Read the speaking note of Most Rev. Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin, Primate of Ireland on the celebration of Corpus Christi 2011.

Thousands of people from parishes all over the country will travel to Knock to take part in a number of special events, workshops, celebrations and prayer – including the Knock Youth Festival, which is running at the same time as the National Congress.  

The National Congress in Knock will be a key opportunity for parishes and dioceses around Ireland to come together. Central to the National Congress will be the celebration of the Eucharist during which 26 candles will be blessed, one for each of the Cathedrals in Ireland. The candles will be brought back to each diocese and will be alight the next day to celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi nationwide.

Father Kevin Doran, Secretary General of the International Eucharistic Congress organising committee, said that he is looking forward to the Congress in Knock and the delegates meeting this week has brought great momentum to preparations. He said they were particularly pleased with the response to the National Congress. 
 
Father Doran said “The celebration in Knock is a chance to focus on the local community and the pastoral preparation in Ireland for the International Congress next year. The Congress is not just a once-off week of events in 2012 – but a journey of renewal for all of us. This is an opportunity to remind ourselves that we are part of something bigger than ourselves and to do something together - in communion - as one body.”

For more information on the National Eucharistic Congress and to register for workshops, please click here.

Download resources from the National Eucharistic Congress in Knock, The Art of Living Eucharistically and The Eucharist Makes the Church.

Father Doran, Secretary General of the 50th International Eucharistic Congress, attended World Youth Day and invited pilgrims from five continents to next year's International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin.

Listen to Father Doran describe how the Catholic church is now preparing for the next major event, the 50th International Eucharistic Congress.

Listen to Father Doran speak about his encounters with Catholic pilgrims from China and Canada at World Youth Day.

 Listen to Father Kevin Doran speak about the spirit of communion he witnessed in Madrid during World Youth Day.

The Catholic Church in Ireland is marking the one-year countdown to next year's 50th International Congress by hosting a National Eucharistic Congress at the Marian Shrine in Knock today.

Thousands of people, from parishes all over the country, have travelled to Knock this weekend to participate in the National Eucharistic Congress, the high-point of which will be Mass with the anointing of the sick. The day's activities will also include a series of workshops which are being hosted by organisers of next year's International Eucharistic Congress – see programme below. The National Eucharistic Congress coincides this year with the celebration of the Knock Youth Festival, which has its own dedicated workshops and celebrations.

Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland; His Excellency Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, Apostolic Nuncio; Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin and President of the 50th International Eucharistic Congress (IEC2012); Archbishop Dermot Clifford, Archbishop of Cashel and Emly; Archbishop Michael Neary, Archbishop of Tuam along with many other Irish bishops and priests; will lead pilgrims from the 26 dioceses on the island of Ireland in a concelebrated Mass at 3pm this afternoon in Knock to mark Ireland's National Eucharistic Congress.

The pilgrims include staff and volunteers of IEC2012. The Eucharistic Congress Bell, which began its journey around the parish of Ireland on St. Patrick's Day, has arrived in Knock and will be present during the National Pilgrimage as a symbol of the invitation to faith and to the Eucharist.

The vestments worn by the principal celebrants at today's Mass will feature the four icons which accompany the Eucharistic Congress Bell and which reflect the four stages of the catechesis for next year?s International Eucharistic Congress.

Welcoming pilgrims to the National Eucharistic Congress Cardinal Brady, Principal Presider for the Congress Mass and who will preach the homily, said: “The celebrations in Knock provide an opportunity to remind ourselves that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. The Church events this weekend appeal to the spiritual needs of men and women of all ages and are in keeping with the theme of next year's 50th International Eucharistic Congress which is: "The Eucharistic: Communion with Christ and with one another".

“Today's National Eucharistic Congress, coupled with the celebration of Mass which will take place in every Cathedral around the country tomorrow, both have a common focus on the local community and our pastoral preparation in Ireland ahead of the International Eucharistic Congress next year.

“The International Congress is not just a once-off week of events in 2012, but a journey of renewal. Today the Irish Church is setting out on a new path of healing and renewal, inspired by Pope Benedict XVI's Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland of March 2010. The Church needs healing and reconciliation. The Eucharistic Congress offers us the possibility for that.”

