St. Stephen's  Adoration Chapel Important Information

Welcome and thank you for making the commitment to spend one hour a week with Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament, here in the St. Stephen'sl Adoration Chapel. Our Pastor, Father Rodney White and fellow-Adorers share your excitement, knowing that Our Lord will bless you tremendously for taking this important step in deepening your relationship with Him!

Each regular Adorer has signed up for one hour of prayer per week before the Blessed Sacrament, for a set day and hour of the week.

You will receive a packet that includes this document ( New Adorer – Important Information); the most up to date weekly Adoration Chapel schedule and the Holy Hour and day of the week that you have committed to, the names of your Prayer Partner (the other Adorer(s) sharing your Holy Hour), Holy Hour Coordinator.

Also included is an information sheet on the Chapel’s Chain of Communications with definitions of all those involved in making the Chapel function.

Lastly included is contact information for the Chapel’s coordination team including the Head Coordinators.

The packet information will ideally be reviewed with you in person by a member of the Adoration coordination team or at least over the phone if arrangements cannot be made for a one on one orientation.

GUIDELINES

a. The Blessed Sacrament must NEVER be left alone.

b. Adorers, please sign-in by placing your initials beside your name with the time you arrive and the time you leave in the sign-in book.

c. Check the sign-in sheet before you leave the Chapel to make sure the Adorer who is scheduled for the next hour is in the Chapel before you leave. It is good to get to know the Adorers before and after your assignment.

d. If you do not recognize the Adorer(s) who comes in after you, check the sign-in book to see if he has signed in or a substitute. This is especially important during the times when many people are stopping by for a visit.

e. If the Adorer after your hour does not show up:

• You may choose to stay to cover for his/her hour that will be documented by your sign out time.

• Check the schedule to find the name and phone number of who issupposed to be there.

• If you must leave there is a list with emergency replacement numbers in the back of sign in book.

• If  you are still unable to get an emergency replacement please call your Holy Hour Coordinator.

  f. Please feel free to write your petitions on the numbered prayer cards available on top of the bookcase just past the sign-in table, so that others may pray with you for your intentions.

  g. Please feel free to write your testimonial of favors and special graces in the Favors Granted Notebook, if you so choose, so that others may share in your joy!

  h. You might be asked by your Holy Hour Coordinator to consider joining in a devotion with the other Adorer members on your Prayer Team (e.g. praying the Chaplet of St Michael at the start of your adoration hour for the Protection and Sanctification of Priests, etc.)

  i. Enter the Chapel quietly. If you are the only Adorer at night, the door to the Chapel is locked for security purposes. All nightly Adorers will be instructed on how to access the chapel by the Holy Hour coordinator.

  J. Please do not stop coming to the Chapel without informing your Holy Hour Coordinator that you need to stop or need to change hours.

  l. Notify your Holy Hour Coordinator if:

• ·  you need to discontinue your assignment

• ·  you need to change assignment

• ·  you have changes in your contact information

• ·  you are not going to make it to your assignment on certain dates (notify your 

  Coordinator even if you are unsure if you will make it to your assignment or not)

• ·  you are having changes in your life that may affect your commitment (don't need to be specific, we just need a heads up to ensure coverage or find replacements)

• ·  you have any questions, concerns, ideas, recommendations etc.

• ·  you missed going to your assignment (this will let us know that you are okay/safe)

• ·  the Adorer before or after you didn't show up

  Note: There are several ways to advise of any changes: You may complete an “Adorer/Substitute Change/Update” form on the parish website or you may directly contact someone in the following order: your Holy hour Coordinator and the parish office. Remember that communication is very important, especially if any change is urgent.

  PROCEDURE TO FOLLOW WHEN YOU CANNOT MAKE YOUR HOUR 

1. Ask your Prayer Partner (the other Adorer scheduled for the same Holy Hour as you) in the Chapel the week ahead if he/she will be there for the hour you will be absent; or call him/her if it is something that just came up. If they say “yes”, then you are all set. Ask them to write “OK” next to your name on the sign-in sheet to indicate that you called. All substitutes should sign their names in the center column next to yours and sign in the times as well. Please don’t assume your Prayer Partner will be there; always check with them to be sure. Remember that you and your Prayer Partner are responsible for this Holy Hour each week. For these purposes, it is very helpful to get to know each other and communicate regularly.

2. Another excellent way to cover the hour is to ask family members or friends to cover your Holy Hour for you – even if your Prayer Partner will be there too. This is an easy means of spreading the devotion to others, so others can “taste and see” without committing. Inform them to write in their names and times in the sign-up book next to your name when they are there.

3. If the above fails, call your Holy Hour Coordinator, who will find a substitute for you. if you are unable to contact the Coordinator, call the emergency list in back of sign in book; and if all fails, call the Parish office.

REQUEST FOR LEAVE OF ABSENCE (LOA)

IIf you are going on vacation, or otherwise requiring a leave of absence for an extended time (causing you to miss more than one weekly Adoration Holy Hour), please contact your Hourly Coordinator and inform them of this, along with the name and contact iinformation for the person(s) who will be covering for you during your absence.

CHAPEL CONDUCT

1. Please be on time for your hour.

2. Genuflect upon entering and upon leaving the Lord’s presence in the Chapel. Proper genuflection for Our Lord exposed in the Blessed Sacrament is on both knees, with a bow from the head or waist.

3. Be mindful of proper attire.

4. There is a Rule of Silence in the Chapel. Be as quiet and respectful of others as you possibly can be.

5. Never eat or drink in the Chapel.

6. No radios, CD or tape players, or cell phones are to be used in the Chapel.

7. Nothing is to be placed on the altar.

8. Books/Missalets should NOT be removed from the Chapel. If you mistakenly leave with one, please return it as soon as possible. Also, don’t forget to take home any books, rosaries, prayers, etc. that you brought with you to the Chapel.

9. No material of any kind should be placed in the Chapel without advance approval of our Pastor, Father Rodney White.

10. The candles on either side of the Blessed Sacrament are fourteen-day candles. Since they are quite heavy with a fragile and expensive blown glass tube, we request that you DO NOT change them. We are watching them and will change them as needed

The Chapel does have options for Adorers to sign up for a Holy Hour of Adoration. Adorers are offered some flexibility in making a commitment to be an adorer and to also change their commitment when circumstances in their lives change. Options also give groups an opportunity to cover a Holy Hour or Holy Hours. Options include:

1. Commit to spend one Holy Hour a week with Our Lord at a set day and hour.

2. Share one hour a week with another person and rotate covering the Holy Hour for the month. The responsibility to assure that the Holy Hour is covered is up to the individuals. The Adorer schedule will list “Adorer 1” OR “Adorer 2” to allow for flexibility of adorers to change coverage as needed. See example:

Wednesday
10 pm -11 pm Smith, Mike

OR Martin, Eric

3.Parish Ministries (or other groups) can sign up to cover a Holy Hour (or several Holy Hours depending on the size of the group) with individual group members being assigned responsibility to assure that the Holy Hour is covered. How members are assigned or rotated to cover the Holy Hour is completely up to the group. Good communications are critical for this option to work smoothly. The Adorer schedule will list the name of the ministry and the individuals covering the Holy Hours. For example, the schedule will show the Women's Organizagtion and then the names of the women who will cover each week’s Holy Hour for that month.

Monday
2pm-3pm Women's Organization

1st Mon. Janet England 2nd Mon Mary Derks

3rd Mon Betty Scooner 4th