Florida Catholic | Perpetual adoration persists in storm

Perpetual adoration persists in storm

LAURA DODSON | FLORIDA CATHOLIC CORRESPONDENT

Published: 08.21.08

What better time to go pray than when you’re faced with one of those things?”
–Frank Conley

MELBOURNE | The effects of Tropical Storm Fay have many Floridians focused on their safety and security. They are also focused on their faith. Parishioners at Ascension Parish here were calling prayer captains Thursday, Aug. 21, worried that the 24/7 watch in the Blessed Sacrament adoration chapel might be interrupted. After all, the watch has been uninterrupted since June of 2002.

As Fay’s fury began to pummel central Florida Aug. 18, Susan Esposito, who has participated since the chapel’s inception and is the ministry captain for the 5 p.m. hour, visited the chapel. “Even though the storm was very bad, I was there,” Esposito said. “Adoration is so important. I feel nothing could hurt me going to adoration to be in the presence of Our Lord.

“But, I have to say, I was able to go. My sister couldn’t get out for her Holy Hour — the water is up to her mailbox,” Esposito said. “I prayed for all people — that they wouldn’t get hurt and would get through this. It’s a good time to pray. Of all times, whether at home or in adoration, during a storm is when we most need to be in prayer.”

Concerns rose as Fay persisted in fury. There are signs posted in the chapel that instruct to repose the Blessed Sacrament — either by covering the monstrance with the white satin mantle or placing it in the wooden tabernacle — should the chapel be vacant, but adorers struggled to fulfill their commitment and the desire to maintain the 24/7 schedule.

Orion Bessinger and his wife, Marjorie, have also participated since the chapel opened and are scheduled for the 5–6 p.m. Tuesday evening hour. Orion called to inform that they wouldn’t be there. “I just asked what would Jesus say if we don’t make our commitment and I think he’d give me a kick in the rump,” Bessinger said. “My wife and I feel compelled to go. We said the rosary instead and it brought me peace.”

Mary Heindl questioned whether she should leave her home — despite emergency management instructions through the media for everyone to stay off the streets — to fulfill her holy hour commitment. She explained the significance to her: “My husband, John, and I signed up for the Tuesday evening 10–11 p.m. Holy Hour right at the start of the chapel’s opening and we went each week until John’s cancer changed things. When he was in the hospital, John would say to me at 9:30, ‘Hon, you better get going — it’s our Holy Hour.’ He was bedridden only the last 18 days of his life, so with a walker or wheelchair, with his oxygen tank — whatever we needed to do — we went. How can you go without God?”

As a result of Fay’s intermittent pelting, Frank and Penny Conley alerted that they might not make it, but were able to attend. The Conleys are available as regular substitutes who had agreed to fill in from 2–3 a.m. on Tuesday for another couple on vacation. Penny called to say, “The way things look, we just don’t know if we’ll be able to come out.”

Frank Conley reported that they set their alarm, looked outside, but the weather wasn’t bad, so they drove to the chapel. “What better time to go pray,” he said, “than when you’re faced with one of those things? We spent our time with Our Lord and asked him to watch over everyone and we prayed that everyone would come through all right.”

Despite widespread flooding as a result of the 25 inches of rain Fay had dropped on Melbourne, Lance and Nicole Rodriguez were able to get to the chapel to pray the evening of Aug. 20, but found the combination lock inactivated and called for instructions, “Our hearts were drawn to be here,” Nicole explained, “to just soak up the love of Our Lord.”

Heindl has been a widow for the past five years and now visits the chapel at least four times a week. As it turned out, Heindl had flooding in her home Tuesday night and called 911 for assistance. The officer who visited advised her to stay indoors. On Wednesday evening, as Fay continued to pummel the area with drenching rains, Heindl once again felt the desire to fulfill her commitment, “I’m tempted to go tonight,” she said, “but the wind is really whipping up. Adoration is a peaceful time. It’s a beautiful feeling.”

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