The Cathedral of Saint Thomas More News:

The Forty Hours Devotion

February 7, 2022

Beginning on the weekend of November 27-28, 2021 and continuing through November 2022, parishes throughout the Diocese of Arlington will hold the Forty Hours Devotion.  The celebration of Forty Hours in every region of the Diocese is part of the Diocesan-wide preparation for the Golden Jubilee in 2024.

At the heart of the Forty Hours Devotion is the Holy Eucharist, the very Real and True Presence of God himself.  Christ our Lord is really and substantially present in this great Sacrament, and through our participation in the devotion we enter his presence, remember the salvation he won for us, rejoice in him, and become signs of his divine renewal in our world.

The devotion of Forty Hours originated six centuries ago in Milan. The practice spread quickly in the West through figures such as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Saint Philip Neri, Saint Charles Borromeo, Pope Clement VIII, and Pope Clement XII.  It was fervently promoted in the United States by Saint John Neumann, the fourth bishop of Philadelphia, and in 1866, the devotion was approved for use throughout the United States.

In the Diocese of Arlington, Forty Hours was widely celebrated following the establishment of the diocese in 1974 and has remained an important devotion in many parishes.  The faithful of our Diocese are encouraged to participate in their parish’s Forty Hours Devotion and in those of other parishes, spending time in prayer before the Eucharistic Lord, who can and will help us in our every need.

Forty Hours Devotions in our local parishes:

St. James Catholic Church  December 5.

Our Lady of Lourdes – February 9 – 11

 

Cathedral of St. Thomas More: June 20 – 22, 2022; more details to follow.

St Luke Catholic Church: October 16, 2022; more details to follow.

St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church:  October 30; more details to follow.

St. Phillip Catholic Church: Nov 17 – 19; more details to follow.