MADISON — February 12 saw a beautiful Mass of Thanksgiving offered at Holy Redeemer Church in Madison. 

Its Perpetual Adoration Chapel was celebrating 20 years. 

History of the chapel

The chapel was started after a group of parishioners was impacted by the extended Adoration time offered in the late 1990s by Msgr. Kevin Holmes, then-pastor of Holy Redeemer Parish in Madison. 

After his departure, and as the parish transitioned through multiple priests in a few short years, parishioners attempted to keep Adoration going strong.

The Holy Redeemer Eucharistic Adoration Society was formed, and eventually, the parishioners’ hopes became more audacious.

 One hundred Masses were said for the intention that Perpetual Adoration would start in Madison, and the parishioners began consulting with some of the people involved in the Perpetual Adoration Chapel in Fennimore, which at the time was the only one in the diocese. 

Milton L. Pozo and the late Richard Blaney were instrumental at this stage of the effort. 

The late Bishop Paul J. Swain, then-pastor, chose a date for Perpetual Adoration to begin. 

On February 12, 2006, the parishioners’ prayers were heard, and Perpetual Adoration began in the heart of Madison on the Isthmus.

It has continued for 20 years, regularly pausing only during the Sacred Triduum, when mourning for Christ’s Passion and Death causes a temporary interlude in Eucharistic Adoration.

The chapel was renovated in 2010. The renovation maintained the simplicity and focus befitting an Adoration chapel but created a much more beautiful space, including adding a bilingual scroll of quotations from John 6 and a gorgeous triptych behind the altar.

The Perpetual Adoration Chapel weathered both the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent fire in the church’s steeple with only minimal time closed. 

The chapel has been open for more than 170,000 hours of prayer. 

Given that there is usually more than one person adoring, the real total of hours prayed is much higher. 

The true gift is the abiding grace of Christ’s Presence. He has done extraordinary work in people’s hearts through this small chapel. 

Mass of Thanksgiving

The Mass offered in Thanksgiving was a votive Mass of the Eucharist. It was said primarily in Latin, with readings alternating between English and Spanish and a bilingual homily. 

English and Spanish translations of the Mass were also provided in the worship aid. 

The liturgy was an opportunity to express the deep gratitude parishioners feel for the many graces that have come through their time in this unique encounter with God.

That includes Fr. Drew Olson, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, of which Holy Redeemer Church is a part, who celebrated the Mass.

Father Olson mentioned that he started attending Adoration at the chapel himself as a young adult; he credits it with helping nurture his vocation to the priesthood.

In his homily, he spoke about how the offering of bread in the Mass is connected with our own offering of ourselves. 

“That is the difference between the Mass and any other form of thanksgiving we can make, any other form of sacrifice we can make. Yes, we can make sacrifices in other ways. Yes, we can offer ourselves and give thanks to God in prayer in different ways. But what God does in the Eucharist, and that’s what we experience, is that He transforms the small thing into Christ Himself.” 

That is how our sacrifices are made worthy of God, by being united to that Perfect Sacrifice of Christ. 

It is also why our reverence comes from a place of profound gratitude. 

“I don’t do reverence because I’m bad. I don’t do reverence because God doesn’t love me. I do reverence because I recognize how immense the difference is between a small piece of bread and the True Presence of Jesus Christ.” 

The Lord is present in the Eucharist not only to console us and to receive our sacrifices, but also to make His power available to us. 

The wonder is precisely in the combination: A God who is All Powerful, All Holy, Magnificent, and Who also chooses to remain close to us, small and nearby and available. “Today we ask the Lord to help us see both those aspects of the Eucharist . . . both His love for us and His immense power.” 

Father Olson also took the opportunity to thank the many people who help make this prayer possible at Holy Redeemer — those who started it, the organizers who still run it, and the many, many people who commit to Adoring weekly. 

God’s grace will be their real reward, but they have the gratitude of others on earth as well.

The Mass concluded with a light reception of desserts and appetizers to allow for conviviality. 

There is a feeling of gratitude in the diocese that this place of prayer has maintained Perpetual Adoration for the last 20 years. We will not know its true impact this side of Heaven, but we offer thanks to God even now. 

If you’re located near Madison, it’s worth considering if this grace is something God is inviting you to receive. Due to how Madison’s population is always changing, Holy Redeemer Perpetual Adoration Chapel is always in need of additional volunteers. 

To learn more or sign up for an hour, visit adorationchapel.com