Ireland’s Church is on the move

Pilgrims from the diocese of Elfin in West Ireland set out before dawn Saturday morning on a long march to Knock, Irelands National Marian shrine, where thousands of Catholics from across the nations 26 diocese are gathering for the National Eucharistic Congress, the first such nationwide event to be held in recent years in the Irish Church.

The Congress begins Saturday morning with a Morning Prayer followed by a series of workshops on themes related to Communion and Eucharist for adults, teenagers and children and the anointing of the sick. It will culminate with the celebration of the Eucharist led by Cardinal Sean Brady, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland.

“The National Congress is about reconciliation and renewal, not just speaking about it but actively coming together and seeking it as a Church, laity, religious, priests and bishops”, says Archbishop Michael Neary of Tuam, whose diocese is hosting the event.

“There can be no denying that the Church in Ireland has gone through difficult years, as we attempt to face the damage of the scandals, so we are coming together to ask the Lord to be with us, in communion with us, in our time of trial”.

Eucharistic Congresses are a relatively common occurrence in the life of the Church worldwide and seen as a motor for evangelization in local realities. In fact in September, Pope Benedict XVI will travel to Ancona to lead Mass in the culmination of the Italian National Eucharistic Congress. However in Ireland they are far from commonplace – this despite the fact that next year the Archdiocese of Dublin will be hosting the 50^TH International Eucharistic Congress.

“One of the key moments in the pastoral preparation for the 50th International Eucharistic Congress is the National Congress in Knock”, says Fr. Kevin Doran, Secretary General of the organizing committee for IEC2012. “The National Congress will be a particular moment of renewal in our own preparation to welcome the universal Church, as we prepare to welcome people from all over the world in June 2012. We have already had clear indications that, as well as having pilgrims from places with obvious Irish connections, such as USA, Canada, Australia, Britain and mainland Europe, there will be pilgrims in 2012 from Taiwan, the Philippines, India, the Ivory Coast and many of the countries of Latin America”.

“During the Mass, a large candle with the Eucharistic Congress Logo will be blessed for each of the twenty-six cathedrals in Ireland” adds Archbishop Neary. “These will be brought back to each diocese to be placed at the centre of a diocesan celebration on June 26^th, the feast of Corpus Christi, these candles will be a reminder of Christ’s presence in each diocesan community and of the communion of the Irish Church”.

Listen to Emer McCarthy’s interview’s with Archbishop Neary and Fr Kevin Doran: