It was an unusual sight in the middle of the drillfield at
Virginia Tech in Blacksburg – a white tent with a sign on the
side proclaiming, “Jesus is here.” It also was an unusual
setting for the exposition and adoration of the Blessed
Sacrament – outside, amid occasional flying footballs and
students passing by, chattering with friends on their way to
class.
But for anyone on the university’s drillfield during the
mid-week 24-hour Eucharistic adoration March 18-19, it
couldn’t go unnoticed.
For Catholics, it was a reminder of the real presence of
Christ in campus life; for others, it was an opportunity to
ask questions about Catholic belief or to accept the
invitation to stop and pray with fellow members of their
community; for some, it simply gave pause.
That was the intention of the Virginia Tech Newman Community
(Catholic campus ministry) in having a day of adoration in a
place that is considered the hub and heart of the university.
The event was held in the fourth week of Lent on the open
field that traditionally has been the site of cadet
maneuvers, demonstrations and other displays of campus unity.
“Praying with Jesus in a group setting here in the middle of
campus reminds me how important the (Catholic) community is
to me,” said Chris Roy, a freshman engineering major from
Richmond. He said he was glad to be able to stop by between
classes and “say hi to Jesus” and pray with Him. “It is
awesome knowing that people also will be coming here in the
middle of the night,” he said. “It shows how important it is
to this community. It says Jesus is alive here.”
Roy, a parishioner of Church of the Epiphany in Richmond and
active in the Newman Community ministry, noted that the event
also provided Catholic students a chance to explain to others
about the practice of Eucharistic adoration and the Catholic
belief in transubstantiation.
Chris Hitzelberger, associate director of campus ministry at
Tech, said some 80 students had signed up to be present
throughout specific hours of the period of adoration. He and
other staff members also were available during the time to
answer questions and share information about the devotion and
Catholic faith in general.
For those interested, they also provided a brief handout
explaining “why we pray to God,” “why we believe Jesus is in
the Eucharist” and “what we do in adoration.” The last part
included a simple instruction that began: “If you’ve never
been to adoration before, what should you do? Come in and sit
quietly. Close your eyes and enjoy the silence.”
While staff and student ministers were ready to respond to
questions, Hitzelberger noted that he occasionally heard
passing students informally discussing what was happening in
the tent. “I’d hear someone ask, ‘What’s that all about?’ and
then another student, who obviously was Catholic, would
explain about adoration or our belief in the presence of
Jesus in the sacrament,” he said.
Father David Sharland, director of Tech’s Catholic campus
ministry, proposed the idea of having adoration on the
drillfield.
“When I first came here, it seemed that students wanted to
low-key their Catholicism,” he said, explaining that he urged
them to consider whether they were comfortable enough in
their faith to demonstrate it more openly. But now, he noted,
they were enthusiastic about offering adoration in a
prominent place where they could share their devotion to God.
“It is a chance to evangelize as well as to experience and
explain the real presence of Christ,” he said.
As Zach Hoopes emerged from the tent at noon, the junior
finance major from Springfield said, “I’m dedicating my
prayer today to ask that Christ will work here on the
closed-hearted or those who have never heard His message.”
He explained that he has witnessed Christ working in the
quiet presence of the Blessed Sacrament. “My prayer is that
those people who are separated from God will show up here and
come inside, even if just for a few minutes,” he said.
Hoopes said he considered the day of adoration “a beautiful
display of both confirming the belief that Jesus is truly
present in the Blessed Sacrament and bringing Him to others.”
Emphasizing adoration at the center of the Blacksburg campus
seemed significant, especially since six Newman groups had
returned from alternative spring break missions only a few
days before the adoration event.
“It’s important that we serve,” said Father Sharland. “But
sometimes we can get too caught up in the service, and then
we’re just social workers. We need to be rooted in Christ
first and foremost so that when we go out and serve, it’s
because of what we do here – before the Blessed Sacrament or
on Sunday in the liturgy of the Eucharist – that transforms
us.”
Hoopes, having participated also in numerous service ministry
projects, agreed. “It’s fundamental to the Gospel that we
come to the aid of the needy, but we can’t neglect their
souls,” he said.
As for evangelization, Michael Hearndon, a member of the
university provost’s staff, told Hitzelberger, “You are doing
a great work here,” as he approached the tent and peered
inside. After the two spoke briefly, Hearndon, a non-Catholic
Christian, went into the tent with an instruction sheet in
hand and stayed for about 10 minutes.
“I sensed a peace, a calm,” he said afterward. “I read the
handout about how God is present, and I started thinking
about the blood of Jesus and what it accomplishes for me. You
see that visual in front of you, and you remember His body
was broken for us. I thought of what it has meant for me and
what it does now, and I started praying over my family.”
Becoming animated as he spoke, Hearndon added, “Sometimes
believers read the holy Scriptures and think well, that was
back then when people were in the presence of Jesus. But when
I walked in this tent, I was in His presence, especially with
the other brothers and sisters – all adding our faith to each
others’ so there was no division, because we all believe in
Jesus.”
This article originally appeared in the March 30 issue of The
Catholic Virginian. Denton is the western correspondent for
The Catholic Virginian.
