January 24, 2025 // Bishop

‘The Heart of the Community’

Bishop Blesses Renovated Adoration Chapel at St. Jude

“The day we’ve been waiting for has come to pass,” said Father Emmanuel Abuh, pastor of St. Jude Catholic Church in Fort Wayne. “The time has come for my parishioners to return to their adoration chapel.”

On Monday, January 13, St. Jude’s refurbished adoration chapel opened its doors to receive a blessing from Bishop Rhoades. A select few parishioners involved in the renovations were invited to partake in a Mass and reception to take in the renovated chapel’s new beauty.

Photos by Joshua Schipper
After months of renovations, Bishop Rhoades, below right, blesses the new perpetual adoration chapel at St. Jude in Fort Wayne on Monday, January 13.

After months of renovations and having to use a temporary chapel for adoration, the project is now finished. Its simplistic interior, with polished wooden beams lining the ceiling and a rosy marble altar, draws adorers in with its warmth. At its center is a small golden tabernacle, fit for a single host and in front of which the monstrance will stand.

“Everything in here points to Jesus. It’s centered on the Eucharist,” said Amy Delaney, who serves as the adoration chapel administrator at St. Jude. “And its new beauty adds richness to your prayer.”

The new chapel was a result of the help and devotion of many. Delaney shared that the statues of Mary and Joseph in the front of the chapel were purchased as a gift from St. Jude’s graduating class of 1946. The dusty statues were found in storage within the main church and restored by a friend of the parish.

The marble altar, a light pink hue mixed with tan, was imported directly from Italy. Due to the diligence of many – and divine providence, shared Delaney – the stone arrived just in time for the scheduled opening.

“There was a dock strike in Italy that would’ve prevented us from receiving the marble. We got it right before then. Phew!” she said, relieved.

A fan favorite of the chapel is the addition of a “cry room,” equipped with a glass window facing the altar. Now, families can adore Christ with young children and not worry about loud noises disrupting others.

Joe Porter, a Catholic father and financial contributor to the renovation, told Today’s Catholic that he especially likes the addition of the cry room.

“The cry room is going to make it quieter. My wife likes to take our kids to adoration, so it will be so much easier for the kids to adore there,” he said while bouncing a baby in his arms. “To see it completed is beautiful. I hope we all take advantage of it around here.”

Father Abuh agreed with Porter and asserted: “The adoration chapel is the heart of the community of St. Jude’s. Families go there not only to pray on the day to day but to pray during times of struggle and difficulty.”

The space is a necessary place of security for the Catholic community, allowing people to lay down their burdens.

“The parish needs it,” Father Abuh said.

During Mass, Bishop Rhoades spoke about Christ’s presence in the Eucharist and His gifts stemming from adoration.

“Every time you visit this chapel, you come to be with Jesus. Jesus Himself invites you to rest with Him, to receive deep within His love and friendship,” Bishop Rhoades said during his homily.

“And though you probably come as individuals, come here as members of the Body of Christ and intercede for the Church, for those who have asked for your prayers,” he urged.

January 13 was also a special day in Bishop Rhoades’ life, as it was his 15th anniversary of shepherding the Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend.

The parish team at St. Jude, eager to thank Bishop Rhoades for his service, planned a meal after the blessing to celebrate.

“We are so grateful to you for coming to bless our chapel. We have no other way of expressing gratitude than to have lunch in your honor,” said Father Abuh, surprising Bishop Rhoades with a cake and a meal catered by Zianos, a local Italian restaurant chain.

The pastor also made some Nigerian dishes such as plantains and jollof rice for Bishop Rhoades.

A group of second graders from the parish school, who recently made their first reconciliation, presented Bishop Rhoades with a book of thank you cards and pictures colored in his honor.

“I’ll make sure to read all of these when I get home,” he said and invited the school children, probably to their teacher’s dismay, to grab some cookies before heading back to class. Their eyes lit up, and with sweets in hand, they walked out, past the new adoration chapel, smiling.

The adoration chapel at St. Jude was scheduled to reopen to the public on Wednesday, January 22.

Clare Hildebrandt is a staff reporter for Today’s Catholic.

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