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49th International Eucharistic Congress
Article on Morning Watch from October in Parry Sound Click :: Here :: The 49th International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec City, two short years from now, is an event unlike any other. It is intended as an opportunity for Catholics of every nation, culture and age to come together and to encounter Christ in the Eucharist as a gift of God for the life of the Church and for the salvation of the world. In the past, Eucharistic Congresses have taken place about every four years beginning in Lille, France in 1881, the more recent ones being held in Wroclaw, Poland in 1997, in Rome, Italy in 2000 or in Guadalajara, Mexico in 2004 with tens of thousands in attendance each time. Canada and in particular Quebec City are privileged to have been chosen by the late Pope John Paul II to host the next International Congress on the Eucharist in June of 2008 which is a tremendous honor as much as it is a responsibility. The international encounter at the Congress demands preparation, and already our friends in Quebec are working hard to organize their families, parishes, schools, groups, lay movements and dioceses for the spiritual summit of 2008. Eucharistic processions, catecheses, youth events, concerts and charitable projects are springing up across the country, and most of it largely initiated by youth. Youth seem to be at the forefront of preparations for the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) of 2008. A Youth Summit in Quebec City on the long weekend in May (May 19th-22nd, 2006) drew around 650 young Catholics from across Canada, among them seven delegates from the Peterborough Diocese. The theme for the event was ‘Here I am’ and His Eminence Marc Cardinal Oullet challenged the young delegates asking them: “What is your answer to Christ’s statement addressed to us in the Holy Eucharist ‘Here I am; here I am for you’?” The theme ran like a red thread through all talks, skits and liturgies at the summit and drew the delegates’ attention to their baptismal vocation, to social action and to Christ present in the Holy Eucharist. The key messages of the Youth Summit 2006 were:
These were some of the messages the youth from the Peterborough Diocese brought back from the Youth Summit and now wish to share with all the faithful of the Peterborough Diocese in order to help all of us reflect fully and sincerely, with true Christian devotion and fervor, on God’s great gift of the Eucharist. As they said: “We want our brothers and sisters to come to know Christ with his abundant life in the Eucharist; we want our brothers and sisters to come to know the communion of the Church as something deeply personal, yet meant to be lived in the Church and in the world. The Eucharist is a precious gift we cannot keep to ourselves, but must share with all who seek the truth”. The Peterborough delegates have been working on a program of preparation for the entire Diocese making use of already existing events such as SONfest and the annual ‘Day of Renewal’ to cover the two-year period between now and the Congress. Beginning with SONfest ’06 in July of 2006 a series of presentations and witness talks will be offered to introduce people to the event. The ‘Diocesan Day of Renewal’ in November 2006 will be a ‘1st Day of Encounter and Preparation’ for the Diocese which will begin an outreach program for parishes introducing the visit of the ‘Ark of the New Covenant’, a pilgrim artifact made for the occasion and traversing all dioceses in Canada (see below). The visit of the Ark is scheduled for the Peterborough Diocese from Feb. 15th to 20th, 2007. The visit will be followed up by two more ‘Days of Encounter and Preparation’, likely on deanery levels, between February and June 2007. SONfest ’07 will continue the spiritual journey of the Diocese which will lead to another ‘Day of Renewal’ likely in October of 2007 honoring Mary as the Woman of the Eucharist. The diocesan preparation will culminate in a Great Novena from September 2007 to June 2008 with monthly gatherings and events on parish level. (For detailed program see below.) The actual International Eucharistic Congress will take place June 15th to 22nd in Quebec City and the Diocese has registered 100 pilgrims from Peterborough to attend this unqiue event. The trip will be organized through the Evangelization Office of the Diocese and will likely include brief visits to Catholic shrines along the way such the Oratory of St. Joseph in Montreal, St. Anne-de-Beaupre and Cap de la Madeleine. Let us pray that all our efforts of personal and community preparation will bear fruit and that the International Eucharistic Congress in 2008 will be the source of a new evangelization in our diocese, in our nation and around the globe. Links on International Eucharistic Congresses:
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