01.XI.2023
Solemnity of All Saints

Dear Adorers,

Thank you so much for your commitment to adoring our Lord at the Mary, Queen of the Angels Chapel!

While our chapel is unknown to many, it is the heart of Washington County!  The hours we spend in silent prayer before the Eucharist give God true worship and win countless hidden graces for the church.

As I consider the time we spend in the chapel, I am reminded of a homily that Pope Benedict XVI gave while visiting the Carthusian Charterhouse in Calabria.  He referenced a letter St. Bruno wrote, in which the contemplative stated the need “to abandon transient realities and seek to grasp that which is eternal.”  Every time you come to the chapel, you leave behind the chaos and confusion of the ever-changing world to grasp the living God, Jesus Christ, who is “the same yesterday, today, and forever.”  Indeed, you not only grasp Him, you are grasped by Him – “captus ab Uno,” translated as “grasped by the One,” which was another common phrase of St. Bruno.

As I understand it, the goal of the chapel is to give God perpetual adoration.  Like the angels, who “day and night…do not stop exclaiming: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty’” so we desire to give constant worship to God, who humbles Himself to remain with us in the Most Holy Eucharist.

Last year, the chapel closed over Thanksgiving, but the purpose of this closure was to permit the finishing touches to be put on the new chapel.  In addition, last year the chapel was closed for Christmas, but this was because Christmas fell on a Sunday when the chapel was normally closed.  This year, we will keep the chapel open for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.  While it might be a challenge for you to keep your hour during these times, spending time in Adoration is a beautiful way to thank God for his goodness and meditate upon the Christmas mystery of the Incarnation.

In 2024, we will close the chapel throughout the Triduum for liturgical reasons.  Because there is not a 6pm Easter Mass at St. Frances Cabrini, the chapel will open after 8am Mass on Easter Monday.

As a reminder, if you begin to question your ability to keep your hour, please request a sub right away.  This can be handled easily on the computer or by calling one of our administrators. 

Again, please know of my gratitude to you for your commitment to adoring Jesus in the Eucharist.  It is a beautiful expression of your love for God.

In Christ,
Rev. Jacob A. Strand