HOME	Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration	web site
HOME	NEW EVANGELIZATION	MISSIONARIES	PRODUCTS	CHAPELS	LIBRARY	LINKS	FAQ

LEAGUE OF EUCHARISTIC GUARDIANS

STATUTES

Order the
LEG MANUAL

Tell a Friend
about this page!

Printer-Friendly
PDF Version

Part II

Click here for
DONATION FAQ

Please help us by making a donation now (as low as $1.00) using your Credit Card or Checking Account and Paypal's free online service. You may also help us by ordering our products. Your generosity is much needed and greatly appreciated!

Preamble
Name
Purpose
Headquarters
Manner of Action or Operation
Governance
Administration of Temporal Goods
Membership
Affiliation
Endnotes
Vatican Decree on PEA

Preamble

In accordance with the teaching of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council and the Code of Canon Law, the Christian faithful are free to found and govern associations with the aim of promoting their spiritual growth and of establishing a more intimate unity between their faith and everyday life. In consequence, they may involve themselves in apostolic works of evangelization, of piety and of charity, whereby they manifest and make present in the world the Christian spirit.¹

It is in accord with the norms and directives for the foundation of such associations that an association of the faithful known as the League of Eucharistic Guardians has been established for promoting Eucharistic worship and devotion, and has a particular character of its apostolate of prayer that of perpetual adoration before the exposed Blessed Sacrament.

Article I: Name

The name of the Association is: League of Eucharistic Guardians, a Private Association of the faithful existing and operating in the Republic of the Philippines (cf. Canon 304, § 2).

Article II: Purpose

The goals and objectives of the Association, as defined hereunder, are in accordance with Canon 304, § 1, of the Code of Canon Law:

to promote the practice of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, whereby worship is rendered to God the Father through Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit,² by individuals in Catholic parishes and institutions throughout the Philippines, Asia and the whole world;
to deepen in the members of the Association, who are called Guardians, reverence and love for the Holy Eucharist - the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ - in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in Holy Communion and in His Real Presence;
to increase love for, and obedience to, the Church, the Holy Father and all the bishops in communion with him, especially the member's local Ordinary, by instructing members in the fundamental truths of the Catholic Church and by helping them to understand that the Holy Eucharist, the bond of unity, is truly the Mystery of Faith.
to foster spiritual growth in members, as individuals and families, by practicing the Eucharistic faith in their daily lives;
to make reparation for sins committed, especially by irreverence to the Most Blessed Sacrament;
to pray for vocations - priest, religious, and lay - for a new missionary talent and vibrant spirit of evangelization, new in its ardor, in its methods, and in its expressions; that through intimacy with Christ in the Eucharist may emerge many vocations of apostles, of missionaries, to engage in evangelization for the Eucharist, in the Eucharist and from the Eucharist in this third Christian millennium;³
to increase devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, and help the faithful to understand the profound link between devotion to Mary and Eucharistic worship;⁴
to promote devotion to St. Joseph, Guardian of the Redeemer, as model and patron for Eucharistic Guardians.

The apostolate of the Association is thus contemplative in nature and directed to the sanctification of its members who, thereby, seek to exercise more perfectly the theological virtues and give an example of Christian life and virtue.

Article III: Headquarters

The international headquarters of the League of Eucharistic Guardians is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila, Philippines (cf. Canon 304, § 1).

Article IV: Manner of Action or Operation

The Private Association of the League of Eucharistic Guardians is a lay association bound by the prescriptions for such associations in the Code of Canon Law; enjoying the rights and privileges and observing the obligations set forth therein.

The staff of the Association will assist those members of the faithful who, having obtained permission from their parish priest, wish to establish themselves as a pious group devoted to perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in their parish, such groups to be called Chapters. Since the Church desires that catechesis should precede any undertaking, the staff of the Association will, in cooperation with the parish priest, arrange for a promoter to visit the parish to assist at the meetings of the organizers and the selection of those to be designated as officers of the Chapter, to conduct a comprehensive parish evangelization and subsequent orientation seminars for those parishioners who respond to the invitation to become members of the Chapter, and to ensure the approval of the parish priest for the adoration program and its date of commencement.

The Association will maintain a website and publish materials wherein the members may find an expression of solidarity and source of encouragement, as well as continuing formation. Spiritual growth and apostolic zeal will be further enhanced through seminars, conferences and recollections at the diocesan, regional or national level whereas regular meetings of the leaders in each parish shall be held to ensure the continuance and growth of the Chapters.

In each Chapter, a liaison is always to be maintained with the parish priest (cf. Canon 305, § 1) as he is the custodian of the Blessed Sacrament in his parish and is responsible that the adoration program be conducted in accordance with the laws of the Church, given in the Roman Ritual.⁵

Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration is understood to be adoration before the exposed Blessed Sacrament twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Some Chapters may have enough Guardians to maintain only three or four days of uninterrupted (i.e., round-the-clock) adoration each week, which is preferable to any other arrangement. When the presence of at least one Guardian cannot be reasonably assured, the Blessed Sacrament must be reposed, regardless of whether the chapel is secure, as it is never permissible for the Blessed Sacrament to be exposed when nobody is in attendance.

Article V: Governance

The Archbishop of Manila, who is also the Primate of the Philippines, confirms the Moderator, after he has been presented by the Board of Directors of the Association. The Archbishop of Manila confirms the Spiritual Advisor after having heard the Board of Directors of the Association (cf. Canon 324).

