Chapel marks 40 years of perpetual adoration

Mass celebrated to commemorate anniversary

By Jill Kruse-Domeyer
Witness Editorial Assistant

DUBUQUE — For 40 years, perpetual eucharistic adoration has taken place at the Power of Prayer Adoration Chapel in Dubuque.

To mark the milestone, a special Mass was held on July 25 at nearby St. Anthony Church, concelebrated by Archbishop Michael Jackels and Fathers Steven Rosonke and Richard Schaefer. Deacon Travis King was the day’s homilist.

Following the Mass, a Corpus Christi style procession took place that brought the Blessed Sacrament from the church to the adoration chapel. A social followed in O’Malley Hall, located in the St. Anthony Parish basement.

The Power of Prayer was incorporated in 1970 by Jerry Trimble with the goal of promoting an awareness of the value of prayer and of devotion to Jesus through his mother, Mary. A perpetual adoration chapel was established eight years later as part of the apostolate’s ongoing mission. Archbishop James Byrne blessed the new chapel on July 25, 1978, and eucharistic adoration began the following day. The first chapel was located at the corner of 11th and Bluff streets in Dubuque. It was moved in 1983 and then again in 2011 and is currently located at 1860 St. Ambrose St.

The Power of Prayer Adoration Chapel is open 24 hours per day, seven days each week. There are two programs that run simultaneously at the chapel —perpetual adoration and the perpetual rosary. Two adorers are scheduled for every hour — one person prays the rosary for a half an hour while the other prays silently. After 30 minutes, the two switch roles.

Such a format ensures both programs are going continuously all 24 hours of the day, but it also requires a great number of volunteers. Forty-eight people are on the schedule every day to pray before the Blessed Sacrament; there are 336 time slots that need to be filled each week.

Melissa Tittle, the chapel’s coordinator, is responsible for making sure those slots are always full. As Tittle recently reflected on 40 years of perpetual adoration at the Power of Prayer’s chapel, she said, “This has just been a remarkable testimony to God’s people and their love for Jesus. It’s a giving of themselves and their time to adore our Lord, who has given himself so freely.”

Mark Hoeger, president and director of the board for the Power of Prayer, added, “Our deepest gratitude goes out to the hundreds of very faithful adorers we are so blessed to have keeping prayer vigil 24/7.”

“Without all of them,” he said, “we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

 

(l to r) Father Richard Schaefer, Deacon Travis King, Archbishop Michael Jackels and Father Steven Rosonke during the July 25 Mass celebrating the 40th anniversary of perpetual adoration in Dubuque. (Photo by Jill Kruse-Domeyer)