Saint Mary Church In Middletown Designated A Shrine By Diocese

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Twenty-five years ago, parishioners at Saint Mary Church on Cherry Tree Farm Road took on what seemed like a Herculean task: Manning a continuous, 24-hour prayer vigil before the Holy Eucharist indefinitely. A quarter century later, the Eucharistic Adoration Chapel at Saint Mary has been designated as the first shrine in the Diocese of Trenton.

Located in the original Saint Mary Church — a historic building constructed in 1901 — the chapel will be officially consecrated by the Most Rev. David M. O’Connell, bishop of Trenton, on Oct. 16.

Bishop O’Connell will preside over Holy Mass at 10 a.m. and will officially dedicate the shrine under the title of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Founded in 1879, the Parish of Saint Mary in Middletown is a growing spiritual community that has provided a place of worship for generations of Catholic families in Monmouth County. The parish currently serves as the spiritual home of more than 4,200 families and hosts more than 65 programs and ministries, including Saint Mary School, which is located on the parish grounds.

In all Catholic parishes, the Blessed Sacrament is traditionally contained within a tabernacle, except for designated times for Eucharistic Adoration several times a year. Eucharistic Adoration requires the sacrament to be displayed outside the tabernacle and be constantly attended by one or more individuals. The Catholic faith teaches that Jesus is present in the Blessed Sacrament, providing those who participate in Eucharistic Adoration with the opportunity to pray, meditate and give thanks in His presence.

“We are honored that Bishop O’Connell will establish the first diocesan shrine at the Parish of Saint Mary,” said Father Jeff Kegley, pastor. “Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament will be a place of pilgrimage, perpetual adoration, prayer and devotion, inspiring visitors from many communities to deepen their faith and move closer to Christ.”

Father Kegley led the effort to establish the continuous prayer vigil in response to a 1997 call from the late Pope John Paul II for churches to establish perpetual adoration chapels. Parish officials initially hoped to persuade 200 people to cover the 168 hours in the week; instead, 670 signed up— many from surrounding parishes. At the time, Fr. Kegley told a reporter with The New York Times that the vigil would continue for “as long as God wants it.” Today, a steady stream of “regulars” schedule shifts to ensure that the Eucharist is never left unattended. A team of substitutes remains on standby to cover unplanned absences.

Visit: www.stmarychurchnj.org/adorati...