The Forty Hours Devotion (Quarant’Ore) is one of the most beautiful and contemplative traditions in Catholic spirituality. It is a devotion that speaks deeply to anyone who values reverence, safeguarding of the sacred, and the quiet strengthening of a community’s spiritual life. The Forty Hours Devotion is a period of continuous Eucharistic adoration lasting (as the name suggests) around forty hours. During this time, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed on the altar, and the faithful keep watch in prayer, silence, and reflection.
It is a communal act of love and reparation, but also a profoundly personal encounter with Christ present in the Eucharist.
Why “Forty Hours”?
The number forty carries deep biblical symbolism:
- 40 hours traditionally recalls the time Jesus lay in the tomb.
- 40 days of the Flood
- 40 years in the desert
- 40 days of Jesus’ fasting before His public ministry
In Scripture, forty is a number of testing, purification, and preparation — and the devotion mirrors that rhythm.
On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (15th – 17th February), Adoration will be from 4pm to 6pm each day.