Students at Portsmouth Notre Dame schools have learned in a divinely intimate way over the past few months that the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Catholic faith through spending time with Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
Earlier this year, Eucharistic Adoration with exposition for kindergarten through grade 12 began with the encouragement of Father Brian Beal, the pastor of the Scioto Catholic Consortium; the assistance of Father Patrick Watikha, parochial vicar, Deacon Jim Sturgeon, Mother Assumpta Tangan, Sister Chiara Francisco, and Sister Soledad Sauzameda; along with school administrators and staff.
The elementary school completed at Easter a two-month Lenten period of participating in Adoration at Portsmouth Holy Redeemer Church each Friday, starting at 9 a.m. and ending with Benediction at 1:15 p.m., followed by Stations of the Cross at 1:30 p.m. Kindergarten through sixth grade rotated through the church during their religion class periods to pray, write in journals and sit quietly before the Real Presence of Christ for 30 minutes.
“This has been a wonderful experience for our students as they are learning and growing spiritually in their faith,” Notre Dame elementary principal Michelle Ashley said. “It is simply precious to watch them spend quiet time with the Lord. … It is a beautiful sight to see!”
At the junior high and high school, Jesus is exposed in the Most Blessed Sacrament at the school chapel on Mondays while classes are in session. Students, staff and faculty visit for prayer, scripture lessons, and contemplation. Adoration with exposition at the high school will continue through the end of the academic year.
High school principal J.D. McKenzie called Adoration a blessing and said, “We at N.D. believe this will help strengthen our faith and formation as a Catholic school system.”
Eucharistic Adoration in the school is part of an initiative to entrench belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist. Perpetual Adoration was instituted for the parishioners of the consortium (Holy Redeemer, Portsmouth St. Mary of the Annunciation, Portsmouth Holy Trinity, West Portsmouth St. Peter in Chains, Wheelersburg) in December.
“Adoration is profound gift to be internalize and practiced as Catholics. Our parishes, our personal lives, and our schools must be firmly centered on the Eucharist,” Father Beal said. “Jesus is really there. We must align our actions with our beliefs.”
After starting consortium-wide Adoration, the next step was bringing Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament to the schools to help children to adore the Eucharistic Lord in the monstrance.
“We offered a catechesis to the students about the Real Presence and Adoration in January,” Father Beal explained. “Learning that the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith starts at the earliest age.”
At Notre Dame elementary, Sister Soledad Sauzameda works with the students, and she has noticed how even the youngest ones, who are often full of energy and constantly on the move, grow in their appreciation of adoring Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
The children were introduced to the devotion in January during a retreat at which they learned about Adoration with Jesus in the monstrance, what that means, how they should approach Him with reverence and how to talk to Him.
“The kids were very receptive,” she said. “What I saw was just beautiful because the kindergartners through sixth grade said they really, really liked it. They were so quiet and respectful and reverent.”
On one of the Fridays during Lent, the Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the world and for Russia and Ukraine took place.
“We told them we were going to pray for Russia and Ukraine, and it was just so beautiful to see the children kneel and pray,” Sister Soledad said. “They closed their eyes, and they were really participating in the prayer.”
To aid the students’ prayer time during weekly Adoration, the school purchased journals for each child to enter thoughts, prayers and drawings as part of their conversation with Jesus.
“Some of them show me their journals, and one had prayers for an uncle who is in prison,” Sister Soledad said. “He wrote, ‘Please God, help my uncle.’ Some others have drawings of Jesus.
“It’s really amazing just how easy it was with the kids. There was a little bit of concern about being able to be still for half an hour coming in from recess or lunch, but there was no problem. They have been really good.
“I was amazed with what they could do in half an hour. Some drew Mother Mary, some drew the crucifix, some drew the altar. One kid drew the crucifix and the altar and the monstrance, and then said to me, ‘Look, Sister, you and Mother (Assumpta Tangan, one of three Leaven sisters who came to Portsmouth last fall) are over here.”
Students who make a mistake in the journal will sometimes approach Sister Soledad and say, “‘I messed up, and how can I fix this?’ They want to make it as nice as possible.
“It’s beautiful to see that they understand that this is for the Lord, and they try to do their best drawing and their best writing, and it’s just inspiring because they’re giving their best.”
Each class from kindergarten through sixth during its 30-minuteAdoration time recites a prayer given to the three children at Fatima: “My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee.”
In addition to Adoration, the elementary students attend Mass every Wednesday.
Everyone seems hopeful, including the children, that Adoration will continue at both schools next fall.
“They were asking the teachers, ‘Are we going to do this every Friday?’” Sister Soledad related. “I’m there by the door when they’re leaving for the next class, and they’ll say, ‘Thank you, Sister.’”
During the final four weeks of this school year, the Most Blessed Sacrament will not be exposed for the elementary students, but the children will continue to come to the church to pray on Fridays before Jesus in the tabernacle.
The Leaven sisters have played a significant role in allowing the parishes and schools to offer Adoration. One of their apostolates is to foster devotion to Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
“It’s something we try to bring to the community wherever we go and just encourage people,” Sister Soledad said. “It was nice that Father Beal initiated Adoration, and it’s just been beautiful to hear the different testimonies of people who have started to come and had a change of heart in their life. There are small little miracles there.
“We’re here to help out, and we’re just happy that Father Beal wanted it in the school and the principals were open to it. Sometimes there are so many obstacles, but this has been a very great blessing.”