The practice of keeping a portion of the Blessed Sacrament outside of Mass has been part of Christianity since it beginning, but the practice of Eucharistic adoration developed at a later date. There is a reference to St. Basil, in the 4th century, reserving a portion of the Eucharist and placing it in a golden container suspended above the altar, but this may have been used to distribute communion to those who could not attend Mass and not for adoration. The reason for this belief is that Eucharistic adoration as we know it has never developed as a devotion in the Eastern Church.
The theological basis for Eucharistic adoration was laid by Pope Gregory VII in the 11th c. AD when he affirmed that Christ is actually present in the Blessed Host. Following this, St. Francis of Assisi is credited with starting Eucharistic adoration in Italy, where it was spread from Umbria to the rest of Italy by the Franciscans. The practice of lay adoration of the Eucharist began on September 11, 1226 in Avignon, France. To celebrate a victory over the Albigensians, King Louis VIII asked that the Blessed Sacrament be placed on display in the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Due to the overwhelming response to this adoration, Bishop Pierre de Corbie asked permission from Pope Honorius III to continue adoration indefinitely. This continued until the French Revolution in 1792.
In the 13th century, the Feast of Corpus Christi was established and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament became a central point in the piety of Western Christians. By the 14th century, devotions focused on the Eucharist had grown, and the Host began to be elevated during Mass for the purpose of adoration by the congregation. In the 16th century, the Council of Trent reaffirmed the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and declared Eucharistic adoration to be a form of latria, or adoration reserved only for God. After this, priests and other important figures promoted Eucharistic devotion and adoration, including St. Charles Borromeo who began the practice of placing the tabernacle at a higher, central location in the main altar.
In the 1530s and 1540s, the Capuchins began the practice of Quarantore. This is a devotion in which continuous prayer is made before the Blessed Sacrament for forty hours straight. Perpetual adoration began in 1590 by the Order of the Clerics Regular Minor in Naples and was adopted as a practice by numerous orders during the centuries that followed. Throughout the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, devotion to Eucharistic adoration grew, promoted by saints such as St. Alphonsus Liguori, St. Benedict Joseph Labre and St. Anthony Mary Claret. It spread to the United States in the 19th century where it was promoted by St. John Neumann. In the 20th century, the practice of perpetual adoration spread from monasteries and convents to Catholic parishes in general and was begun by lay Catholics. By the 21st century, over 2,500 perpetual adoration chapels had been established throughout the world.
Popes since the Middle Ages have talked about the importance of Eucharistic adoration and the benefits to be gained by practicing it. As Pope St. John Paul II wrote in Dominicae Cenae, “The Church and the world have a great need of Eucharistic worship. Jesus waits for us in this sacrament of love. Let us be generous with our time in going to meet Him in adoration and in contemplation that is full of faith.” Eucharistic adoration has a long history as a devotion in the Church and can be one of the most moving and impactful forms of prayer. St. Peter Parish has had a Eucharistic Adoration Chapel since 1984. If you are interested in obtaining a Holy Hour in our chapel, contact the Parish Office at 586-468-4578.