About Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel · High Point, North Carolina
The Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel, also known as the Maryfield Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel, is a Catholic prayer chapel located on the campus of Pennybyrn at Maryfield, a continuing care retirement community in High Point, North Carolina. It is dedicated to Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, in which at least one adorer is present before the Eucharist every hour of every day. It belongs to the Diocese of Charlotte and is closely linked to the ministry of the Sisters of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God (SMG), who have run Maryfield since 1947. Daily and Sunday Mass are celebrated at the chapel for residents, adorers, and visitors from across the Triad.
- Established
- 1994
- Diocese
- Diocese of Charlotte
Why belong here
The Maryfield Chapel offers something rare in the Diocese of Charlotte: 24-hour, 7-day access to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Worshippers from across the Triad — including residents of Pennybyrn and visitors from parishes such as Our Lady of the Highways, Our Lady of Grace (Greensboro), Immaculate Heart of Mary, and St. Pius X — come to spend a weekly Holy Hour in prayer. With daily Mass Monday–Friday, a Saturday Vigil, and a Sunday Mass, plus the option to become a committed adorer or a prayer partner, it is both a peaceful retreat and a vital center of Catholic devotional life in the Piedmont.
Mass times at Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
About the Chapel
The Maryfield Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel, located on the campus of Pennybyrn at Maryfield in High Point, North Carolina, is dedicated to keeping continuous vigil before the Blessed Sacrament. At least one adorer is present in the chapel every hour of every day, and adorers come from across the Piedmont Triad — including parishes in High Point, Greensboro, Thomasville, and beyond. The chapel is part of the Diocese of Charlotte and is rooted in the spirituality of the Sisters of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God (SMG).
History
Eucharistic Adoration began locally in Thomasville with twelve hours on the fourth Saturday of each month, sparked by parishioner Joe Lanham and supported by Father John Murphy, OSFS, and chair Dick Kellenbarger. With Bishop John Donoghue's encouragement, the effort grew toward Perpetual Adoration. On the Feast of Corpus Christi, June 5, 1994, Bishop William G. Curlin celebrated the opening Mass, followed by a Eucharistic procession, Benediction, and enthronement in the monstrance — beginning the unbroken vigil that has defined the chapel ever since. The chapel closed for the first time in its history on March 14, 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, ending 26 years of continuous Adoration. Coordinators spent months rebuilding the schedule and Perpetual Adoration resumed on the eve of the Solemnity of St. [Joseph] in 2021.
- 1994 — Perpetual Adoration begins, June 5 (Feast of Corpus Christi)
- 2017 — Bishop Peter Jugis celebrates 70th anniversary of Maryfield (Nov. 3)
- 2019 — Bishop Jugis celebrates 25th anniversary of Perpetual Adoration (June 2)
- 2020 — Chapel closed to public adorers March 14 due to COVID-19
- 2021 — Perpetual Adoration resumes after coordinated re-recruiting effort
- 2022 — Sponsorship of Maryfield/Pennybyrn transferred to the Bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte
The Poor Servants of the Mother of God (SMG)
The chapel is part of a community founded by the Sisters of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God, a congregation founded in 1872 by Mother Magdalen Taylor. In 1947, five pioneer sisters — Sisters Mary Patrice, Anne Christina, Maria Benignus, Ellen Fitzgerald, and Mary Monica — came from London, England, at the request of Bishop Vincent Waters to serve the High Point area. They purchased Penny House (built 1927), converted it into a convent and 22-bed convalescent center, and named it Maryfield when it was licensed as a nursing home in the 1950s. The SMG sisters have remained the spiritual heart of the chapel's Perpetual Adoration.
- SMG founded 1872 by Mother Magdalen Taylor
- Five pioneer sisters arrived in High Point November 14, 1947
- Maryfield licensed as a nursing home in the 1950s
- Five SMG sisters still live in Penny House
Becoming a Committed Adorer
Becoming a committed adorer means promising one or more hours per week to be present before the Blessed Sacrament. Adorers pick an hour that fits their schedule, register with the Division Leader for that hour (names are listed on the schedule at the chapel entrance), and remain on the roster as long as they are able. If they must miss a week, they call a prayer partner first, then a family member or friend, and finally notify their Division Leader as a last resort. Many hours are covered by two adorers so they can serve as prayer partners for one another.
- Commit to one or more hours per week
- Register through the contact form or with your Division Leader
- Arrange a prayer partner if possible
- Notify your Division Leader if you must change or miss your hour
Frequently Asked Questions
The chapel's FAQ addresses the most common questions from new visitors and prospective adorers: when the chapel is open, what commitment is required, how to sign up, what to do if you cannot make your hour, and how to physically find the chapel on the Pennybyrn campus. It emphasizes that the Adoration Chapel is open 24/7, that committed adorers should choose the hour that best fits their own schedule, and that the Division Leader for each hour is the point of contact for any changes.
- When is it open? — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- What is the commitment? — One or more hours per week, ideally for a long time
- What if I'm sick? — Call a prayer partner, then a family member, then the Division Leader
- How do I sign up? — Use the website contact form or call the Division Leader for your chosen hour
- Where exactly is the chapel? — Inside the Health Center at Pennybyrn at Maryfield
Coordinators & Lay Leaders
From the early years, lay leaders from several local parishes have been instrumental in sustaining Perpetual Adoration. Sister Lucy Hennessy, SMG, has served as Mission leader. Coordinators Carr, Eileen Rohan, and Colette Woelfel (of Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro) and Edna Corrigan (of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in High Point) have been recognized for their decades of service. After the COVID-19 closure, four coordinators worked to refill every six-hour time period for each day of the week.
- Sister Lucy Hennessy, SMG — Mission leader
- Carr, Eileen Rohan, Colette Woelfel — Our Lady of Grace, Greensboro
- Edna Corrigan — Immaculate Heart of Mary, High Point
- Joe Lanham and Dick Kellenbarger — original lay leaders from Our Lady of the Highways
Pennybyrn at Maryfield
The chapel is part of Pennybyrn at Maryfield, a 71-acre (now reported as 72-acre) continuing care retirement community that grew out of the 1947 nursing home. The campus includes 49–20 independent living cottages, a 131-unit independent living apartment building, 24 assisted living and 24 memory support apartments, and 125 skilled nursing beds, with 377 residents and 401 staff. The Maryfield Chapel itself — a small neighborhood chapel within the Health Center — houses the Perpetual Adoration that draws the wider Triad Catholic community.
- Continuing care retirement community, High Point, NC
- 71+ acres; rebuilt in 2007
- Independent living, assisted living, memory support, skilled nursing
- Sponsorship transferred to the Diocese of Charlotte in 2022
Spiritual Care at Pennybyrn
Beyond Perpetual Adoration, the Maryfield/Pennybyrn community offers a full range of spiritual care for residents and visitors: daily celebration of the Eucharist, spiritual retreats and Reflection Days, frequent visits from area clergy, interdenominational services and events, and private reflection in any of the chapels.
- Daily celebration of the Eucharist
- Perpetual Adoration Chapel
- Spiritual retreats and Reflection Days
- Frequent visits from area clergy
- Interdenominational services and events
- Private reflection in any chapel
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Jim Solarias of 2019
Chaplain who offered the 25th anniversary Mass and Eucharistic procession at Pennybyrn in 2019.
- Father John Murphy, OSFSearly 1990s
Pastor of Our Lady of the Highways who gave his blessing to Joe Lanham's Adoration initiative and suggested Dick Kellenbarger help chair the launch committee.