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin said, “The Congress will be an important event in the life of the Universal Church and I hope it will be a vital element in the reform of the Irish Church. The Congress should renew in us a sense of gathering – of community and sharing. It will be a Congress of our times where people will come together to examine what a Church of Communion means for the people of the Church and what role the Church should have in wider society.”

Read more on our Media Centre.

His Eminence Cardinal Seán Brady
Archbishop of Armagh
President of the Irish Episcopal Conference

The Holy Father was pleased to learn of the celebration of the Irish National Eucharistic Congress and he sends his warm and prayerful best wishes to you and to the Bishops, priests, religious and lay faithful of Ireland.  His Holiness is spiritually united to all who, through prayerful reflection on the Eucharist, offer adoration, thanksgiving and praise to the living God for the saving sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, renewed in the celebration of every Holy Mass.  He is confident that the frequent and worthy reception of the Bread of Life will guide all who, especially in this time of renewal, walk together the path of conversion, in truth, justice and charity, pursuing the gift of purification from sin by seeking and offering pardon and by strengthening the bonds of reconciliation and communion.  He prays that by drawing nourishment from this Sacrament, their whole life will become, with Christ, an offering to God (cf. Sacamemtum Caritatis 71).  Commending all the faithful people in Ireland to the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, the Holy Father cordially imparts his Apostolic Blessing.

ENDS
Notes to Editors

• National Eucharistic Congress 2011
Archbishop Michael Neary, Archbishop of Tuam, read out the Apostolic Blessing from Pope Benedict XVI on the occasion of Ireland’s National Eucharistic Congress which took place on 25 and 26 June.  All 26 dioceses on the island of Ireland were represented by the estimated 13,000 pilgrims who attended the Congress which took place in the Marian Shrine in Knock, Co Mayo.  The Congress involved Morning Prayer and workshops on: adoration and prayer; young people and the Eucharist; reconciliation and forgiveness; and St Paul’s response to a divided Church.  The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick was administered to pilgrims before Mass.  The high point of the National Eucharistic Congress was the celebration of Mass in the Basilica in Knock at which Cardinal Seán Brady was Principal Presider and which was concelebrated by 180 bishops and priests.  Mass was followed by Benediction and a procession to the Apparition Chapel.

• Knock Shrine
Each Irish diocese makes an annual pilgrimage to the Marian Shrine and the nine-day Knock novena attracts ten thousand pilgrims every August.  The story of Knock began on the 21 August 1879 when Our Lady, St Joseph and St John the Evangelist appeared at the south gable of Knock Parish Church.  This miraculous apparition was witnessed by fifteen people, young and old.  Knock is an internationally recognised Marian Shrine and was visited by Blessed John Paul II as part of his 1979 papal pilgrimage to Ireland.  During his visit, which coincided with the Shrine’s centenary year, the late pope celebrated Mass at the Shrine and addressed the sick, their helpers and pilgrimage directors.  Archbishop Michael Neary, Archbishop of Tuam, is the custodian of the Marian Shrine and Monsignor Joseph Quinn is parish priest of Knock.  Please see: www.knock-shrine.ie

Read more information on our media centre.

Further information:
Catholic Communications Office Maynooth: Martin Long 00353 (0) 86 172 7678 and Brenda Drumm 00353 (0) 87 310 4444

St Patrick's College invites papers which explore the theological sources, development, reception and future horizons on the ecclesiology of communion. Active post graduate researchers or researchers who received a doctorate in the past three years are invited to submit papers.

The theme of the symposium suggests various approaches among which are:

• The ecclesiology of communion: biblical perspectives

• The ecclesiology of communion in a contemporary Systematic Theology.

• Moral theology in the light of ecclesiology of communion.

• The reception of the Second Vatican Council in subsequent Magisterial teaching.

• Communion and the Eucharist: new perspectives on the sacraments

• Ecumenical possibilities and tasks involved in receiving and living the Ecclesiology of Communion.

• Communion and Mission: evangelisation in the face of global politics.

• Communion and Creation

• Communion in a world of individuals

• Communion in the writings of Twentieth Century theologians

• The limits and challenges of an ecclesiology of communion.

Paper summaries of approximately 20 minutes will be presented in parallel emerging scholars’ sessions during the symposium.

Applications to present a paper should be sent to Mary McCaughey by 6th January 2012. Successful contributors will be notified by 10th February 2012.

