What is a Prayer Cenacle?
A Prayer Cenacle is a a group of two or more that meet together regularly to pray for our priests. The word “Cenacle” means upper room. The upper room is where:
Jesus instituted the Holy Priesthood at the Last Supper; where the apostles and our Blessed Mother waited after Jesus death; it is the room where Jesus appeared to the apostles and invited St. Thomas to see and touch His wounds;
it is where the apostles and our Blessed Mother received the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. It is a room (Cenacle) into which we are also invited to meet together to pray in unity and to pray intentionally for our Blessed Mother’s own priest sons.
She is with us in the Cenacle as she was with the Apostles. As we pray for her priests, she prays with us. She welcomes us with Motherly joy into her Immaculate Heart as we respond with our “Yes” to pray for her priests.
“Again, I say to you if two of you agree on Earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:19-20 NAB
“I would recommend that all the faithful daily offer at least one prayer for all the priests in the Church and especially for those who have done most for them in their lives. I try to remember at Mass every day the priest who baptized me, the priest who heard my first Confession, who gave me my First Holy Communion, the bishop who ordained me, the bishop who confirmed me.
I recommend, therefore, that all the faithful daily, in a special and concrete way, pray for priests. I further strongly recommend that all the faithful offer up each day some sacrifice. I am tempted to say some little sacrifice. NO! I suggest it be the most difficult sacrifice of the day for priests. I further recommend that when we hear about a priest who has been unfaithful to his high calling, that our first and immediate reaction should be to pray for him.
I finally recommend we do everything in our power to extend and propagate the apostolate of prayer and sacrifice for priests.” From “The Value of Prayer and Sacrifice for Priests” by Father John J. Hardon, S.J.