Many adoration chapels closed

By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press

    Many adoration chapels in the diocese are closed because of the coronavirus.  But some churches are open for prayer in front of Jesus, also present in the Blessed Sacrament reserved in the tabernacle and some have exposition.

Webster

   Jeanne Guerin, one of the coordinators of the perpetual adoration chapel in the Emmaus Center of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Webster, said the adoration chapel is closed (until further notice) due to virus restrictions. As usual, the chapel will be closed Holy Thursday through Holy Saturday.
     Father Adam Reid, pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish noted this week that adoration of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament with take place in the main church from 9 a.m. until noon Monday, April 6,  Tuesday, April 7, and Wednesday, April 8.
The church will continue to be disinfected regularly, but he asks adorers to sanitize their hands thoroughly upon entering and practice social distancing within the church.
           
Northborough

    The main doors of St. Bernadette Church in Northborough are now open 24 hours a day, so people can always access the adoration chapel inside the church, Father Ronald G. Falco, the pastor, said Tuesday. The monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament is behind a locked window, he said. There are doors in front of that for adorers to open when they arrive and close when they leave if no one else is there. Now there are also signs calling for keeping social distance.
    Father Falco said people have always had access to the chapel through a side door, but because of the pandemic he is leaving the main doors open to facilitate private prayer.
    “People have been coming because the church is open,” he said.
    He said he prays for the congregation and the world daily and encourages the people to pray, putting prayers on the parish website to help them pray at home too.
    “It’s sad,” he said of the pandemic. “I’m trying to instill in people the virtue of hope. We have confidence in God’s graces and the Virgin Mary. … You miss the people. Praying with the congregation is such an enrichment. But praying for them is an enrichment too.”

Gardner

    Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament continues at Annunciation Parish’s Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church in Gardner from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, said Father Stephen E. Lundrigan, pastor.
    Adorers are signed up to cover the hours and other interested people can stop in when they want to, he said.
    In addition, each day of the week at least one of the parish’s church buildings – Holy Spirit and Our Lady of the Holy Rosary – is open for private prayer. (Holy Rosary: Mon. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Tues. 6:30-8 p.m., Fri. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Sun. 12 noon-6 p.m. Holy Spirit: Tues. 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Thurs. 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Sat. 2:30-4 p.m., Sun. 9:30 a.m.-noon.)

Fitchburg

    The adoration chapel in St. Bernard Parish’s church building – St. Camillus de Lellis in Fitchburg – is closed because of the virus, said Joan Catalfamo, the layperson who coordinates the chapel.    
        

Worcester

    The adoration chapel at St. George Parish in Worcester is closed, but the church is open during the day for prayer, said Father Edward D. Niccolls, pastor.

Clinton

    The chapel at St. John the Evangelist Church (St. John, Guardian of Our Lady Parish) in Clinton remains open for prayer, but the Host is not being exposed in the monstrance, said Susan Belfield, adoration chapel coordinator.
    She gave a variety of reasons for this decision: Bishop McManus suspending public Masses in the diocese, President Donald Trump saying older people should stay inside, several adorers being over age 60 and the polling of adorers.
    “There were just too many who were uncomfortable coming in,” she said.