What can be done about leaving Jesus alone in the adoration chapel?

[Flybaby]

Hi, We are blessed to have a 24 hour Adoration Chapel at a parish very near to my home. However, for some time now they have been unable to fill the schedule so that adorers are always present. The Blessed Sacrament is left unattended, in the Monstrance, almost daily from about midnight until 7 a.m. There are also times during the day when no one is in the chapel. We used to have a cover that people would place on the Monstrance when we needed to leave Jesus alone, but the cover was taken away. I called the person in charge this weekend about it and he said it is not proper to just cover the Blessed Sacrament. I said I understood it was also not proper to leave Jesus unattended. He said they just didn't have enough people to take care of that situation.

Is there anything I should do about this?

[Fr. Vincent Serpa]

Hi,

Where is the pastor in all this? If he doesn’t know that the Blessed Sacrament is being left exposed without anyone present, he should be informed. The Blessed Sacrament is his responsibility. Under NO circumstances should the Blessed Sacrament be left unguarded! If you don’t have enough adorers, then reduce the hours of adoration—OR end adoration until it can be done correctly. No one should ever leave the exposed Blessed Sacrament alone in the church or chapel. Putting a cover on the monstrance is not enough. The Blessed Sacrament should never be left vulnerable to possible desecration.

Should the pastor not care, then the bishop must be notified. This is very serious.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.