the Church; Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist."
Phillip BellChristchurch
"Regular Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament over the past 12 years has radically transformed my life. Jesus has cared for me, spoken to me, and healed me. In Adoration, my heart rests”.
ManChristchurch - 40
“Spending time in the Real Presence of Jesus keeps me focused in my business life on Heavenly riches not earthly riches”
ManChristchurch - 27
“Adoration gives God a chance to hold me still and whisper in my ear”
WomanChristchurch - 33
"When I was young Adoration and Benediction was a regular part of the way we prayed. Then in the middle years both before and after my "return" to the Lord I hardly ever thought of it. In these last 15 years Adoration and Benediction have again become an important part of my prayer life. As a priest I have introduced it because it was asked for by young Adults and because I now know how important Adoration is as a continuation of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Mass. Personally I am very grateful to the Lord for catching me up again in this beautiful gift."
Parish PriestChristchurch
“Adoration is an encounter with God. It is where I meet God and He meets me. For me, the main fruit of adoring Christ in the Blessed Sacrament is faith - faith in God and faith in His Church. It is a concrete way in which we can allow God to be just that, our God. Without encountering Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, we are much more likely to put something in His place.”
ManChristchurch - 25
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" “It is an extraordinary grace that our perpetual adoration has been started, and has continued”. “We need to immerse ourselves regularly in pools of silence; noise is an aspect of modern society which can be oppressive, and an hour of silent prayer and presence before the Eucharistic Lord is a good to be treasured. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament reminds us of what the Mass is meant to be worship centred on God”.

Bishop Barry Jones
Bishop of Christchurch (2006 - 2016)

News & Events

Eucharistic Miracles

Venerable Carlo Acutis (3 May 1991 – 12 October 2006) was an Italian Roman Catholic teenager. He was best known for documenting Eucharistic miracles and cataloging them onto a website that he created in the months before his death from leukemia. He was noted for his deep devotion to the Eucharist which became a core theme of his life. Click Here to see the blog post on the Eucharistic Miracles Exhibition.

40 Hour Eucharistic Devotion

This is a special period of continuous prayer during which the Eucharist is exposed in a monstrance for adoration. The devotion begins with a Mass followed by continuous adoration over a 40-hour period, and it ends with a Mass and Benediction. 

Please contact Matt O’Connell if you would like more information about how to run the 40 Hour Eucharistic Devotion in your parish.

Adoration in your Parish

Although the Mass is central to Catholic life, devotions to the Eucharist are also important. Through them we can adore Jesus, pray in his presence, express our sorrow for sin, and experience a oneness with him that leads us to participate in the Mass.

Take note of the Adoration times in your parish. Consider encouraging your Catholic friends or prayer group to attend.