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Diocese of Tijuana First in the World to Offer Live Internet Adoration

BY JOSE LUIS SARABIA

In response to the Holy Father's designation of 2005 as the Year of the Eucharist, and following an international Eucharistic Congress in Guadalajara in October, Bishop Rafael Romo of Tijuana has established "La Casa de Adoración" (The House of Adoration), which will be open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day for the purpose of perpetual adoration of the Eucharist.

La Casa de Adoración, a former family residence re-painted in white with red trim, is located at 1750 Pio Pico Avenue between 9th and 10th streets in downtown Tijuana, just a few blocks from the chancery. And, in a high-technology twist, Bishop Romo authorized the installation of cameras directed at the monstrance so that the faithful can see the Blessed Sacrament live via the Internet, making the Diocese of Tijuana the first in the world to offer online Eucharistic Adoration.

Currently, Eucharistic Adoration via Internet is available four hours each evening between 8 p.m. and midnight, with the exception of Tuesdays and Thursdays, when the image is transmitted following Mass at La Casa de Adoración, celebrated at 7 p.m. Tuesdays and at 8 p.m. Thursdays.

Access to live adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on the Internet is available via a link on the diocesan website, www.iglesiatijuana.org, or by visiting www.adoracionnocturnamexicana.org.mx/esp/adoracion.php, the website of the Mexican Eucharistic Adoration apostolate, which carries the signal originating from Tijuana. Installation of a free program available on the website is necessary in order to view the Blessed Sacrament live.

Since the diocese opened La Casa de Adoración and began transmitting the live image of the Blessed Sacrament on December 9, more than 3000 people from 28 countries have visited the site, according to the diocese.

"We currently have a one-gigabyte capacity, where up to 10,000 users can be connected at the same time," said Jaime Mungaray, president of Adoración Nocturna Mexicana for the diocese of Tijuana. "There will be improvement in the image and sound capacity, since before there were problems with this."

One of the projects planned for the future, he said, is to establish a link with the Adoration Sisters of Playas de Tijuana (an order of contemplative nuns of perpetual adoration) in order to transmit live adoration from their convent.

Long-term plans, said Mungaray, include the use of 16 cameras at 16 different locations "where the Sacrament will be exposed in different parts of the world and people can choose the place in which they want to participate in live adoration."

An alarm system and security guards are next on the agenda for La Casa de Adoración, he said, "to avoid any profanation."

"A giant television screen is planned for one of the rooms, but it will have to be in another area of the house since the house is sometimes full. There are also plans to open a prayer and reading area in the garage, with videos, a public address system, where movies can be seen, music heard, and prayer books read."

The principal petitions prayed at La Casa de Adoración are for the sanctification of priests, for the pardon of the world's sins, for priestly vocations and for the benefit of the souls in purgatory, Mungaray said. Special petitions from individuals are accepted, he said. Requests for prayer petitions may be made by telephone (in Spanish) by calling (011-52-664) 634-1270, 684-0071, 684-0072 or 684-0073. The petitions received are then sent to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe near Mexico City, the Temple of Expiation in Guadalajara, the Grotto of Lourdes in France, the convent of the Adoration Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in Tijuana, the convent of the Sisters of Charity in Tijuana, and the convent of the Trinitarian Sisters of Mount Tabor in Tecate.

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