Deo Gratis per Jesum in Sanctissimum Sacramentum!
Many graces and rich blessings are bestowed on those who regularly adore Our Lord, truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. The St. Bernadette Adoration Chapel is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week with a key card. Visitors may borrow a key card from the parish office Monday-Thursday from 8 AM - 4 PM and Friday from 8 AM - 12 PM.
We invite you to spend time in prayer in the St. Bernadette Adoration chapel any time. We also encourage you to commit to an hour during one of the times listed on the adoration sign-up website.
What is Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration?
Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration is when a parish sets aside a little room, or chapel, that is open seven days a week, 24 hours a day with permanent exposition of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. A Holy Hour is spending an hour devoted to prayer in the presence of the Holy Eucharist where Jesus Christ is truly present in His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.
Why is Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration necessary?
The more we limit the hours of Adoration, the more we limit the availability of Christ to His people. The more we expand the hours, the more we extend the opportunity to adorers. When a chapel is open all the time, then everyone in the parish can participate 24/7. Through Perpetual Adoration with exposition, we proclaim to our parish and community that Jesus is here, truly present among us today. Pope John Paul II said, “Your faith will help you to realize that it is Jesus Himself who is present in the Blessed Sacrament, waiting for you and calling you to spend one special specific hour with Him each week.”
Why is Exposition Necessary?
The difference between spending time with Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament exposed in a monstrance, rather than in the tabernacle, is the same as the difference between conversing with a friend face to face instead of having a closed door between you. Most adorers say that seeing Our Lord under the appearance of the Sacred Host is much more conducive to intimacy than Him being hidden in a tabernacle. It helps adorers to be faithful to their scheduled hours, because they know that Jesus cannot be left alone in the Most Blessed Sacrament exposed in a monstrance.
The scheduled adorers are guardians of the Most Blessed Sacrament, so their presence is necessary. Yet, the most compelling reason for exposition is because the Holy Spirit asks for it. During His Eucharistic discourse, Our Lord made this unmistakably clear:
“Indeed, this is the will of My Heavenly Father, that everyone who looks upon the Son and believes in Him, shall have eternal life. Him I will raise up on the last day.” John 6:40
What are the benefits?
Each person that spends time in the presence of Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament grows in holiness. Communally, increased Mass attendance, conversions, the return of the fallen away Catholics and vocations to the priesthood and religious life are among the many fruits of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. Through our Holy Hours of prayer, our pope has declared that we are contributing to “the radical transformation of the world,” the “establishing of everlasting peace,” and the coming of Christ’s Kingdom on earth.
How can my Holy Hour change the world?
The Holy Eucharist is the mystery of our faith. Jesus said that faith can move mountains. One person coming before Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament represents all of humanity.
Every man, woman, and child on the face of the earth receives some new, wonderful effect of God’s goodness, of God’s mercy, of God’s grace and of God’s love, when they put their faith into action and come to visit Our in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
When you come before Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament, He appreciates this so deeply that you release the power of His love and graces to all of His children throughout the world.
Is this the mission of the laity?
Vatican II emphasized the importance of lay involvement in the mission of the Church. Perpetual Adoration is coordinated by the laity, in cooperation with the clergy.
How do I sign up to be an Adorer of the Most Blessed Sacrament?
You can sign-up for an hour of adoration or to be a substitute here.
We ask that all adorers sign up and request substitutes via our We Adore page, not through email. Learn how to create an account here. Once you sign-up you will need to obtain your access card from the front office at St. Bernadette.
About the Chapel
On December 15, 2008, we began our adoration of Jesus Christ, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Since then, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, our parishioners have had the privilege to sit with Our Lord. This blessing to be in the Real Presence of Our Eucharistic King is our humble response to Jesus’ question: “Could you not keep watch with me one hour?” (Matthew 26:40).
Our Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel is located just outside the main church building, on the east end of our property. After you register through the website, you must come by the office to receive the access card to the Adoration Chapel.
