Story by Lois Rogers | Correspondent
Maureen Schnappauf was reflective as she sought the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick alongside more than 20 fellow parishioners.
A breast cancer survivor, Schnappauf wanted to thank God for the mercy she received throughout her long treatment, which included a lumpectomy and radiation. She also thought she felt she needed a “spiritual cleansing” before she and her husband leave for Ireland.
“I felt I needed it … this was the best preparation for the trip,” said Schnappauf, 79, one of many to take part in 24 Hours for the Lord in Sacred Heart Parish, Bay Head.
Sacred Heart was among the handful of churches in the Diocese of Trenton where doors were open around the clock March 29-30 for Eucharistic adoration, Reconciliation, healing services, prayers and devotions.
In early March, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., announced the Diocese’s participation once again in 24 Hours for the Lord, responding to Pope Francis’ call for the entire Church to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the context of Eucharistic adoration.
Many parishes added creative nuances to their approach. While the Bay Head parish included the Anointing of the Sick, Nativity in Faith Haven designated several hours for “Moms with Kids,” during which babysitting and activities were provided for young children while their parents went to Confession or prayed before the Blessed Sacrament. In St. Joseph Parish, Toms River, the early morning hours from 1 to 4 a.m. were designated as special prayer times to St. Joseph, for the intentions of families and for religious freedom.
In Bay Head, faithful were steadfast in devotion throughout the day and night, showing up in much greater numbers than expected to pray and attend healing services, said Father Douglas Freer, pastor.
“There were times during the day when there were 50 or more parishioners in the church at one time,” said Father Freer, who described the enthusiasm with which many also volunteered for Eucharistic adoration during the dark hours of night and early morning hours.
Dolores Anilonis, a parishioner for 54 years, attended in the late afternoon of March 29 for Eucharistic adoration and the healing service celebrated by Father Freer.
“I came to pray that God would make me more kind and sympathetic to people,” Anilonis said. “I’m thankful for this special day for the body and soul.”
During the brief healing service, Father Freer spoke of grace and mercy as the qualities the world “desperately needs.”
“Twenty-four hours of prayer reminds us how important compassion is. It [compels] us to look at our lives and to show more … mercy and certainly more love,” he said.
Parish catechist Joan Barry, who teaches Confirmation classes, had the health of her nine-month-old nephew, Hunter, to offer up as she prayed before the Eucharist. The infant has an auto-immune condition and will soon undergo a bone marrow transplant and three months of chemotherapy, she said.
“As I went up and knelt in front of the monstrance, a powerful feeling just came over me. I felt that Jesus was there, very close to me and I felt close to him,” she said.