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| Fr. Randall |
Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration:
by Leo Grossi
Fr. John Randall encourages every parish to develop a Perpetual Eucharistic
Adoration program.
In his usual exhilaration when speaking about the “Host exposed,”Fr.
Randall exhorts “How I wish our Church were more obedient to Pope John Paul II!
Did you know that he, at the Eucharistic Congress in Seville, Spain in 1993,
requested that every parish in the world inaugurate perpetual adoration? He
started it himself at that time in St. Peter’s in Rome. What fantastic graces
await us if we only step out and do this! I believe that if it can bedone in an
inner city parish, it can be done everywhere. Don’t be afraid. ‘Ducin altum,’
(‘set out into the deep’) as John Paul urges us at the beginning of this new
millennium. The Eucharistic reign of Christ will do the rest!”
Fr. John Randall, Pastor of Saint.Charles Parish on Dexter Street in
Providence, spoke of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration as an answer to a pastor’s
prayer, when he was keynote speaker at a Corpus Christi vigil observance at St.
Bartholomew Parish in Providence in 1999. Since Fr. Randall started adoration in
a converted sacristy which now serves as the adoration chapel, he has more time
to devote to his priesthood ministry rather than counseling his parishioners. He
lovingly says “… people are finding peace and answers before Jesus while in
adoration.”
In 1984, St. Charles’ parishioners first brought their pains and worries
before Our Eucharistic Lord Jesus Christ in adoration. Fr. Randall recalls “I
had always dreamed of being in a parish where there was easy and constant access
to the Blessed Sacrament. When I was assigned pastor of St. Charles Parish in
the inner city of Providence in 1978, one of my disappointments was the
realization that this would never happen here. The insurance companies would
insist on keeping the Church locked for security reasons. I more or less tried
to live with that.
”After six years of obedience, Fr. Randall received a ‘messenger from God.’
He reminisces “in 1984, a priest preaching perpetual adoration came knocking at
my door asking if I were interested in having not only access to the Blessed
Sacrament, but perpetual adoration before the Host exposed. I told him I would
love that, but it was not possible, given our dangerous inner-city position.”
Encouragingly, “he replied, ‘Let’s go see your church and take a look.’Within a
very short time, he drew up a practical plan to solve our security problems and
have adoration.” This priest sent by God described how “we could transform our
very large sacristy into an adoration chapel with beautiful, multicolored
stained glass windows.”He proposed that the chapel be “self-enclosed, locked off
from the rest of the Church, with a separate and secure entrance and a bell.
People could be trained to come on the hour, ring the bell and the person
finishing that hour of adoration would let the next adorers in. I was ecstatic
over this dream come true.
As a follow-up, this wonderful priest
came to St. Charles “on the following week-end, explaining the project at all the Masses. Enough people were moved to sign up and we were able
to start with three days and one night of adoration,” Fr. Randall recalls.
“It was wonderful and began to bring instant blessings to the parish. As time went on, we added more and more hours of adoration until finally at Pentecost, 1996, we bravely launched out into perpetual adoration in the lovely chapel at St. Charles which accommodates about 35 people. It continues with incredible blessings until this day,” exclaims Fr. Randall.
As a follow-up, this wonderful priest
came to St. Charles “on the following week-end, explaining the project at all the Masses. Enough people were moved to sign up and we were able
to start with three days and one night of adoration,” Fr. Randall recalls.
“It was wonderful and began to bring instant blessings to the parish. As time went on, we added more and more hours of adoration until finally at Pentecost, 1996, we bravely launched out into perpetual adoration in the lovely chapel at St. Charles which accommodates about 35 people. It continues with incredible blessings until this day,” exclaims Fr. Randall.
Praising God for gracing St. Charles, Fr. Randall says “Let me point out just a couple of the innumerable blessings that have happened. Our first 3:00 AM night adorer entered the seminary and will soon be ordained. Since then, seven other young men and women have entered the seminary or religious life, and our people are constantly praying for vocations.”
Fr. Randall strongly encourages every pastor to consider Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration as he witnesses: “The other blessing is that I have less requests for counseling because people are finding peace and answers before Jesus while in adoration. They don’t need to come to the rectory so often!”
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