A Brief History of The Nocturnal Adoration Society
The Nocturnal Adoration Society was developed from the practice of night adoration of the Blessed Sacrament during the Forty Hours devotion. At the time when the Church was threatened by widespread heresy in the nations of Europe and by invading hostile Muslim force in the East, Pope Clement VIII, in 1592, instituted the Forty Hours devotion in the city of Rome in order to offer incessant prayer to the Lord, imploring his help and his grace for the protection of his People menaced by such grave danger.
Two centuries later. In 1809, another crisis threatened the Church. In the aftermath of the French revolution, in the political and religious upheaval in Europe, Napoleon had risen to power and had made Pope Pius VII his prisoner. A priest in the city of Rome, Father Giacomo Sinibaldi, was inspired to gather together groups of men to pray in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament during the night hours in the churches of Rome, where the Forty Hours devotion was in progress. The response to his idea was so enthusiastic that in a short time there were groups meeting for prayer every night of the year in the churches where the Blessed Sacrament was exposed.
Ecclesiastical approval was given to these adorers and in 1810 the Nocturnal Adoration Society came into existence. Its center was the church of Santa Maria in Via Lata in Rome. In 1851 the Society was approved as a Pious Union and in 1858 it was raised to the status of Archconfraternity, with authority to establish nocturnal adoration societies elsewhere.
During the civil unrest of 1848, a Carmelite monk Father Hermann Cohen, a Jewish convert obtained approval from the Archbishop of Paris to form a Nocturnal Adoration Society in the city. In 1863, he started a society of nocturnal adoration in London. The cause for his canonization has been introduced in Rome.
From France, the Society spread in several dir3ections. It was founded in Madrid, Spain in 1877. Its growth in Spain was so extraordinary that in a short time there were 500 centers with more than 100,000 members. From Mexico it crossed into Texas and California in the United Stated. The National Headquarters to Mexico is the Church of Saint Phillip of Jesus in Mexico City.
At the same time the Society was spreading from Paris to Canada and the United States. In 1881, through the efforts of a publisher in Montreal, Louis Joseph Delorme, who had come in contact with the Society during a trip to Paris, a group was formed in Montreal. Today the national headquarters for Canada is Montreal.
Through the efforts of another layman, Doctor Thomas Dwight, The Society came into existence in Boston, Massachusetts in 1882. The following year Father William Bartlett started a Society in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded independently of each other, these societies were inspired by the Society in Paris.
New York City saw the beginnings of nocturnal adoration in connection with the Forty Hours devotion. Several parishes in the city had organized groups of men who spent the night in prayer during the Forty Hours and on Holy Thursday. In 1903 with the sanction of the Archbishop Michael Corrigan, the society was organized. In 1912 Cardinal John Farley sought and obtained affiliation with the Archconfraternity authorized the Society to affiliate other centers in the United States. In 1929 Cardinal Patrick Hayes established a national headquarters in the church of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, Saint Jean Baptiste, appointed the pastor as national director of the society.
Today the Nocturnal Adoration Society is established in 36 countries and counts over 1,000,000 members. The president of the International Society at the present time is Mr. D. Jose Angel Casero of Madrid, Spain. In the United States, local chapters of the society are to be found across the nation and in Hawaii. National Headquarters is located in Laredo, Texas
Statement of Purpose
The Nocturnal Adoration Society has a threefold purpose:
To provide a fervent response to Christ’s invitation to keep prayerful vigil with Him (Mathew 26:38-40; Mark 14:37,38; Luke 22:40-46).
To deepen the experience of communion with Christ Eucharistic, as He continues His self-offering and saving influence.
To live more consciously and actively the full significance of the Eucharist as the sacrament of charity and unity for the Church and the World.
(From the Statutes of the Nocturnal Adoration Society, Nos. 4-6)
The National Hispanic Department is Established in Laredo
The National Hispanic Department of the Nocturnal Adoration Society was established in Laredo, Texas on September 11, 1993 under the leadership of Mr. Raul Mendoza. The first Chapter was inaugurated at Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Laredo, Texas on August 20, 1986. With additional volunteers, the work continued to establish more Chapters. The expansion began with the Chapter at St. Augustine in Laredo-April 11, 1987. (This chapter is presently in suspense.) Then came Saint Judas Thaddeus in Laredo – March 23, 1991; Holy Family in Missouri City, Texas – October 30, 1992; Santa Rita of Casia in Rio Bravo, Texas – December 19, 1992; Our Lady of Guadalupe in Laredo –m September 11, 1993.
