Adoration Congress Toulon 2024

On July 6, we arrived in Toulon for the Adoratio Congress that began on July 7 and lasted until July 11. The conference was organized by the priests who are part of the order of the Missionaries of the Most Holy Eucharist. The Congress commenced with Holy Mass. 

Each day there was Adoration in the morning and the evening along with morning prayer (Lauds) and evening prayer (Vespers). There was also a daily Rosary.

There were speakers throughout the week. We had an opportunity to spend an evening with Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow and his wife Julie. Magnus was a speaker and is the founder of Mary's Meals, which is an organization that feeds over 2 million children a day in countries such as Malawi, Liberia, and Haiti. 

We had an informational table for the Children's Rosary all week. On Wednesday evening both Asher and I spoke about the Children's Rosary. I spoke via translator, but Asher was able to share his experiences with the Children's Rosary since age 4 until 17 in French. We were excited to see people hurrying to get information at our table at the end of the talk. We hope this will help our efforts to spread the Children's Rosary in France. Asher shared with me that he felt he received a special grace that night. Normally he needs to listen closely to someone speaking French to fully understand. Yet at the end of the talk there were people often trying to speak to him from 4 directions. Yet he said in those moments he understood all of them at the same time something he had yet to experience in that language. It was a gift it would seem given at the time it was needed since later he shared that his abilities seemed to return to the previous capacity.

During our week in Toulon we did have an opportunity to meet with Bishop Rey of the Diocese of Toulon, France. We also reached out to coadjutor Bishop Touvet, but he was traveling in Lourdes, so we were unable to meet him. Bishop Rey was most gracious and has a lovely sense of humor. We were invited to visit the National Headquarters of Radio Maria for France which is located in Toulon. Asher and I participated in an interview. We will provide a link to this when it becomes available.

We would like to thank in a special way the sisters of Notre Dame des Missions who hosted us during the week on their property. They not only provided accommodations but also helped shuttle us daily down to the conference. Fr. Gary Holmes was also an amazing host. He not only was tending to all the details of the conference but also helped us any time we needed anything. The week was one of prayer, Adoration, beautiful liturgies, and making new friends.