Find out more about the call for papers for the international theology symposium.

Attn: Newsdesks, Photodesks and Religious Affairs Correspondents 

Cardinal Brady and Archbishop Martin to launch the International Eucharistic Congress 2012

• Congress Bell to visit all 26 dioceses of Ireland

Representative of the Media and Congress volunteers have been invited to the launch of the International Eucharistic Congress which takes place in Ireland in June 2012. The theme of the Congress is "The Eucharist: Communion with Christ and one another". Over the week 10 - 17 June 2012 a programme of liturgical and cultural events, workshops and daily celebration of the Eucharist will culminate in an open air Mass and closing ceremony in Croke Park on 17 June next year. The details for the launch of the International Eucharistic Congress are as follows: 

Venue                     Members' Club, RDS, Dublin (main entrance off the Merrion Road)

Date and Time       Monday 7 March at 11:00am

In attendance        Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh; Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin and President of the Congress; Fr Kevin Doran, Secretary General of the Congress; Ms Anne Griffin, General Manager of the Congress; and the choir from the Holy Child Secondary School, Killiney, who will sing the Congress hymn, Though We Are Many, composed by Bernard Sexton. 

Photo opportunity in the RDS with enthusiastic young volunteers wearing t-shirts embossed with the Congress logo alongside the International Eucharistic Congress Bell. On St Patrick's Day, 17 March next, a pilgrimage of the Congress Bell will begin from St Mary's Pro Cathedral, Dublin, going to St Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh and from there to all 26 dioceses of Ireland.  The bell is a symbolic invite to Irish Catholics, and for Christians of other traditions, to join in the call to faith, prayer, reconciliation and mission that is at the heart of the Church's preparation for the Congress over the next year and a half.

Further information: www.iec2012.ie/mediacentre

“Our challenges as the Catholic Christian community in Dublin are not just our own (...)  I am aware that the challenges that we as Catholic Christians face are the same challenges that other Christian communities face also. All Christians must learn to work together”, said Archbishop Diarmuid Martin. “If we work together, this Eucharistic Congress will not be simply an outward week-long spectacle or the triumphalistic celebration of an inward-looking Church.  If we work together, it can become a moment of real renewal in the life of the Church in Dublin and a true celebration of what the Church authentically is and should be.”

The ceremony that Church of Ireland Archbishop Jackson will lead during the Congress will be an Ecumenical Liturgy of Word and Water and will take place on Monday 11th June 2012. This first full day of the 50th International Eucharistic Congress will focus on the communion into which we are drawn with Christians of every tradition through the Sacrament of Baptism and through our sharing in the Word of God.

To read Archbishop Martin’s complete homily notes, visit our Media Centre here: www.iec2012.ie/mediacentre
Visit our Congress speaker’s section here: www.iec2012.ie/speakers

https://www.trocaire.org/whatwedo/donate-to-trocaire?fund=32

http://tuamarchdiocese.org/2011/12/mgr-joseph-quinn-1947-2001-rip/

The main events of the Programme take place in the RDS Arena. On most days these will be in the afternoon and will include:

The Catechesis: a “teaching” moment, usually presented by a bishop, reflecting on the theme of the day and its challenges

The Testimony: words of encouragement and inspiration from a lay-person with a story of faith to tell

Celebration of the Eucharist: Mass celebrated with all the Congress delegates, presided over by a bishop

There are some variations from day to day and you can see these below.

Alongside the programme in the Arena, there is a full programme of workshops and cultural events, many of which are now confirmed. In addition there is the Youth Space which has its own dedicated programme, details of which will appear shortly.

Read more about the programme here: www.iec2012.ie/programme

The International Eucharistic Congress, due to take place in Dublin, Ireland in June 2012, fits perfectly into the program for modernisation of the Church in that country, Pope Benedict XVI said Thursday as he greeted participants at the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses.

National delegations from across the globe gathered this week to discuss preparations for Dublin 2012, when the Archdiocese will open its doors, chapels and churches to all those who want to take part in the week long event, centred on the theme "The Eucharist, communion with Christ and with one another”.

The Irish delegation was led by the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, and speaking to them Thursday the Pope observed, “your Assembly has paid great attention to this event, which is also part of the modernization program of the Church in Ireland. The theme,… recalls the centrality of the Eucharistic Mystery for the growth of the life of faith and every authentic process of church renewal”.

