By Jessica Easthope
Victoria Chacho has newfound peace, it came after years of struggle and sadness.
“My husband was an alcoholic during our whole marriage. We started living separately for a couple of years, but I came because I wanted to put my marriage in Christ’s hands,” she said through her 21-year-old son Mike who was translating from Spanish.
Her marriage was on the brink of broken, but the time she spent at the St. Philomena adoration chapel at Corpus Christi Church in Woodside, Queens brought it back.
“I showed people that you can persevere even through the darkest times. By February, my husband looked at me and decided to make a change now he doesn’t drink anymore. He completely cut out alcohol and we are happily together ever since,” she said.
The people on the pages of the chapel’s sign-in book come day and night to be in front of the blessed sacrament. Monsignor Jonas Achacoso, pastor of Corpus Christi has heard of many personal miracles over the 15 years since the chapel opened. The national eucharistic revival has drawn more people in.
“With the convocation of the National Eucharistic Revival, yes, we have seen we have seen more people coming it’s with the same fervor, but a lot more people,” he said.
People come and go but the chapel is never empty.
“Pre-pandemic it was the only adoration chapel in Queens, and people are coming 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said.
It has guardians, people who are assigned times to be in adoration. It’s a job Anna Morales takes very seriously.
“You say your problems to him. I feel like he’s my friend because he listens to me. I never leave alone God, so I have to be sure the next adoration people come before I leave,” she said.
Anna has been coming to the chapel for 14 years, she started when her four-year-old daughter, Elizabeth was diagnosed with epilepsy. She says the blessed sacrament is to thank, Elizabeth is now a healthy 18-year-old who needs no medication.
And most recently, Anna’s niece, who was pregnant with twins, lost one baby in utero. Her doctors pressured her to abort the second, saying she would die soon after birth. Anna once again turned to the eucharist, her grandniece, Mia is now four months old and thriving.
“I come into here the adoration chapel and pray to God and I say you are the God of life please take care my niece and the baby so thank God the baby’s born okay. And they say she has only 10 percent of having a good life, but the baby don’t have any problem,” said Anna.
Monsignor Jonas can only explain what happens here, with a quote by Blessed Carlo Acutis.
“He said if you expose yourself to the sun you get tanned but if you expose yourself to the source of holiness to the real presence of our Lord, you become holy,” he said.
Adorers say all who doubt his presence should come and see for themselves, the chapel is open 24-7.