Effingham, IL -(Effingham Radio)- Since 1993, there has been Perpetual Adoration of the Eucharist in HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital’s chapel. This year, in honor of the 25th Anniversary of Perpetual Adoration, St. Anthony’s assisted the Perpetual Adorers in their celebration by hosting an appreciation breakfast for the Adorers on August 28 and a special Mass celebrated by the Most Reverend Bishop Thomas John Paprocki, with local clergy as concelebrants.
Perpetual Adoration began in July 1993 when Father Gabriel Brinkman, OFM, brought 163 devoted followers to pray. Now, more than 312 adorers participate in the Perpetual Adoration of the Eucharist at St. Anthony’s each week. Adoration is held 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the year, which is around 8,064 hours a year. Each individual has prayed an average of 650 hours during the past 25 years for a combined total of more than 201,600 hours of prayer.
“The adorers come for an hour at a time to pray and acknowledge the Lord’s presence, and they leave enriched with faith, peace and joy,” says Pastoral Care Manager Carol Gapsis, RN, MSHCA. “Their tenacity and determination is absolutely remarkable; I haven’t heard of anyone missing an hour of adoration.”
HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital is grateful for the commitment made by those participating in Perpetual Adoration. “It’s a gesture of solidarity with the needy of the world, that we all must rely on Christ’s presence for our needs to be met,” Gapsis explains. “The adorers tend to center their lives on Christ Jesus being on earth today, and it helps them live true Christian lives.”
For more information about HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, visit the hospital’s website at stanthonyshospital.org. HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital is part of the Southern Illinois Division of Hospital Sisters Health System, which also includes HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon, HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Breese, HSHS Holy Family Hospital in Greenville, and HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Highland.
About Hospital Sisters Health System
Hospital Sisters Health System’s (HSHS) mission is to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high quality, Franciscan health care ministry. HSHS provides state-of-the-art health care to our patients and is dedicated to serving all people, especially the most vulnerable, at each of our 15 Local Systems and physician practices in Illinois (Breese, Decatur, Effingham, Greenville, Highland, Litchfield, O’Fallon, Shelbyville, and Springfield) and Wisconsin (Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Oconto Falls, Sheboygan, and two in Green Bay). HSHS is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries, and Hospital Sisters of St. Francis is the founding institute. For more information about HSHS, visit www.hshs.org. For more information about Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, visit www.hospitalsisters.org.