Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration 

Eucharistic Adoration has been part of the Christ the King community for the past nineteen years, growing from a monthly, then weekly, and now 24 hours a day ministry. When Fr. Matthew O’Connor was appointed Pastor at Christ the King in 2009, he led a long-range planning initiative for the Parish. A key priority coming out of that effort was the desire to bring Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration to Christ the King.

And so began a journey of faith for many on the Eastern Shore.

One pilgrim on the journey has been our Coordinator for the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration ministry at Christ the King, Missy Schmidt. While caring for her ill mother in 2009, Missy spent many hours – sometimes in the wee hours of the morning – in prayer, adoring Jesus as the Blessed Sacrament.

"I was so grateful and remember thinking - thank you, Lord, for being here for me anytime I need you!"

Missy was instrumental in forming the leadership team that would ultimately help to make Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration a reality at Christ the King. The group spent much of 2010 conducting research and creating a plan to launch the ministry. They hosted special speakers, invited people to commit to a weekly hour of adoration, and converted a cry room in the Church into a chapel to house the ministry. Finally, on  March 9, 2011, Ash Wednesday, Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration was established at CTK with over 450 hourly “guardians” adoring the Blessed Sacrament.  The ministry flourished in its first year, and Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi joined Fr. O’Connor and dedicated guardians to mark its first anniversary on March 11, 2012. In year two of the ministry, adorers began a grass-roots effort to fund a dedicated adoration chapel. Donors contributed over $300,000 toward the Chapel, covering 100% of the project cost. Archbishop Rodi celebrated the 11:00 AM Mass at Christ the King on Sunday, March 10, 2013, and dedicated the Parish’s new Blessed Sacrament Chapel following the Mass. As the only Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration site in Mobile and Baldwin counties, Christ the King draws over 450 hourly “guardians” from Mobile, Loxley, Gulf Shores, Atmore, Spanish Fort, Daphne, Montrose, Fairhope and Point Clear who come to adore the Blessed Sacrament on a weekly basis.