SOUTHWEST RANCHES | A log book resting on a table in the back of the chapel at St. Mark Parish lists page after page of visitors, approaching 5,000 persons young and old, who have come in with their prayer intentions for as little as a few minutes or far longer.

 

They are young and old: sometimes student groups with musical accompaniment, sometimes senior citizens who drop by for 20 minutes of prayer in the afternoon, or formal exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in the mornings.

The log book is tangible proof of a program developed at the parish to encourage Catholics to spend time in personal prayer and eucharistic adoration. Proponents say the program is having ripple effects. They point to a bolstering of Catholic worship and church attendance and a deeper faith commitment overall among parishioners and students. 

Whereas other parish eucharistic adoration programs are more formal, no one at St. Mark is asked to sign up for 30 minute or one-hour shifts — any amount of time spent in the chapel is encouraged.

“We tell people there is no time schedule, just come in for five minutes, or two hours,” said Deacon John Lorenzo, a member of the clergy at the church who, along with parishioner Grace Lyn Fatt, developed what they call the Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament program. It started five years ago.

“If you come and sit and do absolutely nothing you are still being taken care of by the Lord,” said Deacon Lorenzo, who is particularly concerned about forming good habits and church attendance among the parochial school children and their families.

He cited statistics that show poor church attendance among some Catholics while others are leaving the faith altogether.

“When the children graduate from this grammar school they will hopefully never leave the Church because they have been absorbed into the Lord. In order for children to get from this life to the next life you have to have a relationship with Christ,” Deacon Lorenzo said.

Deacon Lorenzo, who spent many years giving parish missions in the South Florida region, hopes the program will spread to other parishes and encourage greater church attendance throughout the archdiocese.

“We started with 32 people who came to Mass in the morning and the numbers started to explode. It is like an invitation of the Holy Spirit: God has control of this and there hasn’t been a single week in the last five years that someone hasn’t joined the prayer group.”

The tally, as of the end of May 2014, was more than 4,000 members.

All St. Mark School children and parish religious education students become “adorers” when they receive their first Communion. The St. Mark school children are scheduled to visit the chapel 10 to 15 minutes once a week. The religious education children visit at least once every term.

At the end of May, a group of eighth graders from St. Mark School elected to spend their free time in the chapel during the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Teacher Michael Rowe led the students in singing and Deacon Lorenzo presided.

“It is very quiet when you come in, very peaceful, and you can either sit there or pray and just be with Jesus,” said Joseph Covone, 14, who said he likes to spend a few minutes in the chapel every day before lunch. 

“I have been coming here since the seventh grade. It really means a lot to me. It doesn’t take that much to come for five minutes every day. You can come and speak to Jesus and thank Him for everything he’s given you.”

Classmate Karina Czubkowski agreed, saying, “It has made a big impact on my life. Before this I never understand the point but now I feel like it’s something I have to do and is a part of my life. Deacon John tells us that Mass is very important and we need to go to Mass every Sunday, and that singing is praying twice. My parents say that this is a great way to spend time with Jesus.”

Shirley Sandusky, principal of St. Mark School, said the parish is fortunate to have Deacon Lorenzo to facilitate the program. She added that no one is forced to be part of it and no extra credit is given for doing so.

“I think the kids become more responsible as Catholic Christians in their quest to be adorers, and I am hoping that they will carry it with them in their high schools that they go to,” Sandusky said. “In listening to the kids we do have a couple who seem interested in carrying it forward (to other places).”

“It is really prayer in action when you see the kids do what they do and want to do it, and then their friends see that,” Sandusky said. “It has snowballed and gone further than a piece of paper that says you are an adorer. Some of their families are involved and it is nice to see.”

Deacon Lorenzo said the children graduating from St. Mark will have a long history of time spent in prayer in the chapel with the Eucharist so that “Christ will take care of them for the rest of their lives. When they graduate, they are a part of Christ.”

Parent volunteers and the religion coordinator for the school, Donna Villavisanis, said they want the school’s 60-plus eighth graders each year to know they can always come back to church when they need something, or in moments of confusion and doubt as they move into adolescence and higher education.

“They articulate that they want to go to adoration,” Villavisanis said. “They are young kids so they are still everything that you think of in terms of middle schoolers but they do have a heart and desire to know and love God and fit him in along with all that social media that we all talk about,” she said.