Traveling Monstrance for Vocations Comes “Full Circle”Read Time 7 min

A priest elevates the JP2 Traveling Monstrance — blessed by St. John Paul II in one of his final acts before his death in 2005 — during Eucharistic adoration at a youth event, symbolizing the sacred vessel’s enduring legacy in inspiring prayers for vocations across the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. (Submitted photo)

After 20 years of inspiring prayer for vocations throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and beyond, the JP2 Traveling Monstrance is having a “full circle” moment.

The monstrance, one of the last to be blessed by St. John Paul II before his death in 2005, was originally purchased by Dick Boldin and the Rosary Evangelization Apostolate. For close to two decades the REA brought the monstrance to various parishes, communities and events — including the Wisconsin Catholic Youth Rally, organized by the Rosary Evangelization Apostolate’s youth ministry arm, WYRE Ministries.

After Boldin’s passing in 2022, his widow, Terry Boldin, entrusted the monstrance and the prayer for vocations program to Arise MKE, which had formed from the merger of WYRE and Arise Ministries and was being run at the time by former WYRE director Brian Magliocco.

After Arise MKE ceased operations this summer, another familiar organization stepped in to steward the JP2 Traveling Monstrance: Millennial Catholic Gentlemen, a group whose organizers and members include many men formed by the ministries of WYRE, Arise and the Wisconsin Catholic Youth Rally.

“It is a tremendous honor to be entrusted with this sacred vessel and the program for vocations associated with it,” said Michael Tennies, co-founder of Millennial Catholic Gentlemen. “To me, the legacy of this program illustrates ‘a body joined and held together’ (Ephesians 4:16) within our archdiocese. It’s a program passed down that helps facilitate a worthy cause, a prayer countless of us offer to our Lord — ‘we pray for vocations.’”

Last monstrance blessed by JPII

Any sacred vessel containing the Blessed Sacrament can be said to be remarkable, but this particular monstrance has a unique story: It received the papal blessing of St. John Paul II mere days before his death.

The monstrance was acquired by the REA in 2005 from an Italian organization promoting adoration for vocations. Dick Boldin “saw an article in a Catholic newspaper that (the pope) was blessing monstrances for adoration (to pray) for vocations,” explained Terry Boldin, who ran the REA alongside her husband.

“Since we, as the Rosary Apostolate, had many events that included adoration and the Rosary, Dick thought that it would be wonderful,” she said.

An anonymous donor funded the initial purchase of the monstrance. Pope John Paul II became gravely ill soon after, passing away April 2, 2005. The Boldins assumed that the monstrance would simply be blessed by the next pope.

They were stunned when they received notification that the monstrance had been among the last group of sacred items to receive the blessing of Pope John Paul II on Easter Sunday, March 27, 2005.

“It was the last blessing he gave, for the Adoration for Vocations group, before he passed,” recalled Terry Boldin.

The Rosary Evangelization Apostolate ran the traveling monstrance program for almost two decades, bringing it to parishes, schools, religious communities, shrines and other organizations to encourage prayer for vocations.

Boldin said that her fondest memories of the monstrance are from the Wisconsin Catholic Youth Rallies. “Brian Magliocco would turn the lights down and the father would process around the venue, spotlight on the monstrance highlighting Jesus (and) the children would bow and praise him,” she said. “It was quite moving to see.”

Dick Boldin passed away in October of 2022, and the monstrance was inactive for some time as the REA’s public events ceased.

The following year, Magliocco reached out to Terry. “I wanted to make sure it was out in the community and being used for (prayer for) vocations, which was so near and dear to Dick’s heart,” he said. He asked if she would entrust Arise MKE with the care of the monstrance, and she agreed.

For the past two years, in addition to being present at parishes or communities where it was requested, the monstrance was utilized at Arise MKE events and was even loaned out to the Diocese of Green Bay for a full month of touring.

After Arise MKE shuttered this summer, Tennies and his group stepped forward to care for the monstrance and coordinate its campaign to encourage prayer for vocations.

“Our immediate hope is for parishes, schools and Catholic organizations to work with their pastors/chaplains to host a holy hour for vocations, utilizing this monstrance,” said Tennies.
Use of the monstrance can be reserved by going to mobilesacristy.org.

In addition to maintaining the Mobile Sacristy, the Millennial Catholic Gentlemen group promotes opportunities for devotion, fellowship and growth in virtue for Catholic men throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

The Traveling Monstrance Program fits in perfectly with that mission, said Tennies.

“It’s a program where the faithful assemble to be face-to-face with our Lord in the Eucharist and call upon the intercession of St. John Paul II for vocations,” he said. “Our hope is to do what we can to help facilitate occasions like these by carrying out this program, offering a means in which our Church communities can come together for a common cause.”