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HUNTERSVILLE — The National Night of Prayer for Life, celebrated throughout the Diocese of Charlotte Dec. 8-9, was even more meaningful for St. Mark Church parishioners this year. For the first time in the parish's history, the Adoration chapel offered perpetual Adoration to those interested in participating in the annual prayer vigil.

For the past five years, St. Mark has offered 24 hours of Adoration from Friday morning until Saturday morning, but the parish recently was able to make the necessary renovations to the daily chapel and recruit enough volunteers to accommodate Perpetual Adoration starting May 1.

Mary Fink, a St. Mark parishioner who has been directly involved with the Adoration chapel at St. Mark, borrowed a statement from St. Jeanne Jugan to express her sentiments about Adoration at the parish:

"I will say that the true gift of having Perpetual Adoration at our parish is best stated in the words I recently read: 'Jesus is waiting for you in the chapel. Go and find Him when your strength and patience are giving out, when you feel lonely and helpless. Say to Him: "You know well what is happening, my dear Jesus. I have only You. Come to my aid..." And then go your way. And don't worry about knowing how you are going to manage. It is enough to have told our good Lord. He has an excellent memory!"'

The annual National Night of Prayer for Life unites the feast of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8 with the feast of St. Juan Diego on Dec. 9. It was on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (then celebrated on Dec. 9) that Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas and the unborn, first appeared to St. Juan Diego. The National Night of Prayer for Life bridges these two feasts to honor Our Blessed Mother and to pray for the sanctity of all human life.

The National Night of Prayer for Life usually consists of a pro-life prayer service with exposition and Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament, 20 decades of the rosary, the prayer to St. Michael, silent prayer and hymns.

Although there was no formal prayer service after the evening Mass at St. Mark, parishioners were encouraged to stop by the chapel to pray for respect for life.

"Each of us has a mission, each of us is called to change the world, to work for a culture of life, a culture forged by love and respect for the dignity of each human person."

— Pope Benedict XVI, from his address in Hyde Park, London, on Sept. 18, 2010

— SueAnn Howell, staff writer