The Jaime family sits at the feet of Jesus
When Sostenes and Adela Jaime moved their family from Mexico to Wisconsin in 1997, they brought with them a tradition of adoring the Blessed Sacrament on Thursdays. Thursday was the day of Christ’s Last Supper, and that evening He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane with His disciples. There, Christ asked His disciples to stay awake with Him as He prayed to His Father in anticipation of the sacrifice of the cross. For this reason, Thursday is the perfect day to sit before the Blessed Sacrament and keep company with Christ.
Thursday adoration at Immaculate Conception Parish in Alma Center has become a tradition for the Jaime family, which has grown significantly over the years. Sostenes and Adela Jaime now have 8 children and 35 grandchildren, most of whom still live in the area. I had a chance recently to speak with their son Guillermo and his two daughters, Valeria and Vanessa; their son Ricardo; and their grandson Uriel and his wife, Haley.
They explained that the whole family takes turns “keeping watch” with Jesus before the Blessed Sacrament—even newborns have been known to participate. While their work and family schedules may vary from week to week, the Jaime family always seems to make time for the Lord.
Inspiration Leads to Adoration
There was a time when eucharistic adoration wasn’t common in small parishes like Immaculate Conception. During their first 20 years in Wisconsin, the Jaime family attended Mass regularly, but adoration was not a frequent occurrence. Guillermo describes his parents as having a “lived faith.” On the weekends, you went to church; at all other times, you trusted in God. The Jaime children inherited that “lived faith,” and as the family grew, so, too, did their desire to be closer to God. Eventually, the parish began offering a Spanish Mass on Tuesdays and Saturday evenings to serve the Jaime family and others in the Hispanic community.
The first seed that would lead to regular adoration was planted in 2014. Father Tim Oudenhoven, as part of his outreach to the local Hispanic community, began to plan a series of retreats. At one of the retreats at CrossWoods Adventure Camp, Father Tim asked Guillermo to come along and help. Guillermo’s first question was, “Will you be there?” Father Tim said yes, but didn’t arrive until two days after the retreat began. Guillermo and his family thought about going home, but they stuck it out. It turned out to be a great retreat. After that, the family began making a lot of changes in their lives for the better.
In 2019, their pastor, Father Dan Thelen, sponsored a pilgrimage to Medjugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As Ricardo put it, in Medjugorje, “we had to spend a lot of time with the Lord.” They prayed with large crowds, attended daily Mass and sat in adoration. When they returned to Wisconsin, they felt the need to keep the spirit of their trip alive. That’s when Father Dan decided to start scheduling weekly eucharistic adoration.
At first, there was a short adoration after the 5:30 p.m. Mass on Tuesdays. A few months later, they added a longer time after the Thursday Mass. Currently, Immaculate Conception Parish offers eucharistic adoration from 6 to 6:45 p.m. on Tuesdays, and from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays.
During the pandemic, when no more than five people were allowed in the church at one time, the family kept in contact by text. They now take it upon themselves to make sure someone is always present with Jesus.
All of the priests who have passed through Immaculate Conception Parish have been very supportive of both the weekly adoration and the Spanish Masses. When Father Amir (Rev. Arockia Amirtha-Raj Stanislaus), a priest from India, was assigned to the parish, they asked if he planned to make changes to either. “Nope,” he said. “I’m going to learn Spanish”—and he did. Guillermo remembers Father Amir transcribing the Spanish Mass into his native script (presumably Tamil) and then reciting it from his notes.
The Fruits of Adoration in Daily Life
Guillermo has a family-owned trucking company called J Brothers Trans Inc. that employs several members of the Jaime family. Their logo, designed by Father Tim, features a cross in place of the “t” in “brothers.”
Ricardo recalls making a delivery in Illinois when a man noticed the cross in their logo. The man asked if Ricardo was a Christian. “Yes, sir, I’m a Catholic,” Ricardo replied. “OK, then, we’re brothers,” the man said.
Another man, after seeing the logo on Guillermo’s truck, told him over the CB radio that he expected to meet him in Heaven someday. As Ricardo sees it, the company is out there sending a message: “Whether people want to see it or not, it’s there.”
Adoration helps remind the brothers of the constant presence of God in their lives. Guillermo says that adoration brings you closer to God, and the closer you are to God, the more you are reminded of how many blessings God is willing to give. They occasionally pass by accident scenes, where they’re reminded that God is keeping them safe. Ricardo says he looks around corporate America and sees everybody in a rush, but nobody is going anywhere. Guillermo recommends people to “just take a moment to come to the Lord and reflect upon whatever they’re doing.”
Guillermo once asked Father Tim if he was doing adoration correctly. He had trouble concentrating—sometimes he was sleepy, other times he just wanted to read the Bible. “Good,” said Father Tim. “It’s not supposed to be the same. You’re getting a new experience every time.” Guillermo now understands that the most important thing about adoration is “to just be there” with the Lord.
A Family Bonded in Christ
The Jaime family has centered their lives around their faith—and it shows. After every Saturday Mass, the family gathers at one of their homes for a meal. Everyone is welcome, including whoever happens to be the pastor, currently Father Peter Kieffer. It is rare today for an extended family to meet for dinner every week. It’s even rarer to invite a priest every week to bless the family meal.
Immaculate Conception is a small parish, and only a few people participate in eucharistic adoration outside of the Jaime family. They hope to see more people enjoy its fruits. They note how adoration has already borne fruit in bringing Ricardo’s wife, Lydia, and Uriel’s wife, Haley, back to the Church. The Jaime family hopes others will read this article and feel inspired to come and experience eucharistic adoration for themselves.
Guillermo is confident that everyone can benefit from weekly adoration. “I truly believe God guides everything I do,” he says. “I really want to share that message with everybody.” I asked what advice he had for those hesitant to try adoration.
“Don’t be afraid to get close to the Lord.”
Story By Dan Rislove
Published in the Summer 2025 issue of Catholic Life Magazine