Many members of the St. Henry Family of Parishes thought it was a monumental goal: Adoration at St. Wendelin Church five days a week, including through the night.

The goal sprang from a difficulty—the reduction of scheduled Masses in the Family of Parishes made St. Wendelin one of two churches without a Sunday Mass.

The Family’s pastor, Father Andrew Hess, said this “caused us to consider how else [we could] invest in these sacred places. In a desire to have something for everyone on the other side of Beacons of Light, it occurred to us that perpetual adoration might be a good option for St. Wendelin.”

A solid foundation of adoration already existed at St. Henry Family of Parishes’ five churches in southern Mercer County. Begun for daytime in 2014 at each church location, adoration’s coordinating committee expanded in the fall of 2022. The expansion “was absolutely essential in the amount of time and manpower needed to back this project,” said Sarah Franck, St. Aloysius Parish Life Coordinator.

After addressing the first task of praying for the project’s success, the committee brainstormed how to  recruit  more  adorers  and  physically  prepare St. Wendelin Church for perpetual adoration.

They asked those already adoring in the Family’s other four churches if they were willing to move their adoration time to St. Wendelin, and the vast majority graciously agreed. Committee members called additional parishioners, asking if they would consider taking an open hour, and they asked St. Joseph Church in Wapakoneta for advice from its own experience with perpetual adoration.

However, promotional materials proved to be one of their best tools, such that Father Hess now recommends them to other parishes considering this ministry. “People were impressed by how well-produced and beautiful our materials were, and I think that showed how serious we were about accomplishing this,” he said. The materials included prayer cards, sign up cards in pews and large posters with saints’ quotes about adoration that were rotated weekly around the churches.

The parish clergy’s support was another vital piece to the project. They preached on the importance of spending time with the Lord outside of the Mass and on Christ’s presence in the Eucharist, and they added a petition to each Sunday’s prayers of the faithful to open parishioners’ hearts to adoration at St. Wendelin.

Many members of the St. Henry Family of Parishes find the results miraculous. Beginning in September 2023, near-perpetual adoration has commenced each week after the 7:15 a.m. Monday Mass and concluded with Benediction on Friday afternoon at 5 p.m. Over 340 faithful are signed up to adore weekly at St. Wendelin Church, for about 282 hours of adoration. Members from other Families of Parishes take an hour, too, since the availability fits nearly any schedule.

While change is hard, the adaptations brought a renewed and changed rhythm of life to the country church. Each week “St. Wendelin has more people visiting their church than they ever had before,” said Franck. “More and more of our community are feeling at home in St. Wendelin parish and are becoming invested in its longevity.”

Spending an hour with the Lord in prayer is bringing the community together in a new way and leading many to appreciate the historic and beautiful St. Wendelin Church.

Communion with God ultimately leads the faithful to go into the community and radiate Christ.

“One of the hopes I had for this project,” said Father Hess, “was that it would deepen the sense of communion with one another, and I think that is happening. We are letting Him bring us together through the mission of Eucharistic adoration in a new way as we journey forward as a parish family.”

Bringing parishioners together with almost-perpetual adoration at St. Wendelin Church took a committee of volunteers, the pastor’s vision and parishioners willing to go where the Lord called. Throughout the process, all those involved needed to trust in where God was leading them.

Both Father Hess and Franck shared that there was much apprehension about making the change and growing the ministry.

“The greatest obstacle to this whole process has been my own fear,” Franck said. But as things came together, the apprehension began subsiding.

“If God wills something and we cooperate, it’ll happen,” said Father Hess. “And how could He not will this?”

Because of the parishioners’ generosity and trust in divine providence, Eucharistic adoration at St. Wendelin transformed from a colossal dream into a marvelous gift from the risen Lord.

This article appeared in the June 2024 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.