By Anne Marie Amacher
DAVENPORT — Beth Budelier, a member of St. Paul the Apostle Parish, believes that offering perpetual adoration in a diocese “results in great things for the individual adorers, the parish, the community and the diocese.”
She thinks now is a time “when we can all benefit from the graces that flow from having perpetual adoration in our diocese.”
Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport offered perpetual adoration for several years, but stopped doing so last year – partly because of a lack of adorers. Now the cathedral offers adoration following the 5:15 p.m. Mass until 11 p.m., seven days a week.
“In many of our hearts, we’d like it to go back to 24 hours,” Budelier said. “Jesus is there 24 hours a day, seven days a week. People know you can go anytime and he is waiting when you have perpetual adoration.”
Budelier became a regular adorer at the cathedral when she was a student at St. Ambrose University in Davenport from 2002-06. “It was great because I could go early in the morning before classes. Since graduating, getting married and settling in Davenport it would be wonderful to have the option of having perpetual adoration in the diocese again to ensure that there would be a time to spend in adoration every week.”
A meeting about adoration and perpetual adoration has been scheduled for 1 p.m. March 15 in the lower level of Sacred Heart Cathedral’s Parish Hall (the former school).
“This meeting is meant to get things going,” she said. “It’s a gathering of anyone interested in adoration, those who have been adorers at St. Margaret’s Chapel in Sacred Heart Cathedral in the past and those who enjoy the first Friday devotions at their respective parishes and would like to take an hour of adoration every week.”
The meeting will give people the opportunity to sign up for a weekly hour of adoration or take a leadership role as an hour captain or division coordinator.
Various security measures are being reviewed to make the chapel area safer, such as replacing the exterior door that often gets stuck when it is humid or rainy, improving exterior lighting, and considering motion sensor lights.
The meeting also will include some people giving testimonies of how their hour in adoration has changed their prayer life and relationship with God and others.
For those who are unable to attend, but want to take or confirm an hour of adoration, contact Bob Hammill at (563) 391-8840 or e-mail QCPerpetualAdoration@yahoo.com.
