By Mary Frances McCarthy
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 11/18/04)

In the middle of Arlington there is a place of peace every Thursday night. Right next to the busy traffic of Route 50, there is almost complete silence for a half hour — broken only by the clinking of rosary beads or a page being turned in a prayer book.

At the center of the county, at the center of our diocesan Church, there is evidence of faith, hope and love for Christ.

But at the Cathedral Parish of St. Thomas More, this is not an ordinary Holy Hour. It is, instead, an hour (or two) to learn, to understand and to grow to appreciate the sacrifice of the Host revealed on the altar of Christ.

The Thursday night Holy Hours have been held weekly since Oct. 21, and will continue through this Year of the Eucharist, ending next October. Barring a blizzard, the Holy Hour will be held every Thursday except Thanksgiving and Holy Thursday.

Father Matthew Zuberbueler, parochial vicar, began thinking about holding the Holy Hour when he was on retreat in Mexico last summer. With this year designated by Pope John Paul II as the Year of the Eucharist, Father Zuberbueler, paraphrasing the pope, said, "What’s needed is to bring people back to the fundamentals of the treasures of the Church."

The hour begins at 7 p.m. with a talk related to a short reading assigned the week before. Readings have been taken from the Bible, and will also come from works by the Fathers of the Church, popes and saints.

"All year we will be mining the treasures of the Church," Father Zuberbueler said.

Father Zuberbueler has been delivering the catechesis, but hopes to have guest priests deliver talks in the future, and he has invited the bishop to participate.

The talks help explain topics such as sacrifice and the sacraments; giving more meaning to the adoration that follows the short teaching.

"There is very basic stuff that people should know — and could know — but don’t," Father Zuberbueler said. The cathedral Holy Hour provides not only the chance for adoration, but also the catechesis to better understand why Catholics should spend more time before Christ in the Eucharist.

Following the Holy Hour, attendees are invited to participate in a discussion in Burke Hall.

Throughout the year, different groups will be invited to participate in the Holy Hour. The cathedral choir performed at the first session in November, and the session on Dec. 16 will coincide with the Hispanic community’s celebration of the Posada. The choir has been invited to sing Vespers at various points throughout the year.

At each Holy Hour, not only is the cathedral parish prayed for, but each hour is dedicated to a particular parish, usually coinciding with their feast day. This week St. Catherine of Sienna Parish will be remembered. The parish being prayed for is sent a letter in advance and encouraged to attend the hour. While the Holy Hour was created by the cathedral parish, all members of the diocese are welcome and encouraged to attend.

"We offer you an appointment with the King of all the world," Father Zuberbueler said. "I figure we can’t do much better than that. "

For more information call the Cathedral of St. Thomas More at 703/525-1300.