40 Hours - A time to pray ...
An invitation open to all
Introduced over 500 years ago (see history below), the Forty Hours Devotion continues to provide a wonderful opportunity for the spiritual growth of each person and every the parish throughout the world.
Why not come along and spend some time in prayer, privately by yourself or with others?
Night Prayer
For those not able to attend night prayer (compline) you may wish to join in by praying with the monks of Ampleforth who pray Night Prayer click here for a link to the page with text version of what is being sung, or click on video below.
For those who missed the bulletin a little History on 40 hours ...
The practice of Forty Hours Devotion originated in Milan about the year 1530. By 1550 both St Philip Neri and St Ignatius Loyola were encouraging the devotion in the parishes of Rome especially for the reparation of sin. Seeing the great graces offered through this growing devotion Pope Clement VIII wrote on November 25th 1592:
"We have determined to establish publicly in this Mother City of Rome an uninterrupted course of prayer in such ways that in the different churches, on appointed days, there be observed the pious and salutary devotion of the Forty Hours, with such an arrangement of churches and times that, at every
hour of the day and night, the whole year round the incense of prayer shall ascend without intermission before the face of the Lord."
This same Pope issued regulations for the devotions, which were later collected and promulgated by his successor Pope Clement XI in 1705, and known as the Clementine Instructions.