Olam Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament – Olam daily Mass

Gift Shop of El Niño

The Gift Shop of El Niño is located in the Castle and is the only store that supports the Poor Clare Nuns of Perpetual Adoration. We offer an extensive selection of books, statues, rosaries, art work, tapestries, icons, crucifixes, religious jewelry, DVDs, CDs, stationery, candles, and items made exclusively for the Shrine. We are happy to make available to our customers Mother Angelica’s own blend of black tea, a Perpetual Calendar of Mother Angelica’s daily quotes, and beautiful music CDs of the Nuns singing here at the Shrine. The Gift Shop is open Monday-Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 4:45 a.m. central time. The Gift Shop is closed on Holy Days and Holidays. If you need assistance finding an item, please give us a call at 256-352-0358. Our staff will be happy to assist you. You can shop online at: www.nunsgiftshop.com

Temple of the Divine Child

The interior of the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament is meant to be a psalm of praise to the glory of the Presence contained within. As the pilgrim steps over the marble floors, he will see inlaid crosses made of jasper, the material which was used for ornamentation in the Temple of Jerusalem. The tabernacle, which houses the Most Blessed Sacrament, is featured prominently in the sanctuary, and is a small-scale replica of a Gothic church.

Fittingly, the object which primarily catches the attention of the pilgrim is the imposing monstrance. Constructed from a century-old design and over seven feet tall, it contains the exposed Real Presence, thus affording both the pilgrims who come to the Shrine and the nuns praying on the opposite side of the reredos the chance to adore the glorified body of the Lord. From every vantage point, the pilgrim is constantly reminded of the glory of the God to whom all this physical grandeur is directed.

Shroud of Turin Exhibit

A permanent exhibit of replica images of the Shroud of Turin is also located in the anteroom of the Lower Crypt Church. On display are two actual-size color positives and two black-and-white negatives of the Shroud. Each image is eight-feet high and four-feet wide. The original Shroud is believed to be the actual burial cloth of Jesus.

Piazza & Colonnade
The piazza is laid with English-Tudor style pavers in a central herringbone pattern. Reminiscent of the piazzas found in Europe, this vast piazza can hold up to 30,000 people. Occasionally used for outdoor processions and other events, its main function is to provide time for the soul to prepare for entrance into the Holy of Holies, the House of God.

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• Nuns’ Conventual Mass 7:00 a.m.
• Mass in the Lower Church (10 a.m. on Sundays & NO Monday 12 p.m. Mass) 12:00 p.m.

Daily:  3:00 p.m. (except Mondays and Sundays)

• Divine Office (Mid-Afternoon Prayer) & Chaplet of Divine Mercy with the Nuns 3:00 p.m.
• Holy Rosary & Angelus with the Nuns 11:40 a.m.

Shrine Interior

The interior of the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament is meant to be a psalm of praise to the glory of the Presence contained within. As the pilgrim steps over the marble floors, he will see inlaid crosses made of jasper, the material which was used for ornamentation in the Temple of Jerusalem. The tabernacle, which houses the Most Blessed Sacrament, is featured prominently in the sanctuary, and is a small-scale replica of a Gothic church.

Fittingly, the object which primarily catches the attention of the pilgrim is the imposing monstrance. Constructed from a century-old design and over seven feet tall, it contains the exposed Real Presence, thus affording both the pilgrims who come to the Olam Shrine and the nuns praying on the opposite side of the reredos the chance to adore the glorified body of the Lord. From every vantage point, the pilgrim is constantly reminded of the glory of the God to whom all this physical grandeur is directed.

History

In 1995, Mother Angelica traveled to Colombia to raise funds and seek assistance for EWTN’s Spanish programs. She was invited by Salesian Father Juan Pablo Rodriguez to attend Mass at the Sanctuary of the Divine Infant Jesus in Bogotá. It was here where Mother Angelica heard the words that gave her a new mission: to build a shrine honoring the True Presence of Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

This project would culminate in a beautiful church attached to a monastery for her growing community of Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, a community dedicated to a life of prayer, penance, and adoration of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. As she visited the small chapel dedicated to the Divine Child, she heard the statue speak in the voice of a young boy. “Build Me a Temple,” the voice said, “and I will help those who help you.”

Mother Angelica heeded those words as she had responded to the challenging commands of the Lord so often before. She shared the story with her community after returning to Alabama and shortly thereafter Divine Providence provided five very generous families who offered to completely fund this ambitious project. Thus, without taking any funds from EWTN and without having to raise any funds on her own, Mother Angelica was able to bring to fruition her desire, born of a request from the Divine Child, to build a shrine and “Temple” where people of all faiths could adore Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Even the process of building was marked with reminders that this was truly God’s project. The majority of the construction took place in the three years leading toward the Great Jubilee Year of 2000, with major milestones completed with truly symbolic timing. In 1997, the Year of Jesus, the monstrance for the main sanctuary was completed, and the Rose Windows of the Holy Spirit and God the Father were completed in 1998 and 1999, the Years of the Holy Spirit and God the Father.

Mother & Monstrance
Many people, Catholic and otherwise, come to pray at this spot dedicated to the Divine Child and populated with sisters vowed to a life inspired by Sts. Francis and Clare. In the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, all are welcomed in love as Catholics seek to grow in their love for the Eucharist and many others seek a quiet place to pray, often leaving with a greater knowledge of and respect for the Catholic faith. Truly a manifestation of Divine Providence, the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament remains a beautiful oasis of prayer, a true refuge for those seeking solace and peace in the arms of the Savior, and an ecumenical point of contact between Catholics and their brothers and sisters in Christ.