After being your pastor for over 13 years, I must say, one of the blessings that I may take for granted is the many parishioners who serve in various activities and ministries here who are past retirement age. In spite of being retired from their profession and of serving for some or many years in parish ministries elsewhere, they get involved here and are a blessing to their fellow parishioners and, in some instances, non-parishioners with a drive and energy that surely comes from the Lord. Such is certainly the case with Deacon BJ and Vernell Bowen, our VIPs for the month of December. If I described all they did in their lives in Little Rock for well over 40 years, both in the church and in charitable endeavors and organizaitions in the larger community, I know it would be impossible to do so in the space I have in my pastor's column. Deacon BJ was on more than a few civic boards and committees including "Helping Hands" in North Little Rock which provides food and other support to the poor on a daily basis in that part of the state.Deacon BJ is a "Hot Springs Boy" who was born and raised there (like someone else you know at sacred Heart Church). In his adult life he was active at St Edward's in Little Rock in the parish and the Catholic school there. Following his ordination to the Permanent Diaconate in 2002, he was assigned to the Cathedral of St Andrew's in Little Rock where he served until moving his ministry solely to Sacred Heart Church in 2023. For a time he served both parishes and began exercising his preaching ministry here a few years ago. As a "Senior" Deacon, he continues to preach one weekend a month here, assists with the Catholic prayer and Word services at Samaritan Ministries in Hot Springs once a month a has helped prepare a few people to convert to Catholicism and receive sacraments of initiation. He has recently agreed to assist with our Sunday Eucharistic Holy Hours once a month. Vernell was born and raised in Saline County and, besides being a wonderful wife to BJ for 49 years, she served as an educator for 48 years, first as a teacher in public schools and then as principal at St Edward's School in Little Rock and, finally as Superintendent of Catholic Schools of Arkansas from 2002 to 2019. Upon moving to Hot Springs Village in 2019 she soon became a very active member of the Ladies of Sacred Heart, serving as vice president, then president, and now on various committees of LOSH. They are reitrees who obviously continue to be active in serving the Lord and others as Sacred Heart Parioshioners and are indeed a blessing to many, including me. God's continued blessings upon BJ and Vernell!
You might say this pastor's column is the second part of a "double-header" as it continues reflections on the first 10 years of (mostly Perpetual) Eucharistic Adoration at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish. I was pleased before we officially started it, by the number of parishioners who committed to an hour with the Lord as well as the leadership team headed by Roger Bresnahan (of happy memory) that included division leaders and hourly captains for each of the twenty-four hours. The fact that we were blessed by people willing to cover overnight hours in a short time was truly inspired by God. As we started Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration on November 17, 2013, it wasn't long before winter and winter weather challenged us to deal with when to close the chapel for safety reasons and when to open it back up. While it was difficult, with plenty of opinions as to when it should be closed and re-opened, I am pleased to say that no adorer was involved in an accident (that I know of) while trying to get to or from adoration, as I truly believe our adorers' Guardian Angels were busy then, and have continued to be busy guarding our adorers in inclement weather but in all conditions including nighttime when it is so dark in the Village. Another sign that this ministry is truly a gift of and blessed by the Lord is reality that in spite of people having to drop out for a variety of reasons (i.e. health, moving, dying) we have been blessed to have new adorers join us as regulars and/or substitutes to keep the hours covered. PLEASE consider joining us if you are currently not an adorer (call Kathy Clark at 203-816-7737) as I can promise you that one hour a week with the Lord will produce blessings that can be seen and named and blessings that we don't even realize. I can attest that among many things, Eucharistic Adoration has helped me greatly in dealing with the grief of my mother's passing to the Lord in June. I know that her many years of participating in daily Mass AND Eucharistic Adoration, gave her the inner strength she needed to persevere and make the best of her life during her declining years on this earth. While homebound she continued her adoration hours through EWTN. I hope our Adorers, once they cannot come anymore due to health considerations, will do the same if they are blessed to have EWTN or another Catholic network. I also hope and pray that all our ministries and activities will grow and flourish going forward, I am not shy to say that continueing to offer Eucharistic Adoration for hourly participants and for anyone to spend any amount of time in our chapel to be with the Lord is the most important ministry we have (after the Mass), and hopefully will continue for many years to come!
Some of us recently had a wonderful experience firstly at Mass and then at a special dinner and program for the 10-year anniversary of Eucharistic Adoration celebrated at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish. I believe such a ministry accomplishment (10 years of Eucharistic Adoration) deserves some reflection in this pastor's column. It got its start from a small Friday morning charismatic prayer group that was led by Roger Bresnahan (of happy memory). Since I was blessed to share in the start of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in Fr Smith around the year 2000 (a ministry that continues there) I was more than happy to work with this prayer group in attempting to start it in this faith filled parish. I had seen the blessings that come to individuals who participate in it, as well as blessings that come to others, including parishes and communities, from people spending at least one hour a week with Jesus exposed in the Monstrance. Truly there are many adorers who could, and perhaps will, share the blessings that they have witnessed themselves. Giving that one hour to the Lord means leaving the day to day activities and worries of our lives in the world (and sometimes bringing those to the Lord) and focusing in on the one who humbled himself to share in our humanity, who showed us the BEST say anyone can live, suffered and died on the cross for the redemption of humanity, and opened the doors to eternal life where we will be surrounded forever by His love & peace. Just think of spending a few minutes of your life with the celebrity you admire the most (living or deceased). That PALES in comparison with the opportunity we have for an hour a week (or any period of time 24/7, seven days a week) with the most celebrated AND worshipped person who has ever lived, and who still lives with us and in everlasting glory. While I was blessed to spend so much time with my mom in her long life (now that she is phsically gone) I long to see her and converse with her and I grieve the fact that it will not be possible again as long as I live in this world. What a blessing to spend time receiving my Lord at Mass at least once a day and spending time with him, the one I love the most AND who is there loving me. Not suprisingly, I have more to say about the blessings and challenges of having Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in our parish and will continue to do so next week.