Royal Oak basilica’s ‘Ascend’ events offer environment where groups unable to gather can be together to pray and worship the Lord
ROYAL OAK — When the world seems broken and divided, parishioners are looking to the Eucharist to bring unity.
The National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak is hosting “Ascend” on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 7-8 p.m., an hour of Eucharistic adoration, coupled with hymns and a homily from Shrine rector Fr. Joe Horn.
Ascend began in January 2020, but was interrupted because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In October, because of Shrine’s large space, the events have continued with plenty of room for social distancing.
“We are blessed to have a real spirit of prayer at the parish; we have 23 different prayer groups in addition to the adoration, including Eucharistic adoration perpetually outside through the rectory window,” Beth Spizarny, director of evangelization and faith formation at Shrine, told Detroit Catholic.
“We realized a lot of our prayer groups aren’t able to meet right now,” Spizarny said. “So with Ascend, it’s in the basilica and because it’s worship, it’s been approved to go forward.”
Spizarny said Ascend usually draws 100 to 200 people into the spacious church. During adoration, people are invited to bring a candle to one of the four tables set up in the centrally located sanctuaries.
“People are invited to carry a candle and place it on a little table in the sanctuary, and it’s powerful to see them bringing their intentions to Christ,” Spizarny said. “One woman, grieving the loss of her father, said it was very freeing to light a candle for him, to take her grief and bring it before the altar, before the Lord. It was really healing for her.”
Spizarny said Ascend is a good option for people who don’t feel comfortable returning to the crowds at Mass, noting how much space there is between people. Furthermore, the events are livestreamed, and those who wish to leave a prayer intention in the comment section will have a candle lit in their stead and placed before the altar.
Beyond spending time before the Real Presence, Spizarny said Ascend offers many groups a chance to be together in praying with the Lord, especially for the various groups at Shrine that aren’t meeting because of the pandemic.
“We have SoulCore groups that meet here normally, and they are missing that time of praying together,” Spizarny said. “So our prayer groups have been able to come to Ascend to pray in that way. We are body and spirit, so being with each other in the flesh really makes a difference.”
After a January that feels like the 13th month of a tumultuous 2020 in many regards, Spizarny said there is power in going back to the basics, bringing Jesus to the people, adding it can do good for one’s soul.
“The heart of it is that Christ is the healer, seeking to unite people,” Spizarny said. “In a broad sense, we’re uniting them in worship and in Christ here. After so much separation, isolation and time apart from one another, we are able to unite together and pray.
“A lot of burdens and weights experienced this past year have been lifted,” she added. “People have borne most of these changes in isolation, so it’s really humbling, I think, to see people come to church, to bring their intention, their burdens, and bring them to Jesus.”