During your time in the Adoration Chapel, you are invited to keep a silent moment with Our Lord in private prayer, having a personal, heartfelt dialogue. Holy Readings, Bibles, and spiritual books are recommended reading while with Jesus.
All are invited, as is recorded in Psalm 34:4: “O magnify the Lord with me / And let us exalt His name together.”
Become an Adorer
Would you like to take part in this most blessed ministry by becoming a regular adorer or help as a sub? Please create a We Adore Him account by clicking on SET UP YOUR WE ADORE HIM ACCOUNT. As a reference, please watch the We Adore Him Tutorial video.
SET UP YOUR WE ADORE HIM ACCOUNT
After you create your We Adore Him account, a parish staff member will contact you to set up a meeting. At that time you can choose a perpetual hour and receive your adoration keycard. Refer to the chart to the right to see when adorers are needed.
For questions about scheduling, please contact your adoration coordinator via email at adoration@saintbernadette.com or at (480) 905-0221.
Chapel Check-In
To check-in, please use the electronic tablet in the back of our adoration chapel. If you’re signed up for the hour at hand, simply tap your name to check-in. If you’re just visiting as a guest, please sign in as a guest on the tablet.
Can’t make your adoration hour?
Perhaps the easiest way to request a substitute is from the phone number we have on record for you in your We Adore Him account. You can call or text the word SUB or SUBSTITUTE to our automated system at (602) 975-3147.
Planned Chapel Closures
The chapel is closed weekly for cleaning: Saturdays from 10:30 - 11:30 AM
The chapel is closed annually: 6 PM Holy Thursday (Thursday, April 6, 2023) through Midnight Easter Morning (Sunday, April 9, 2023)
At St. Bernadette, we are blessed to participate in this powerful connection to the Communion of Saints with our parish reliquary (the repository for relics). Our reliquary is located on the back wall of our St. Bernadette Adoration Chapel. The relics of the saints are included in our reliquary. Please stop by the reliquary for a closer look at these sacramentals!
What is a Relic?
The word “relic” comes from the Latin word, relinquo, which means, “I leave” or “I relinquish.” Relics are part of the body of a saint (first-class), a thing used or owned by a saint (second-class), or an item that has been touched to the grave of a saint (third-class). They are literally things that they person “relinquished” or “left behind” after they died and entered the Communion of Saints in Heaven. A relic is deserving of special veneration and honor, because of the meritorious and admirable life lived by the person from which it originates.
When did the Church begin Venerating Relics?
“The veneration of relics is seen explicitly as early as the account of Polycarp’s martyrdom written by the Smyrnaeans in A.D. 156. In it, the Christians describe the events following his burning at the stake:
‘We took up his bones, which are more valuable than precious stones and finer than refined gold, and laid them in a suitable place, where the Lord will permit us to gather ourselves together, as we are able, in gladness and joy and to celebrate the birthday of his martyrdom.’”
Are Relics “Magical?”
Relics are not magical. They are sacramentals. A sacramental is an object that leads us to receive and respond to God’s grace; they do not impart God’s grace. Relics in and of themselves do not hold any grace or “power.” However, God may choose to impart miracles through these objects. We can see some of these instances in Scripture: raising a man from the dead through the use of Elisha’s bones (2 Kgs. 13:20-21), the healing of the hemorrhaging woman after she touched the hem of Christ’s cloak (Matt. 9:20-22), healing of the sick after Peter’s shadow passed over them (Acts 5:14-16), and healings and exorcisms occurring through the handkerchiefs of Paul (Acts 19:11-12). Again, it is not these objects that have done miraculous things, but God himself has done his work through these mediums.
The purpose of the Holy Hour is to encourage a deep personal encounter with Christ. Almighty God is constantly inviting us to come to Him, to converse with Him, to ask for things as we need and to experience what a blessing there is in fellowship with Him.
Become an Adorer
We invite you to spend time in prayer in the St. Bernadette Adoration chapel at any time. We encourage you to commit to an hour during one of the times listed on the adoration website.