PILGRIMAGE OF CATHOLIC FAITH

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 176, 15 October 1927, Page 9

PILGRIMAGE OF CATHOLIC FAITH

EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS SYDNEY MAKING READY THE Roman Catholic Archbishop of New Zealand, Dr. Redwood, has been conferring with his Australian brother prelates in Sydney in connection with the Eucharistic Congress. This assembly, in Sydney, next year, will be the greatest pilgrimage of faith ever known beneath the Southern Cross. The date has been fixed for September 6 and 9. 1925. The ceremonies commence on Thursday, and end on Sunday. The tentative programme of the discussions is in the hands of the Permanent Committee in Belgium. The R e v. Father F. Laurent, S.M., will be in Sydney later in the month to represent the president of the Permanent Committee of all International Eucharistic Congresses. The route of the procession has been fixed. The Papal Legate, with the official party, will arrive by boat from Manly, bearing the Blessed Sacrament. The grand procession will start, from Man-o’-War Steps, journey through Macquarie Street, St. James’s Place, Elizabeth Street, aPark Street, College Street, and finish at St. Mary’s Cathedral. It will thus traverse the first steps of Our Lord in hiding in the Eucharist in Australia. OUTSIDE FUNCTIONS All other outside functions will be held in the Royal Agricultural Sc-ciety’s Show Ground, Moore Park. The first grand outside function will be the men’s night at the show grounds. The Catholic friendly societies of Sydney will be the backbone of the organisation of this demonstration of Catholic men of Australia. The general secretary of the United Friendly Societies has placed the services of the societies, embracing nearly 20,000 members, at the disposal of the Archbishop of Sydney and of Father Meany assistant general secretary of the Sydney organisation of the Eucharistic Congress. Mr. Clement Glancey, M.1.A., Sydney, is designing plans for the altar and settings for the four days o" public functions at the show grounds. The outside functions will be thoroughly international in character. The Pope who paid the youngest nation in Christendom the high compliment of succeeding America as the rallying-place of the nations—has emphasised his desire that the congress field in Australia be a demonstration of faith for the Catholic world of the Pacific.

The Apostolic Delegate has expressed the same desire for the fullest representation at the congress of th€ missionary activities of the church in the Pacific. Father Pettorelli will arrive in Sydney next month to take charge of the music incidental to the congress. He is a well-known Roman maestro The children’s singing is in the hands of the Rev. Father Ellis Herlihy, Sydney. There will be four Solemn Pontifical High Masses—one each day of the congress—and one Solemn Benediction. The seminarians from Manly College and Springwood College will have charge of the ceremonies. CHILDREN’S MASS There will be a children’s Mass on Friday morning at the show ground, with a congregation of about 15,000 ; children and teachers in charge. There i will be one teacher to every 50 chilI dren. It is the wish of the bishops that , tie nuns of Australia be present at the congress; the people of Australia j will have an opportunity of recognising the self-sacrificing work of the CathI olic Sisters by making easy their way i to the congress from all ends of Aus- ! tralia and New Zealand. Every diocese in Australasia has a diocesan secretary of the Eucharistic I Congress. He receives periodical reports from Congress office, and :is the • official channel for diocesan organisaj tion. Through him the local units of | Congress pilgrims will be kept in touch j with arrangements in Sydney, i For the direct finance of the Congress, Sydney is responsible for all costs. Indirectly, through membership of the Congress, every diocese in Australia and New Zealand is expected to help the central organisation. The only source of finance for the central committee is the members subscriptions. Membership co§ts one guinea. Of this guinea half goes to Congress organising; the balance, half a guinea, provides for the member: (i.) The Con-, gress Badge, (ii.) The Congress Souvenir* Medal, (iii.) the Souvenir Book of the Congress All are Australianmade mementoes. Tenders were invited from every country. The Australian article selected was the best, both in quality and price. The Congress* Badge is already familiar in the Sydney streets. The emblem features the Cross and Chalice, with a background of the Southern Cross. On the arm of the Cross is the word "Credo.” It is hoped that soon arrangements will be finalised for the use of a wireless broadcasting station, to broadcast Eucharistic Congress reports daily to the listeners-in of Australia. IN FOREIGN TONGUES. A literary committee has been appointed to take charge of literature incidental to the discussions of Congress, i The chairman of this committee is Dr. Michael Sheehan, Coadjutor-Arch-bishop of Sydney. The general theme of the discussions has been set by his Holiness the Pope. It is—" The Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady.” There will be 15 International discussions. four each day, in the afternoon. A discussion consists of a discourse, reply, general discussion, each of 40 minutes’ duration. The discourse and reply will be by orators appointed by the Permanent Committee. At night there will be national discussions conducted in the language of the participants English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and some of the languages of the Pacific. Membership of the Congress admits to the discussions. Sir Thomas Cook has been appointed ofScial agent for overseas visitors. Many other travel agencies are interesting themselves. SYDNEY ACCOMMODATION Every parish priest in Sydney is being asked to co-operate with the Central 1 Committee in encouraging parochial representatives of the committee to compile information with regard to accommodation, public and private, for Congress visitors. Many hotels in Sydney are increasing > available accommodation in ant cipation of the influx. The mountain hotels, in particular, have already made good progress. Intending visitors who require hotel reservations cannot make them too soon. « The Sydney Town Hall has been engaged for six nights of Congress Week, j The Palais Royal has also been booked. ! These will be used for official Congress meetings, and for social functions afteriwarcUu