Monstrance blessed by John Paul II coming to New Ulm

A monstrance blessed by Pope John Paul II to encourage prayers for vocations to the priesthood and religious life during 2005 will make a stop in New Ulm on its year-long tour through the United States and Canada. Pope John Paul II blessed a monstrance for each continent. The monstrance, which is an exposition case and stand used to display the Eucharist for adoration, will arrive at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New Ulm on May 10 with Exposition at 11:00 a.m. followed by Adoration and ending with Benediction at 8:00 p.m.

“The goal is to send the monstrance to different dioceses to promote prayer services centered around adoration of the consecrated host,” said Fr. Edward J. Burns, executive director of the Secretariat for Vocations and Priestly Formation for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

Given by the Vatican to the USCCB, the monstrance will travel to different United States and Canadian dioceses at the request of local bishops. “It will be an opportunity to raise up in the minds of the faithful that the need is not only to pray, but also to create a culture of vocations,” said Bishop Blase J. Cupich, bishop of Rapid City, S.D., and chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Vocations.

Along with the USCCB, the creation and handling of the logistics of the tour schedule was given to members of the USA Council of Serra International, a Catholic organization of lay men and women dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

The monstrance is one of six blessed by Pope John Paul II in November to promote Eucharistic adoration during the 2004-2005 Year of the Eucharist declared by him in October of last year. In addition to the United States and Canada, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Pacific each received a monstrance as a symbol of the connection between the sacrament of the Eucharist and priestly vocations. The Year of the Eucharist began on October 17, 2004, and will conclude next October with a World Synod of Bishops having the Eucharist as its theme.

Everyone in the diocese is invited and encouraged to spend some time in prayer and adoration on May 10.

For further information contact Fr. Todd Peterson, Director of Vocations for the Diocese of New Ulm at (507) 359-2966; email: toddpetersen@mac.com.