Shelby County parish to host first ‘Ador-Rally’ on Nov. 18

Photo caption: Grace On Demand founder Austin Rahill, the youth ministry coordinator at Mary, Queen of Peace Parish in Danville, leads the music during the Archdiocesan Youth Rally Mass on March 5 at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis. Grace On Demand band members and St. Vincent de Paul Parish youth ministry coordinator Dave Gehrich of Shelbyville recently started an “Ador-Rally” youth ministry program that will bring eucharistic adoration to teenagers and young adults at archdiocesan parishes.

By Mary Ann Wyand

(Listen to the reporter read this story)

“Ador-Rally,” a new youth ministry program in the archdiocese, may be coming to a parish near you.

Combining eucharistic adoration with praise and worship, the “Ador-Rally” starts with Mass then continues with adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and contemporary Christian music by Grace On Demand followed by a dance.

Jesus will be present in the Eucharist, Grace On Demand vocalist Monica Morton of Mary, Queen of Peace Parish in Danville explained, so the “Ador-Rally” will help high school and college students strengthen their relationship with God.

Morton said the rally music, which includes traditional praise and worship songs as well as contemporary hits by Newsboys and other bands, will energize the youths and young adults as they celebrate their Catholic faith.

The first “Ador-Rally” is Saturday, Nov. 18, at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, 4218 E. Michigan Road, southeast of Shelbyville.

Father Paul Landwerlen, pastor of the Shelby County parish, will celebrate Mass at 6 p.m., then teenagers and young adults are invited to participate in eucharistic adoration with praise and worship music at 7 p.m. in the church followed by a dance at the parish that ends at 9 p.m.

Adults also are welcome to participate in the “Ador-Rally,” Morton said, which will bring the devotion of the archdiocesan “Consumed” retreat and energy of the Archdiocesan Youth Rally to youths and young adults at parishes in central and southern Indiana.

“Grace On Demand has been together for almost three years,” Morton said. “We have developed into a ministry band, and our focus is on bringing kids closer to Christ and the sacraments through adoration. When the Eucharist is involved, it’s powerful.”

Admission to the rally is $5 a person to cover the band’s expenses, she said, and 10 percent of all income will go toward the archdiocesan youth ministry scholarship fund, which provides financial assistance for teenagers with limited income so they can participate in “Consumed” retreats and the Archdiocesan Youth Rally.

“To sing with the Real Presence is joyful,” Morton said. “As a music minister, it’s exciting to see the kids grow in their relationship with Christ. The goal is to build a community of young people that want to come together and worship with other teenagers.”

Austin Rahill, the youth ministry coordinator at Mary, Queen of Peace Parish in Danville and the band’s founder, said Grace On Demand members will perform with the acoustic guitar and drums during the “Ador-Rally.” He plays the guitar and Jon Hook from Brazil is the drummer.

“There is a ton of kids who love youth ministry in the archdiocese,” Rahill said. “This [new ministry] really was inspired by the teens who wanted to do more than the Archdiocesan Youth Rally once a year and the ‘Consumed’ retreats twice a year. It’s a way to keep them in touch and continue the spiritual growth that was started on these retreats.”

Rahill said Dave Gehrich, the youth ministry coordinator at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, will present a fun and inspirational witness talk, and seminarians from the Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary at Marian College in Indianapolis will serve as DJs during the dance and promote religious vocations.

“We want to do ‘Ador-Rallies’ once a month at parishes in the archdiocese,” Rahill said. “All the youths in the arch-diocese are welcome. It’s something that we hope will plug the kids into [participating in] archdiocesan ministries. It’s a way to bring in new kids, plus it’s for the kids who have been to the youth rally and ‘Consumed,’ and want something more. It will bring kids from all over the archdiocese together in the Eucharist and adoration.”

Rahill said the next “Ador-Rally” is scheduled on Feb. 10 at St. Luke the Evangelist Parish, 7575 Holliday Drive E., in Indianapolis. Other parishes are encouraged to contact Grace On Demand about hosting a rally.

“It’s God-inspired,” Rahill said, and has the approval of the archdiocesan Office for Youth and Young Adult Ministries.

Gehrich has served as the host and speaker for three “Consumed” retreats, and gives a fun and inspirational witness talk.

“In the ‘Ador-Rally’ concept, Grace On Demand takes care of the music and I take care of the message,” Gehrich said. “We hope that it will become a one-night capsule of what the ‘Consumed’ retreats have been. They have a great talent for music, and we complement each other really well. The message will be different each time. I don’t bring any instruments. I just make the kids laugh. When you make the message fun and entertaining, they’re going to remember that message.”

(For information about scheduling an ‘Ador-Rally’ at a parish, send an e-mail to Grace On Demand at

grace on demand@yahoo.com or contact the archdiocesan Office for Youth and Young Adult Ministry at 317-236-1477 or 800-382-9836, ext. 1477.) †