177 Project

KINNELON  With prayer and passion, Dana Catherine, a Catholic singer-songwriter, strums her guitar and sings, “Lord, I Need You” at the side of the altar in Our Lady of the Magnificat Church (OLM) here during a special evening with Eucharistic Adoration on Oct. 29. All the while, she never stops gazing on the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance on the altar, graced with having seen first-hand the miraculous healing power of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament — as her mother also can attest.

Later that evening, she witnessed to the Blessed Sacrament’s power in front of close to 100 faithful, who attended a special night of praying the rosary, Adoration and faith-filled music — part of a national initiative called the 177 Project. In a darkened church, she spoke of her mother’s unexplained blindness years ago that received Jesus’ healing, after her family prayed at Adoration. On Oct. 29, Catherine and fellow Catholic singer-songwriter Jon Niven played a concert to close the event. It was one of many stops that musicians of Adoration Artists are making around the U.S. to bring their message of hope and promote Adoration through the 177 Project.

“We believe that Jesus is present in the Blessed Sacrament on the altar. It’s not a symbol; he’s actually here with us. It’s the same Jesus, who healed people 2,000 years ago and is still here for us today,” said Catherine at OLM — the only stop in the Diocese on the tour. Niven and Catherine are among 22 Adoration Artists, who will visit all 177 dioceses in the U.S. from September to December — the goal of the 177 Project. “We need Jesus more than ever with all that is happening in the world. We can be healed [through Adoration] and then go out to our communities, so that they can be healed,” she said.

The evening started with the recitation of the joyful mysteries of the rosary led by Carol Mangani, coordinator of OLM’s Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program, and Ronald Scalice, coordinator of men’s Bible study. Participating priests also offered attendees — from teens to seniors — the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Penance.

“Tonight, I hope that Jesus blesses your hearts and speaks to you in a special way,” Kim Oliveira, OLM’s youth minister, told the faithful, before Adoration.

Then, Father Lukasz Iwanszuk, OLM’s parochial vicar, led Adoration in a darkened church with dim lights on the altar which held the monstrance that housed the Blessed Sacrament. Assisting him was Connor Spillane, an altar server, and Msgr. John Carroll, pastor. During Adoration, Father Iwanszuk lifted the Blessed Sacrament off the altar as the faithful prayed. Catherine and Niven stood at the side of the altar with their guitars and joined together to sing popular praise songs, such as “Lord, I Need You” by Matt Maher.

While singing, Catherine often provided the sweet harmonies to Niven’s rough-hewn melodies to these soft, meditative songs. Catherine spoke to churchgoers during interludes in songs as they strummed their guitars. In one interlude, she prayed to the Lord, “We surrender everything to you. We ask that you fill us with your joy and mercy. We trust in you.”

After Adoration, Catherine gave her witness talk, followed by the concert by her and Niven, who stood in the glow of footlights in front of OLM’s altar, where they traded off performing songs, mostly originals. Energized, the audience clapped along.

Early in the concert, Catherine sang her original, “I Will Follow.” She explained the origins of song — that, as a college student, she became concerned with “doing the right thing” by reaching for success: getting good grades and excelling at soccer. She had been planning to pursue a medical career but instead, she listened to God’s will for her to “do more” with her career as a Catholic musician. Catherine urged churchgoers to “create a space in their hearts for God’s providence.”

“You show me the next step, not the whole road. God, I will trust in you. Wherever you lead me, I will follow,” Catherine sang.

One of the audience members, Lynn Drazin, called the 177 Project event “a meditation that enhanced my experience [at a recent] Cornerstone [retreat] with Jesus. I felt the solitude that I sometimes have trouble finding today.”

One young person attending that night was Emily Mazurkiewicz, 15, a second-year Confirmation student and member of the Morris County parish’s Lifeteen youth ministry program. She first saw Niven perform at a youth conference in Steubenville, Ohio.

“This was a refresher of what I experienced at the conference. It opened my eyes to how much Jesus loves me — always. I will keep my heart open to him,” said Mazurkiewicz, who added that the special night “gave the parish an opportunity to come together to enjoy good music and Adoration.”

In between stops around OLM’s narthex to talk to churchgoers afterwards, Msgr. Carroll told The Beacon that spiritual events — such as this special evening — can help the Church heal during these difficult times today.

“The healing music, prayer and Adoration can be part of the cure for our faith lives, despite our weaknesses,” Msgr. Carroll said. “This is an opportunity to nourish our faith and make it stronger than it ever was. Tonight, my faith was strengthened,” he said.