March 3, 2006

Monstrance blessed by Pope John Paul II
to visit Greenwood parish

By Sean Gallagher

On March 9-11, Our Lady of the Greenwood Parish in Greenwood will offer several prayer services featuring a monstrance blessed by Pope John Paul II on Easter 2005, less than a week before he died.

The monstrance, which is cared for by the Rosary Evangelization Apostolate, headquartered in Oak Creek, Wis., in the Milwaukee Archdiocese, has been dedicated to be used for prayer for an increase in priestly vocations.

Father Jonathan Meyer, associate pastor of Our Lady of the Greenwood Parish, said the prayer services can be a time to seek the late pope’s intercession for an increase of priestly vocations and to “reflect upon the gift [Pope John Paul] gave our Church in understanding our vocations to the priesthood, religious life or the sacrament of holy matrimony.”

The monstrance’s use in the parish is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. on March 9 at Our Lady of the Greenwood’s perpetual adoration chapel. The monstrance will be in the chapel during its stay at the parish except for the times that it will be used in the church.

On March 10, the monstrance will hold the Blessed Sacrament in the parish church during Stations of the Cross prayers that start at 7 p.m. and conclude with Benediction. The text used for the Stations of the Cross is focused on the priesthood.

Msgr. Mark Svarczkopf, Our Lady of the Greenwood’s pastor, will give a presentation on the “Pater Noster,” the Latin version of the “Our Father,” after the stations and Benediction.

A rosary for priestly vocations will be prayed before the monstrance holding the Blessed Sacrament in the church at 2 p.m. on March 11. A special holy hour for priestly vocations involving the monstrance will be held at the church at 7:30 p.m. on March 11.

After the holy hour, the monstrance will be returned to the perpetual adoration chapel until 7 a.m. on March 12. †

 

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