East Central Reporter

HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital issued the following announcement on Sept. 4.

Since 1993, there has been Perpetual Adoration of the Eucharist in HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital’s chapel. This year, in honor of the 25th Anniversary of Perpetual Adoration, St. Anthony’s assisted the Perpetual Adorers in their celebration by hosting an appreciation breakfast for the Adorers on August 28 and a special Mass celebrated by the Most Reverend Bishop Thomas John Paprocki, with local clergy as concelebrants.

Perpetual Adoration began in July 1993 when Father Gabriel Brinkman, OFM, brought 163 devoted followers to pray. Now, more than 312 adorers participate in the Perpetual Adoration of the Eucharist at St. Anthony’s each week. Adoration is held 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the year, which is around 8,064 hours a year. Each individual has prayed an average of 650 hours during the past 25 years for a combined total of more than 201,600 hours of prayer.

“The adorers come for an hour at a time to pray and acknowledge the Lord’s presence, and they leave enriched with faith, peace and joy,” says Pastoral Care Manager Carol Gapsis, RN, MSHCA. “Their tenacity and determination is absolutely remarkable; I haven’t heard of anyone missing an hour of adoration.”

HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital is grateful for the commitment made by those participating in Perpetual Adoration. “It’s a gesture of solidarity with the needy of the world, that we all must rely on Christ’s presence for our needs to be met,” Gapsis explains. “The adorers tend to center their lives on Christ Jesus being on earth today, and it helps them live true Christian lives.”

Original source can be found here.