Faithful can benefit spiritually by attending 24 Hours for the Lord during Lent, say pastors of parishes around the Diocese.
“24 Hours for the Lord is important because it gives people an opportunity to encounter Jesus in Confession and Adoration,” said Father Jeffrey Kegley, pastor of St. Mary Parish, Middletown. “In participating in 24 Hours for the Lord, a person will encounter the love and mercy of Jesus Christ as their sins are forgiven. After Confession, people again have another opportunity to encounter Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration. Both Confession and Adoration provide an amazing opportunity for healing of souls.”
St. Mary Parish is currently one of five parishes that will carry on what has become a Lenten tradition in the Diocese. The parishes will open their doors for 24 hours, during which time visitors can pray before the Blessed Sacrament in Eucharistic Adoration, seek the Sacrament of Reconciliation, join in healing services or spend time in prayer.
In the Diocese, 24 Hours for the Lord began in 2018 when Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., asked parishes to join with Catholics throughout the world in the initiative that was established by Pope Francis. As a way of establishing consistent timing, the Pope selected the days ahead of the Fourth Sunday of Lent as proper time for the 24 hours to be offered.
In a 2020 communication to priests of the Diocese, Bishop O’Connell noted that several parishes had observed the request of Pope Francis and the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization for the past two years and that many parishes had reported positive results.
“I would like to continue that tradition again this year,” Bishop O’Connell said.
To read more about 24 Hours for the Lord, click HERE.
The parishes that will host 24 Hours for the Lord and their schedules are as follows:
Burlington County
Monmouth County