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This page provides information on perpetual adoration at Our Lady of Lourdes parish in the FAQ, frequently asked questions, format. You may browse through the entire page, or use the index immediately below to go directly to a specific topic.
What is Perpetual Adoration? Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration is continuous prayer before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. It is an expression of our love for Jesus. The Host, the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, of Jesus is placed in a monstrance and honored with the worship of adoration. Adorers make a commitment to spend an hour a week before the exposed consecrated Eucharist. Adoration is continuous seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day except for a brief period at the end of Lent, termed Triduum, when the Eucharist is reposed. Back to Index What does the Church teach about Eucharistic Adoration? 
The church strongly encourages both private and public devotion toward the Eucharist and teaches that prayer before the Eucharist actually "extends the union with Christ which the faithful have received in Communion". It helps them live in a more Christian way, trying "to maintain in their lives what they have received by faith and by sacrament".
(The Rites of the Catholic Church) For further information you can visit The Real Presence Association web site.
Holy Family Perpetual Adoration Chapel is located at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 2710 Overbrook Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27608. The Chapel is in the parish office building and is easily found by first looking for the grotto on the parish property. The chapel is opposite the grotto and has two walls made of glass blocks. The statue of the Blessed Mother in the grotto is facing the chapel. If you are not familiar where Our Lady of Lourdes is located in Raleigh, click to see a map to Our Lady of Lourdes on the MapQuest web site. Eucharistic adoration is occurring in many parishes in the United States and in North Carolina. Click to see a list of North Carolina parishes and their adoration schedules. Back to Index 
Holy Family Perpetual Adoration chapel is managed by a team of lay volunteers who schedule adorers for one hour once a week and take the responsibility to make sure someone will always be there with the Blessed Sacrament. Prayer and support is provided by the Legion of Mary.
Back to Index Before you commit to an hour each week you may want to visit The Holy Family Perpetual Adoration Chapel first. You may also wish to check the hours that could use a prayer partner. Consider your own schedule and pray to the Holy Spirit to guide you. There are two ways you can sign up for an hour. At the left side of the perpetual adoration chapel is a table with a sign in book. The book is for both the regularly scheduled adorers and for visitors. When you sign in as a visitor, you may check the box that requests a contact and leave your phone number. One of the members of the perpetual adoration coordinating committee will call you. You may email the perpetual adoration coordinator. In the email you may simply request a phone call, or you may mention the specific hour you would like to sign up for. You will be called to confirm the hour you have chosen. You may complete the sign-up form. Back to Index 
Each adorer determines which hour is best for them. We encourage people as they volunteer to first consider those times where a partner is needed. We never assign hours to anyone and encourage people to consider the hour they choose carefully and to pray about it first. We realize that an hour that fits your schedule well will help you keep your commitment each week. No one will make you take an unwanted hour. We are grateful to those who can do the more difficult hours, but realize that what is difficult varies with each person.
Back to Index We try to schedule two adorers for every hour and together they become responsible to see that their hour is covered each week. We encourage partners to talk to each other and work together. If one of the adorers is not able to make their scheduled hour, it is only necessary that one person to be there. This works best when both partners are coming regularly each week. If you are unable to make your adoration hour, please first contact your partner. If neither you nor your partner can make the hour, please use the substitute list found in the folder holders on the side of the bookshelves around the corner from the sign-in sheets. PLEASE TAKE A COPY. If by chance a substitute cannot be found, call your hourly coordinator or divisional coordinator. If you need the phone numbers of your partner, hourly coordinator, divisional coordinator or the adorers before or after your hour, they can be found in the schedules which are located in the same folder holders on the side of the bookshelves. PLEASE TAKE A COPY. These are updated on a monthly basis. Back to Index It lasts as long as you want it to last. Many people have had the same hour since Perpetual Adoration was started. We just ask that you not stop coming without calling us to let us know to take your name off the schedule. Back to Index Yes! We change hours of adorers all the time. We are always in need of new people as schedules change, people move and some people just want a different time. Back to Index 
We ask that you do not leave until the person assigned to the next hour has arrived. There are many people stopping by the chapel and we do not rely on them to be responsible for making sure someone is there. It is very rare for a replacement not to come. However, if it does occur, there is a phone in the hall and you can call your replacement. The schedule of adorers, with phone numbers, is posted on the bulletin board to your left as you come in the door. There are also a few names you can call in an emergency listed by the phone. Most adorers will stay the extra hour, if possible, and consider it a special blessing.
