EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS

Hokitika Guardian, 1 September 1928, Page 2

EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS

NEXT WEEK’S NOTABLE EVENT.

During the coming week all eyes, especially those of the 300,000,000 Catholics of the world, will be turned to Sydney, New South Wales, where thousands, who have been pouring in from all parts of the world, will take part in the Twenty-ninth International Eucharistic Congress. Catholic people of all nations, representative of the Hierarchy, Priesthood, Religion and Laity, men and women will he there to demonstrate by magnificent pageantry and ceremonial their faith in tho Real Presence of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the Consecreted Host.

What is this Congress? And what is it all about?

Nowadays most people are familiar with the general notion of a Congress, for we constantly read of the holding of Congresses hero and there throughout the world—Congresses that are local, provincial, national, or international according to the scope of.the specific purpose of the assemblage. It is precisely the nature of this object or end that determines the essential character of this particular Congress. Most Congresses you read about are either political, social and scientific gatherings. But the Congress in Sydney is of a different nature, and is of a higher kind than any of those relating to parliament, state or academy, simply because of the excellence of its object. The adjective that qualifies Congress, will generally tell us what that object is. In the present case there is the question of a Eucharistic Congress, so we know at once that the great world representative gathering of prelates, priests and'faithful centres and focuses its activities on the Eucharist.

From humble and-unpretentious beginnings in 1881 when the First International Eucharistic Congress was held at Lille, in France, each succeeding Congress has seen increasing numbers flocking" to do homage to Christ in the Eucharist, until in 1926 when the Twenty-eighth International Eucharistic* Congress was held in Chicago, there was reported the largest religious assembly in the History of tlie

world. So far these Congresses have been confined to the following countries:— Fiance, Belgium, Switzerland, Syria, Italy, England, Germany, Canad.a, Spain, Austria, Malta, Holland and United States. Now Australia lias been chosen and though tlio Twenty-ninth International Eucharistic Congress cannot he expected to equal in numbers many of the others, it will not he lacking in the universality of its representation and in its enthusiastic manifestation of the faith of its members in their Eucharistic King. ‘ V