The Moderator and the Spiritual Advisor are each appointed to a five-year term, which may be renewed for an additional five years.

The Moderator, who is also the International Promoter, ensures that fidelity to the Association's purpose is maintained and may intervene to address special needs and challenges in carrying out that purpose. At the end of each calendar year, a written report concerning the activity and state of the Association is presented by the Moderator to the Archbishop of Manila and the Archdiocesan Council for the Laity.
The Spiritual Advisor, in accord with the provisions of the Code of Canon Law, is to promote the spiritual welfare of the members of the Association (cf. canon 564).
The Association is governed by the Board of Directors, which consists of no more than eight and no less than five members, under the direction of its Chairman. The Moderator and the Spiritual Advisor are ex officio members of the Board of Directors.
The Chairman is nominated by the Board of Directors and confirmed by the Moderator. The Chairman is responsible for the practical administration of the Association and for convening meetings of the Board of Directors over which he presides. The Chairman is to ensure that an accurate record is kept of all meetings and that all written material is duly archived and preserved at the international headquarters.
The Board of Directors meets at least once per calendar year during its term of office. The presence of a relative majority of the members is required for a valid meeting. The Moderator, even if present at a meeting, is to receive a formal report and a copy of the minutes of every meeting.
Selection for appointment to the Board of Directors is made after due reflection, prayer and the unanimous approval of the other directors. Only a practicing Catholic in good standing, with a written attestation of suitability from his parish priest, can be considered for such an appointment. The Chairman of the Board of Directors will inform the nominee's Ordinary of the appointment to the Board of Directors. Members of the Board of Directors serve a five-year term which can be renewed for an additional five years.
Officers shall be selected in each Chapter with assistance from the lay staff of the Association. Such leaders must be confirmed by the parish priest as he is responsible for the proper observance of the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in his parish.

Article VI: Administration of Temporal Goods

The temporal goods of the League of Eucharistic Guardians are in accord with the norm laid down in the Code of Canon Law and are under the supervision of the Board of Directors.

A financial audit is to be included in the report on the Association, which is presented to the Archbishop of Manila and the Archdiocesan Council for the Laity.

The source of financial support for the League of Eucharistic Guardians will be donations from members and other benefactors as well as revenues generated from the publishing and distribution of materials.

Article VII: Membership

The conditions for reception of members of the League of Eucharistic Guardians are laid down as follows:

Members, who are called Guardians, must be ready and willing to commit themselves to at least one regularly scheduled hour each week before the Blessed Sacrament in their parish adoration chapel.
If a member is unable to be present for their hour of commitment on any particular occasion, it shall be that member's responsibility to arrange for another responsible person to take his place and/or to notify the leader of that particular time division.
There shall be a probation period of three months before membership is granted. Failure to comply with the requirements of prompt attendance, or proper substitution, during this period shall be cause for rejection of membership. If so rejected, the person may reapply after three months have elapsed.
The names of members shall be inscribed in the public register of the League of Eucharistic Guardians, which shall be maintained at the international headquarters. For this purpose, the officers of each Chapter shall maintain an accurate list of membership and forward a current list to the international headquarters upon request or at least once during each calendar year.
1. Any member may withdraw from the Association by informing the officers in their Chapter. The member's name will be removed from the schedule of Guardians in his parish and his name will, subsequently, be removed from the public register.
2. Any member who fails to comply with the requirements of prompt attendance, or following the proper substitution procedures, for three times during one calendar year shall be dismissed from the Association. If so dismissed, the person may reapply after three months have elapsed but must repeat the probational period.
3. Anyone who has abandoned publicly the Catholic faith, or has incurred excommunication cannot be a member of the Association; any member who, after being received into the Association, falls into one of the just-mentioned conditions is to be dismissed from the Association immediately (cf. Canon 316, § 1-2).

Article VIII: Affiliation

The League of Eucharistic Guardians may, upon unanimous decision of the Board of Directors and with approval of the Moderator, request for affiliation with other societies that have similar goals and objectives, on the condition that such affiliation does not affect the juridical status, organization or autonomy of the Association.

Because the purposes of the Association are best served by establishing Chapters in every parish, the Association will not grant affiliation to other groups and organizations. However, the Association will vigorously communicate and cooperate with other groups and associations - international, national and local - in pursuing its purposes, especially to create opportunities for Eucharistic Evangelization.

Statutes ratified on the 25th of November, 2001 Annum Domine, Solemnity of Christ the King.

Endnotes:

¹ The Second Vatican Council: Decree on the Apostolate of the Lay People, n. 15, n. 19d; The Code of Canon Law: Canon 215; cf. Canon 298 § 1.
² Letter of the Supreme Pontiff, Pope John Paul II, to all the Bishops on the Mystery and Worship of the Holy Eucharist, n. 3.
³ Homily of the Supreme Pontiff, Pope John Paul II, during the International Eucharistic Congress of 1993 at Seville, Spain.
⁴ Letter of the Supreme Pontiff, Pope John Paul II, to all the Bishops on the Mother of the Redeemer, n. 45.
⁵ Cf. Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside Mass, Nos. 82-92.

Vatican Decree on PEA

The League of Eucharistic Guardians of the Philippines is, from its inception, affiliated with the Association of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, erected as a universal and public association of the faithful by the Pontifical Council for the Laity on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, 1991.

Decree