St. Anne Shrine of Fall River

The 40 Hours’ Devotion is when people adore the Eucharist exposed in the monstrance for 40 hours. The number of hours associated with this devotion comes from the time Jesus spent in the tomb before His Resurrection.

Our Eucharistic Lord will be exposed for Adoration here at the Shrine in the lower church from Friday, June 9 at 4:30pm to Sunday, June 11 at 2:00pm. The Eucharist will be exposed, and need to be accompanied at all times. We need adorers to commit to at least one hour during the Devotion to stay with the Eucharist. Please use this form to sign up for time with Jesus!

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New to Adoration? Learn more about how you can make your time spent with the Lord fruitful with the resources below:

Articles:

• The Everyday Catholic’s Guide to Eucharistic Adoration from the Letters to Women podcast
• A Beginner’s Guide to Adoration by Caitlin Sica from LifeTeen
• How to Make a Holy Hour by Christina M. Sorrentino from Blessed Is She
• What Do You Do at Adoration? by Elizabeth Scalia from Word on Fire
• “How Does One Make a Holy Hour?”: A Helpful Guide by Fr. Billy Swan from Word on Fire
• Making a Holy Hour? Here Are Some Reading Recommendations for Adoration by Elizabeth Scalia from Word on Fire

Videos:

• What Really Happens in Eucharistic Adoration with Fr. Mike Schmitz from Ascension Presents
• What Do We Do in Adoration? with Fr. Josh Johnson from Ascension Presents
• 11 Practical Ways to Make a Holy Hour with Fr. Columba Jordan, CFR from Called to More
• How to Pray During Eucharistic Adoration using the “A.C.T.S.” Method! with Sr. Mary Sheila, OP from the Diocese of Arlington
• The Power of the Hour in the Presence of God by Ven. Fulton J. Sheen

In preparation for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the Shrine will hold Forty Hours of Adoration on the weekend of June 9-11, 2023. The event is designed to foster a greater love and devotion to Jesus who is our Eucharistic Lord.

Friday June 9th at 4:30 P.M. Fr. Michael Racine, Pastor of the Whaling City Catholic Community will open the Forty Hours with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, followed by a short spiritual reflection on the importance of the Eucharist.

Various devotions such as the Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy etc will be prayed at various points during the adoration hours.

Saturday June 10th: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament continues throughout the day.

1:00 P.M. We will welcome Fr. Pinto Paul, CSC for the Mission of Mercy Holy Hour, at this time there will be an opportunity for the Sacrament of Confession.

Various devotions such as the Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy etc will be prayed at various points during the adoration hours.

Sunday June 11th: Adoration will continue until 2:00P.M.

2:00 P.M. Solemn Corpus Christi Procession will make its way around the shrine grounds and will conclude with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

ADORERS NEEDED

If you would like to commit to at least one hour of adoration during the 40 Hours please email: Liturgy@st-annes-shrine.org  or contact the shrine at 508-678-1510

A Reflection on the Gift of the Eucharist

In 2022 the United States Bishops Conference (USCCB) called for a eucharistic revival to be held around the country. It was called after alarming research had shown that our church is hurting and that approximately only 31% of our brothers and sisters in the faith really believe in the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. These numbers are astounding because our whole Catholic faith is bound together in the sacraments, most especially the Sacrament of the Eucharist. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that the Eucharist is the source and summit of our Christian faith. Everything in the life of the church is bound together by this everlasting gift that Jesus left us, that is the gift of His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharistic species.

Our bishops have called us to come together and unite behind this initiative and to reinvigorate our faith in the Holy Eucharist. The revival is comprised of a three-year period of education and formation on the awesome power of Jesus in the Eucharist. We are just about to conclude the first year of the revival which was the Diocesan phase. This second year is about to begin on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi during the weekend of June 10-11. This year will the parish phase and is designed to foster a greater devotion to the eucharist within the local parish setting.

Why is it so important for us as Catholics to get behind this initiative? Because as it was earlier stated the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. In the Gospel, Jesus himself tells us that “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world” (John 6:51).

It is important for us as Catholics to understand that Christ left us this unfathomable gift first as a memorial of his passion and redemptive suffering, and secondly as a means for him to remain with the church throughout the ages: “For behold I am with you always, until the end of the age” (MT 28:20).

The great Dominican and Angelic Doctor, Saint Thomas Aquinas tells us in his work (Summa Theologiae III, 73) that the sacrament is known by many names, and these have a triple significance in the life of the church. First it refers to a past event, which is that of the Lord’s passion, therefore its preeminent name is a sacrifice. It is the enteral and unbloody sacrifice of the cross. Second, it is a present reality: In the sacrament Christ is truly and substantially present. It is through this presence that Christ brings about unity. It is for this reason the sacrament is called communion. Through this holy communion the entire church is united in faith with her master, who is Christ the Lord. Lastly, … Continue reading...