The Rev. Fr. Bernard Camire, S.S.S. (Spiritual Director of the NAS at the time) stated a desire to help the Spanish-speaking members of the NAS. Based on the premise as an introductory passage, Mr. Rocha presented the idea and requested of Father Camire permission to form a National Hispanic Department (NHD). Father Bernard explained the requirements for such an organization, the issues were addressed and met, and permission was granted on a temporary and indefinite basis on March 29, 1993. The Most Reverend Bishop Rene H. Garcida, Bishop of Corpus Christi, accepted the NHD of the NAS most graciously on April 22, 1993. The late Reverend Father Henry G. Van de Casteele, O.M.I was the first Spiritual Director of the NAS NHD. The Second Spiritual Director for the NAS NHD was the Reverend Alessandro DiTaddeo until his retirement from his priestly duties at St. Joseph’s in Laredo, Texas, on March of 2001.
The National Hispanic Department continued to found Chapters at Saint Joseph’s in Laredo March 19, 1995, at Saint James in Perris, California –m August 31, 1998 (presently in suspense), at San Pedro in Reading, Pennsylvania – August 3, 1998, at St. Anthony’s in Robstown, Texas – July 30, 2000, at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Rancho Cucamonga, California – February 5, 2001.
Objectives and Goals of the NAS Headquarters, Laredo, Texas
The initial goal and objective of the NAS National Headquarters in Laredo, Texas, is the creation of a permanent National Federation for the NAS (based in Laredo, Texas if possible) as stated in the original constitution of the National Hispanic Department Under
Creation of the Lay Federation Headquarters in Laredo, Texas
The National Hispanic Department advised the National Spiritual Director that the NAS USA was the only one under directorship of the clergy. On November 23, 1999, a letter was addressed to the President of the NAS National Hispanic Department, Mr. Raul Mendoza in Laredo, Texas. The letter confirmed a telephone conversation on early November of 1999 between the Rev. Father Mario Marzocchi, S.S.S. National Spiritual Director of the NAS and Mr. Armando Rocha NAS NHD Secretary. During that conversation Father Mario proposed the creation of the Lay Federation. The proposal of a Lay Federation was presented and approved on a 21 to 0 vote by the NAS NHD National Directive Council at their regular scheduled meeting of November 29, 1999.
On December 17, 1999 Father Mario Commissioned Mr. Rocha to spearhead the transfer of the Society to a “Lay-Federation for the United States to the International Eucharistic Congress held in Rome in June of 2000. He traveled to Madrid , Spain, met with Mr. Rafael Baez Mangas, Acting President of what was then the “Federacion Mundial de las Obras de la Adoracion Nocturna de Jesus Sacramentado” and with members of the “Adoracion Nocturna Espanola (ANE”, and joined the ANE excursion from Madrid to Rome.
National Laic Headquarters has the intention to promoting ans establishing the central themes for the National Assembly planned for the NAS for August of 2003 to commemorate the Centennial Anniversary of the Nocturnal Adoration Society in the United States and the Tenth Anniversary of the National Hispanic Department.
“Purpose Of The Society”
“To provide an opportunity for the bringing together in prayer the Spanish-speaking men and their families , as well as the English-speaking members of our communities.
Our second goal and objective is the creation of a National Temple of the Adoration for the Most Blessed Sacrament (in Laredo, Texas if possible) whereby Nocturnalists and all people can participate in their Spiritual Offerings of prayers, thanksgiving, and atonement.
The third goal and objective is the creation of a Hemispheric Headquarters for the NAS based in Laredo, Texas if possible)
Goal and objective number four is the acquisition of a permanent home for the Society in Laredo, Texas for meetings and preparation of work activities needed by the Society.
As the fifth goal and objective we have to meet the transportation needs of the NAS work group by obtaining one or two 15-passenger motor vehicles.