BY RITA McINERNEY

The expectation of “a grace hitherto unfelt in the archdiocese” was voiced by Archbishop John F. Donoghue as perpetual adoration of the Holy Eucharist was begun at the Cathedral of Christ the King on June 5.

The cathedral was filled to capacity for the 3 p.m. service of evening prayer and Benediction, which was followed by a procession to the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. The former baptistry, it is now the chapel where the Eucharist reposes and where around-the-clock volunteers each will spend one hour in quiet prayer.

“It is our fervent hope that by our efforts and our devotion, the peace of God, who lives with us in our tabernacles through the life of His son, may penetrate deeply into the fabric of our society and bring our community to a new awareness of its own worth, and a new sense of promise and direction in all its ideals and actions,” Archbishop Donoghue said in his homily.

The archbishop said opening the chapel of perpetual adoration is “an action that springs from human need – our need for friendship, for companionship, for the knowledge that indeed, our God does travel along with us as we walk the bumpy road of life, and as we seek to transverse the rough places and crooked ways that meet us at every turn.”

To us, he said, the Lord has extended the hand of friendship in the greatest gift of all, His body and blood, for the salvation of souls. The chapel opened on the feast of Corpus Christi.

The archbishop thanked Father Tom Kenny, cathedral rector, the parish staff, and “all of the people involved in soliciting help for our efforts, and in coordinating the various logistical complexities associated with an undertaking of such scale and importance.”

The archbishop made special mention of Charlie Krebs, who “worked hard to bring perpetual adoration to the archdiocese” as a team leader with his wife, Jeanne. Mr. Krebs, a Holy Family, Marietta, parishioner, died a few weeks ago.

The archbishop also singled out Keri Allen, a Cathedral parishioner who directed the undertaking with the help of her husband, Bob.

Mrs. Allen, in welcoming everyone to the service, said the hundreds of volunteers who have signed up for the adoration are “standing in the gap for the Lord, for families, friends, community, the Church, and for all those who don’t yet know the Lord.”

After Benediction the archbishop led the congregation out of the sanctuary and across the plaza to the new chapel. After placing the gold monstrance holding the Eucharist on the altar he knelt briefly in prayer then exited through the door to the sacristy. A long line of people were waiting outside to pay their tribute to the Lord.

By twos and threes the children and grown-ups moved through the tiny chapel, kneeling briefly in silent prayer.

Archbishop Donoghue had inspected the chapel earlier, as the 1:30 p.m. Hispanic Mass was concluding. Then he signed as the first volunteer in the book, for 4 p.m., June 5.

“I think it’s going to be too small. Wouldn’t that be a nice problem to have,” he remarked.

Refurbishing of the space was done by volunteers from the Cathedral and other parishes around the archdiocese. Father Kenny contributed “some great ideas,” according to Mrs. Allen.

Many hours of “cleaning and scraping” were involved in converting the space into a tasteful, quiet room for silent prayer, she acknowledged.

The green marble altar and the wall sculpture in bas relief of St. John the Baptist baptizing Jesus was already in place. So was the upholstered bench along the back wall of the approximately nine by 12 foot chapel. Added were two kneelers, two chairs and new fabric on the bench. The walls have been refinished in a faux stone effect.

Rev. Mr. Larry Niese, a seminarian for the archdiocese, and Whitney Robichaux, a permanent deacon, attended the archbishop, Ken and Elyn Macek, leaders of the cathedral’s modern music group, led the singing of hymns and psalms. Macek composed the music for the psalms.

Hamilton Smith, music director for the cathedral, noted that the music blended traditional and contemporary styles. The service concluded with the Latin hymn Tantum Ergo and a procession chant which Smith compared to those sung by “pilgrims of old.”

A reception prepared by members of the Rosary Group continued the celebration.

The chapel of perpetual adoration is a direct response to Archbishop Donoghue’s first pastoral letter, issued last December, “Rejoice in the Lord, Always,” in which he said, “God has given us the life and death and resurrection of His Son. Now we must respond by giving ourselves devotedly to His real presence.”