Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Wen Zhou (Agenzia Fides) – “We pray that every family may experience a Lent full of the Lord's grace and experience his closeness”. With this idea, the Diocese of Wen Zhou, Zhe Jiang province, commenced, for the second consecutive year, 24 hour eucharistic Adoration, for the family. According to information received by Fides, on 2 March the priest in charge sent a letter to families entitled “Peace be with you”, in the wake of the previous year, inviting them to participate. Beginning on 9 March, Ash Wednesday, “every morning at 9 am, an extraordinary minister of the Church brings the Eucharist to the family that has made itself available, praying with them for a quarter of an hour and leaves the Blessed Sacrament with the family for Adoration. The next day, at 9am, he comes to take the Blessed Sacrament and give it to another family prepared to welcome Jesus.”
The families taking part in this spiritual initiative, the priest continues, “must be able to meet four conditions: all the whole family must be available to adore the Blessed Sacrament, in turn, over 24 hours without interruption; they should be adequately prepared with a room or at least one corner of the house for spiritual recollection; they should prepare a small altar to receive Jesus with dignity, with the Holy Scriptures exposed, candles and flowers where possible; and upon arrival and departure of the Blessed Sacrament, the whole family must be present.”
The tradition of Eucharistic adoration in the diocese of Wen Zhou began in 2008. Since 2010 each parish organises continuous Eucharistic adoration for the whole family, having many places of worship in the parish churches and chapels, organised in shifts. The diocese has also decided to continue Eucharistic adoration throughout the liturgical year, because “the Eucharistic flame of Jesus Christ is always alight in the heart of each one of us, a source of strength and of living water, because everyone is reconciled with God's grace, concludes the priest. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 15/03/2011)