Back to Index In time you will get to know your replacement(s). Until you do recognize the persons in the next hour you can check the book to see if anyone has signed in. Back to Index 
The names of all regular adorers are listed according to the day and time. Adorers are asked to put their initials next to their name and to put the time they arrive and the time they leave in the boxes provided on the sign-in sheet. Since we must never leave the Blessed Sacrament unattended, this enables us to see at a glance if someone has been in the chapel at all times. We do not keep track if you are not at your assigned hour each week. We assume partners are working together. Occasionally we go over the sheets to see if anyone has stopped coming. If we find that someone has not been there for a long period of time we will call to see if they need to change times or if they would like to come off the schedule.
We also ask visitors to sign their names and the time they arrive and leave the chapel. A visitor may check the request column if they would like to be contacted to sign up for an hour or to receive additional information. Back to Index Let the Holy Spirit guide you. There are books available on the shelves in the hall. We especially recommend scripture and the Rosary. Please take all materials you bring into the chapel home with you when you leave. Here is a list of twenty-five suggestions on how to spend an hour with Jesus. Two excellent prayers are A Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and The Divine Praises. Back to Index 
No matter what our vocation in life is, we are all called to holiness. Spending time with Jesus will lead you in that direction. Don't expect everything in your life to suddenly change and everything to be perfect. Jesus never promised to take away our sufferings, but He did promise to be there with us in our sufferings. As we spend time with Jesus we come to trust Him and rely on Him more and more.
Back to Index The chapel is open to all visitors at any hour of the day or night. The dedication of those adorers who commit to a regular hour each week is truly an act of charity. It enables the chapel to be open for any and all persons wanting to make a visit to the Lord. Back to Index 
We are always in need of new people to commit to an hour in the chapel. We consider a husband and wife or a family as one person since they will probably be vacationing or away together. We have no hours that are without any scheduled adorers. However, we do have several times that need partners. We would like you to consider these times first. Here is a list of these hours that need partners. If none of these times are convenient, we will work with you to find a suitable time. For further information stop by the chapel, call the parish office(782 1973) or email the Perpetual Adoration coordinator.
Back to Index Prayer requests can be made by writing them on the 3 by 5 cards found on the sign-in table. Many adorers spend time praying for these intentions and writing special notes on the cards. Please do not use last names on the cards. Back to Index 
In keeping with the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes on February 11, there is a special holy hour of prayer on the 11th of each month. Prayers include the rosary, Litany to the Sacred Heart, Divine Mercy Chaplet and The Divine Praises.
Refer to the Special Holy Hour Schedule Sheet for the latest information on the future dates, times and special intentions. Back to Index The adorers who need to be concerned about the time changes between standard time and daylight savings time are: those with the Sunday morning 2 a.m. adoration hour and those with Sunday morning adoration hours that begin at 3 a.m. or later. If you fall into either of these categories, you may wish to read the additional explanation on the effect of the time changes on perpetual adoration hours. Back to Index The books on the bookshelves are for the use of adorers and as such are not to be removed from the chapel. If you would like to donate a book, please leave it in the office or on the bookshelves cabinet with a note that you would like to donate it. We will get it approved, attach a sticker and put it in the bookshelves.
The Apostolate for Perpetual Adoration helped start perpetual adoration at Our Lady of Lourdes parish.
The Real Presence Association also has information on starting and maintaining a perpetual adoration program. The Real Presence Association has linked their web page to this, Our Lady of Lourdes Perpetual Adoration web site as an example of parish perpetual adoration programs. Back to Index |
