Eucharistic Adoration focus of Collins' letter

By GLEN ARGAN
WCR Editor
Drayton Valley

Collins, who became archbishop in June, told the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council Oct. 2 he hopes to have that letter ready by Christmas.

He said he has already encouraged the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Women's League, as the two most broadly-based lay organizations in the Church, to promote Eucharistic Adoration in parishes.

Adoration should be for the intention of more vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and the intention of strengthening family life, especially in families where there are difficulties, the archbishop said.

The pastoral letter would encourage Eucharistic Adoration and would also set guidelines for carrying it out, he said.

The Blessed Sacrament need not be exposed for adoration to take place, he said. "Our Lord is present infinitely with exposition and Our Lord is present infinitely without exposition."

"What we need is to have time in adoration and contemplation."

A time of adoration should begin or end with the Mass, he said. It should mainly involve silent prayer and any spoken readings should be taken from the Bible.

Eucharistic Adoration should not be connected to any other devotion or to an apparition, he emphasized.

The pastoral letter would also say who can be delegated to oversee the time of Adoration, he said.

And it would set out a theology of Eucharistic Adoration linking it to the Mass, Collins said. "The Mass is central and these are the fruits of the Mass."

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