Our History: Remember When? A Look Back at Thirteen Hour Devotion

As we remember, Thirteen Hours Devotion was an important day for our parish family. The day began with the Sunday Mass, where the school children sat in the first three pews, boys on the south side, and girls on the north, divided by grade level and supervised by the nuns sitting directly behind the students.

After Mass and the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, students returned to the school, while the rest of the congregation returned home.

Throughout the day, classes with the addition of public school children, led by the sisters took turns going to church to provide perpetual adoration including the Rosary, formal prayers, and quiet time. If your class was not at church, you would have free time for eating and playing both indoors and outdoors. In addition, there were no classes at St. Anthony School the following day.

Throughout the day, parishioners were encouraged to visit and pray before the Blessed Sacrament. In the evening, the parishioners returned to church for the benediction and closing of the Thirteen Hours Devotion.

The closing included a procession around the interior of the church. Servers carrying lighted candles and burning incense, followed by the priest holding the monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament, led the procession. Protecting the Blessed Sacrament overhead was the ceremonial gold canopy supported on corner posts and held by men of the parish as hymns of praise filled the church.

The solemnity of this sacred time reaffirmed our belief that the Blessed Sacrament is not mere bread; it is the true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

Thirteen Hours Devotion was an important day for our parish family. The solemnity of this sacred time reaffirmed our belief that the Blessed Sacrament is not mere bread; it is the true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.