Saturday, June 05, 2010

50th International Eucharistic Congress appeal in churches this Sunday

Two years ago at the end of the 49th International Eucharistic Congress in Ottawa, Canada, Pope Benedict XVI announced that the 50th International Eucharistic Congress will be held in Dublin from June 10-17 2012.

A Eucharistic Congress is an international gathering of people which aims to:

  • promote an awareness of the central place of the Eucharist in the life and mission of the Catholic Church;
  • help improve our understanding and celebration of the liturgy;
  • draw attention to the social dimension of the Eucharist.

This Sunday (6th June - Corpus Christi is being celebrated in Ireland on that day) the second annual appeal for the Congress will take place.

Whilst the hosting of such an international event will cost a lot, it will be an opportunity to nourish people’s faith.

A national finance committee, appropriate to an event of this magnitude, has been set up and is chaired by Bishop John Fleming of Killala.

“While acknowledging that these are difficult times for people, in response to last year’s appeal the people of Ireland responded most generously” said the organisers, who expect that, given the importance of the event and what it hopes to achieve, the response will be generous again this year.

A National Eucharistic Congress Committee has been appointed, with one delegate from each diocese, and it is hoped that people in every parish in Ireland can be involved both in the pastoral preparation and in the events of the Congress.

An initial website explains that Pope Benedict XVI has already given his formal approval to the theme proposed by Archbishop Martin for the 50th International Eucharistic Congress: The Eucharist: Communion with Christ and with one another.

This theme has its roots in The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, where we read that by partaking of the body of the Lord in the breaking of the Eucharistic bread, we are taken up into communion with Him and with one another.

"Because the bread is one, we though many, are one body, all of us who partake of the one bread".

In this way all of us are made members of His Body, "but severally members one of another" (Lumen Gentium, 7).

The logo, entitled People in Communion, was designed by Martin Barlow of Portadown, Co Armagh. i

It is based on the idea of people “from every nation, race, tribe and language” (Rev.7:9) being drawn together in communion as “one body” formed by faith in the person of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, and the sacrifice he made upon the cross.

Our sense of community, belonging, celebration and acceptance is captured in the design by the graphic representation of the people with both arms outstretched.

The on-line magazine of the 50th International Eucharistic Congress Issue 1 (May 2010) is now available. It has:

  • an introductory letter from Archbishop Martin situating the Congress in these difficult times;
  • the vision, theme and plans of the Congress, outlined by Fr Kevin Doran, general secretary;
  • the pastoral planning and four stages of preparation explained by programme manager Ann Griffin;
  • and a wealth of other pastoral and liturgical resources and information.

Most people in Ireland have heard of the Eucharistic Congress held in Ireland in 1932. Parents and grand-parents speak of it as a significant event in their own experience of Church.

Some pupils in secondary school have undertaken special history projects on that Eucharistic Congress in preparation for their Leaving Certificate.

Improvements in travel since 1932 will provide a greater international perspective to the 2012 Congress.

Technology will play an important part too in preparations, but the most valuable aspect of the coming two years is the sense of faith which can be kindled in the families and in every parish throughout the country.

The Eucharistic Congress team can be contacted directly at:

IEC 2012, Holy Cross Diocesan Centre, Clonliffe Road, Dublin 3.

Tel: 01 8087531 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 01 8087531 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

e-mail: info@iec2012.ie

Web: www.iec2012.ie

SIC: CIN