Pope Benedict also remarked that this week’s meeting falls on the 50th anniversary of the Eucharistic Congress in Munich, Bavaria, which marked a turning point in understanding these ecclesial events, and which the Pope said “I had the pleasure of attending that assembly in person, as a young professor of theology”. In addition, the 2012 Congress in Dublin will have a jubilee character, as it will be the 50th, and it will also be 50 years since the opening of the Second Vatican Council.

Tracing the long history International Eucharistic Congresses, the Pope said “Through the characteristic formula of the "statio orbis”, they emphasize the universality of the celebration: in fact, it is always a celebration of faith centred on the Eucharistic Christ, Christ's supreme sacrifice for humanity, which involves the faithful not only of a particular Church or nation, but as far as possible, from all over the globe. It is the Church, which gathers around the Lord”.

“The task of Eucharistic Congresses, especially in the current context”, he concluded “is also to make a distinctive contribution to the new evangelization by promoting mystagogical evangelization, which takes place in the school of the Church in prayer and through the liturgy”.

Source http://www.radiovaticana.org/EN1/Articolo.asp?c=438300

- Pilgrimage to begin following reception of bell by Cardinal Brady at St Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh 

Date: Thursday 17 March, St Patrick’s Day 

Times and venues: 

Dublin: Following the 10am Aifrinn La Féile Padraig in St Mary’s Pro Cathedral. 

Armagh:  5.30pm at St Patrick’s Cathedral. 

Following the St Patrick’s Day Mass in St Mary’s Pro Cathedral, Dublin, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin will bless the Eucharistic Congress Bell. He will also bless the first of four icons which have been prepared for use with the Congress Bell. The bell will then depart Dublin for Armagh. 

Cardinal Seán Brady will receive the bell at the gates of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh at 5.30pm after which there will be a procession into the cathedral for Evening Prayer and Benediction at 6.00pm with priests and people of the St Patrick’s Cathedral Pastoral Area.

Cardinal Brady will bless the second icon which will be attached to the plinth of the bell. 

On Friday 18 March the bell will be available in the Cathedral for the parishes of the Cathedral Pastoral Area. An invitation has been extended to parishioners across the pastoral area to visit St Patrick’s Cathedral to take part in the various liturgies and prayer.

Morning Mass will take place at 10am. The closing Mass for this part of the bell pilgrimage will take place in the Cathedral at 7.30pm. Cardinal Brady will preside at the Mass.

The bell will move on from Armagh to the other pastoral areas in the archdiocese. The bell will be in the Archdiocese of Armagh for a total of 15 days. From Armagh it will move onto the Dioceses of Dromore, Down and Connor and Derry and onto the remaining dioceses. It will also be taken to the World Youth Day event in Madrid in July and will be taken to Lourdes as part of the Annual Dublin Diocesan pilgrimage. The first stage of the bell pilgrimage will be completed on 29 Jan 2012. 

The full travel itinerary for the Eucharistic Congress Bell is available at the following link: http://www.iec2012.ie/bell

This year, the Lourdes pilgrimage included a focus on the preparations for the International Eucharistic Congress. It was the first time that the Eucharistic Congress Bell left Ireland since the bell pilgrimage began in St Mary’s Pro Cathedral in Dublin on St Patrick’s Day.

The Eucharistic Congress Bell pilgrimage is an invitation to faith, prayer, to reconciliation and to preparation for the 50th International Eucharistic Congress which will take place in Dublin from 10-17 June 2012.

To date the Congress Bell has visited 15 dioceses and hundreds of parishes around the country. It was carried to the summit of Croagh Patrick and to the Aran Islands in July and it was a feature at the Dublin Horse Show in the RDS in August. Later this month the bell will be at the National Ploughing Championships in Athy, County  Kildare.

Read more about the annual diocesan pilgrimage  to Lourdes.

- “May this National Eucharistic Congress, and the International Congress next year, help to bring healing to the social, economic, spiritual and moral wounds that have so deeply afflicted our country and Church in recent times”
- bishops and priests anoint the sick before Mass in the Basilica: “May these days of grace bring healing, strength and peace to us all”
-“my hope is that those who have drifted away from regular Mass will hear the simple request of Jesus: Do this in memory of me”
- thanks young people for attending and encourages use of social media to invite others to be part of Ireland’s preparations for the International Eucharistic Congress 2012
- welcomes Saint Joseph’s Young Priests Society to Knock and thanks the Society for its many years of support for seminarians
- “Jesus is gentle and merciful and loving. He understands the weakness of the human condition. He reaches out to us with compassion and a love that heals. But Jesus is also challenging. He is not afraid to confront us about our laziness, our selfishness and our sin. He does so - He calls us to conversion - because these things hold us back from experiencing the fullness of life God wants us to have. This is the fullness of life that comes from our immersion in the Word of life and in the Eucharist – the Bread of Life”.

Read the complete homily on our media centre.

He invited all people of good will to become part of the journey of reflection and renewal of community that is at the heart of the Eucharistic Congress and the visit of the Congress Bell to each of the 26 dioceses in our country. These are just but some of his words:

“The bell had an honoured place in the mission of our National Apostle. It called the people to pray. It invited them to pause from their busy and distracted lives and to turn to what gives life to the spirit and the soul. It beckoned people to meet Jesus himself in his Word and in the Eucharist.”  

"That call to a new evangelisation will continue to ring out in every parish the bell will visit. It will ring out in memory of Patrick who, in spite of his personal weakness and the many obstacles that came his way, burned with zeal for the hope, life and love that the message of Christ offered to the people of Ireland. The bell will call every one of us to take up that mission from Patrick and make it our own in living out our baptismal call.”

Read the complete homily on our media centre (by clicking on "Media Section"on your left menu and then "Press releases" ), or click on http://www.iec2012.ie/pressreleases

During previous International Eucharistic Congresses there has been a tradition of hospitality with accommodation hosts offering a room and breakfast to overseas pilgrims.

By providing free accommodation, this generous hospitality from hosts in Dublin will allow pilgrims from poor nations to attend the Congress.

All pilgrims who accept host accommodation will be aged over 18 and won't be staying in homes where there are children or vulnerable adults.

You need to apply to become an accommodation host. Read more about hosting accommmodation for pilgrims during the 50th International Eucharistic Congress.

Speaking briefly at the invitation of the Archbishop, Fr. Kevin Doran (Secretary General of the 50th International Eucharistic Congress) invited the young people present to come to Ireland for the Congress.

He announced that, following discussions with the International Catholic Deaf Foundation, it has been agreed that there will be a full deaf track at next year’s Congress, including six workshops facilitated by the Foundation and signed for the deaf.

"You are welcome twice over" Fr. Doran said "You are welcome as young people and you are welcome as deaf people." He also encouraged young people from the Irish deaf community to sign up for the Congress Volunteer Programme.

Find out about volunteering at the 50th International Eucharistic Congress.

According to the United Nations, persons with disabilities make up an estimated 15 per cent of the world’s population. Almost one-fifth of the estimated global total of persons living with disabilities, or between 110-190 million, encounter significant difficulties. Furthermore, a quarter of the global population is directly affected by disability, as care-givers or family members.

The IEC2012 wants to mark this day by inviting people with disabilities to register to come to the Congress. In the registration form www.iec2012.ie/registration pilgrims are asked to let us know any special need that they may have, to help to plan the events of the Congress in the most inclusive way possible.The IEC2012 will also have translation in sign language in many workshops and wheel chair accessibility in many of its venues and events. We also have the prayer card translated to Braille for those who require it and there will be special need facilities for them in the RDS and Croke Park, the main venues of the Congress.

The clock is ticking for people who’d like to get involved as the closing date for registration with the Volunteer Programme is only one month away on 17 March 2012.

Around 25,000 pilgrims a day are expected to attend the RDS venue between 10 and 16 June, while 80,000 participants will gather to celebrate the Final Mass, Statio Orbis, in Croke Park on 17 June.

Volunteers will engage in a diverse range of assignments, including: event services, medical services, media relations and logistics. A number of roles are also available in pre-Congress activities that include administration, marketing, IT and many other areas.

Places are still available for people willing to assist in the lead up to this international event or during the Congress week itself (10 - 17 June 2012). Anyone interested should be available to volunteer for a minimum of five days between 6 June and 19 June 2012. Volunteers will be fully trained in advance of the Congress.

IEC2012 offers job seekers the ideal opportunity to enhance their CV and brush up on specific skills in today’s competitive jobs market. Full details of volunteering and the application form can be found at http://www.iec2012.ie/volunteer or contact (01) 234 9919.

The Eucharistic Congress is a truly international experience as many of the registered volunteers were not born in Ireland but have chosen to make it their home. So it is fitting that the 1,000th volunteer to sign up was Slovak national, Maria Farkasova, who has lived in Dublin for the last six years.

Speaking about her decision to get involved, Maria said: “I decided to volunteer for the 50th International Eucharistic Congress 2012 because I am passionate about working with people, trying to make a difference in their lives and helping them in any way possible. I feel that the event will have a big impact on the Christian community and I would like to be a part of it.”

Secretary General of IEC2012, Fr Kevin Doran, is emphatic about the importance of volunteers in this year’s Congress: “The input of volunteers will be key to the success of the 50th International Eucharistic Congress 2012. They have a central role to play at the heart of each and every element of this amazing event.”

The basic requirement for volunteering is that you are 18-years-old and legally resident in Ireland. People in receipt of jobseekers allowance are entitled to volunteer without affecting payments. The Department of Social Protection encourages people to do voluntary work.

Full details of the Department of Social Protection’s policy on voluntary work can be found here: http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Pages/JobseekersVoluntaryWorkOption.aspx

At the upcoming Congress in Dublin’s RDS a diverse programme of events will take place during the fifth day of the programme, 14 June, centering on the theme of the day: ‘Exploring the Challenge of Restoring Communion through Justice and Reconciliation’.

The penitential liturgy will be celebrated at the RDS Arena by Cardinal Peter Turkson, President, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Rome. This celebration will be a timely acknowledgement of the fact that sinful personal actions and attitudes not only impact on our relationship of ‘Communion with Christ and with one another’ but also contribute to the creation of unjust social structures.

Reflecting on this Fr Kevin Doran, who has responsibility for the planning of the 50th International Eucharistic Congress 2012, said: “In so far as we need to seek forgiveness, it is from God and from one another. It includes people close to us and even people whom we have never met. It includes the generations coming after us who will be affected by what has been done in our time. While we cannot re-write history, we can, with God’s help, be reconciled.”

Already, in advance of the Congress, an ‘Inclusive Parishes Programme’ has been developed to help parishioners all over the country to reflect on how parishes can be more welcoming and inviting to people who have experience of being excluded or left on the margins.

On 14 June, the Congress programme will include a wide range of workshops and talks, aimed at promoting reflection and discussion on the key issues regarding equity, reconciliation and social justice in Ireland and throughout our world today.

One of the keynote addresses in the RDS Arena on Thursday afternoon will be given by Richard Moore, founder of ‘Children in Crossfire’, who was blinded by a rubber bullet when he was a child but has since sought out and befriended the soldier who fired the shot. In this way, his personal experience has motivated both reconciliation and action for justice.

Among the workshops, will be one entitled: ‘Globalisation and its impact on Human Society’ facilitated by Prof Vincent McBrierty, Trinity College, Dublin. Also on Thursday, Sr Brigid Reynolds, Social Justice Ireland, will deliver a workshop on ‘Social Justice and Inclusion’ and Justin Kilcullen, Director of Trocaire, will give a presentation on ‘Communion and Solidarity in World Development’.

Fr Gary Donegan, Holy Cross Parish, Ardoyne, Belfast, will lead a workshop on ‘The Eucharist in Peace and Reconciliation’. Later in the evening, Mary Mangan (SHJM), Sheila O’Gorman (RSM) and Catherine Dunne (SSHM), representing Act to Prevent Trafficking (APT) will together deliver a workshop on ‘Broken Lives: the hidden crime…human trafficking’.

The Mass on Thursday afternoon at 4pm, in the RDS Arena, will also have a particular focus on reconciliation and will be celebrated as Gaeilge, (in our native Irish language) by Cardinal Sean Brady, Archbishop of Armagh.

Read more on the programme for the 14th June here.

Find out more about the ecumenical programme of the 50th International Eucharistic Congress.

IEC2012 welcomed its first Business2012 partner, Tom Clements, Managing Director of RPD Ltd., a printing company that supplies envelopes and other fund-raising & marketing products to churches, schools, sports clubs & charities

RPD is an Irish printing company based in Dublin, which specialises in supplying offering envelopes, stationery and other fund-raising and marketing products to churches, schools, sports clubs and churches.

RPD supplies fund-raising products for customers in Ireland the UK and Europe ranging from entire diocese to small parishes with fewer than 20 contributing members. www.rpd.ie

For more information on our sponsorship opportunities, visit www.iec2012.ie/sponsorship

For more information on how to get ETWN in Ireland, please click here: http://ewtn-ireland.ie/PDFs/HowToReceiveEWTNIreland.pdf

Tuesday 16 August 2011

 "I'm sitting down enjoying a very cold bottle of water after a very long but wonderful day. And I'm thinking of you all!

We're so grateful for the weekend to acclimatise in Madrid, to get a feel of the city and see how the set up is going for WYD. Colette, Gellért and I have had a really enjoyable time together! We found a fab coffee shop on our street and that has become our local coffee stop.

On Monday we set up our stand which is number 6 of a row of 68 stalls. The little kiosks are great but quite hot. It's almost cooler outside in the sun!

Today, Tuesday, was our first day. We are next to the vocations hub for England and Wales and spent a lot of time talking to some really lovely young English pilgrims, many of whom knew about the Congress. Two in particular were so knowledgeable we could have left them on our stand and gone for a break! Nearly all of them had relations in Ireland and would spread the word to them. Fr Julian Greene is well known to a lot of them and he has them well briefed! I also spoke to a Portuguese priest from Faro who is really looking forward to bringing a group from his diocese (he is ordained 3 years and has done 40 weddings, 25 of whom were Irish couples!). There are many pilgrims from Zimbabwe, Nigeria, USA, Peru, Costa Rica....the list really is endless. Far more Spanish speakers than I thought. Plenty of Canadians too and one girl I met on the Metro was a volunteer in Quebec!

Today Colette and I also joined the Irish groups (about 1,000 of them). It was great to feel the energy they had. Real energy and enthusiasm for their faith. We gave out Congress pins to them and told them to spread the word and register as a volunteer!! Gellért kindly manned the stand for the 3 hours that we were gone. All of us were exhausted by the end of the day! The opening mass of WYD was at 8pm tonight.

We are learning so much and picking up great tips. It really is wonderful to be here anyway and I'm keeping all of you in my prayers.

Kevin, Ger and Michael arrived tonight and are heading off to speak to a group of Austrians tomorrow who are coming next year. Their Bishop was in Dublin in June.

Looking forward to seeing what Wednesday has to offer! I'll send an email again tomorrow night. Buenos noches!"

Sheena, Colette & Gellért

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Wednesday 17 August 2011

 " Well what another incredible day here in Madrid. (I'll try not to mention the heat too often!) We spoke to hundreds of people again and all with such enthusiasm for coming to Dublin. Because of where the stand is located, there are a lot of local people popping by and nearly all have kids who have studied in Dublin over the years. It's amazing the connection between our two countries. Plenty of people from exotic locations too - Seychelles, Madagascar, Mauritius as well as India, Algeria, South Africa. Everywhere. I spoke to a girl from France who comes from the parish where the lady who founded the international congresses was from. She hopes to come over. Ger spoke to a priest who was ordained during the Congress in Lourdes 30 years ago. A group of young Swedish people also really enthusiastic and they know the delegate for Scandanavia so will contact him to get a group over. A Brazilian guy living in Dublin, is here with CYC who can't wait to get more involved and will help with translations.

Ger and Kevin went to speak with a few groups and Kevin ended up on German radio! They are speaking to more Germans on Friday. Ger spoke at a pro life conference that was very well attended by Irish. Cardinal Pell from Australia  was the main speaker. Ger introduced Elation Ministries at that event and spoke about IEC2012. Elation came to our stand tonight and did some amazing promotion. They will be back on Friday for a music session at the stand! Bishop McKeown called by too with his group from Down and Connor. A crowd from Catholic Youth Care too. I got chatting to a lovely group from Jersey who intend to bring a parish group to Dublin. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. So many Americans (north and south!) and Australians. And that was just my experience, Gellért, Colette, Kevin and Ger have loads of stories too.

I took a break in the afternoon and spent a holy hour with Youth2000 and the church was jammers. I would love you all to see the unbelievable faith expressed by so many youth from all over the world. So many cultures and languages, yet all with that one common bond - our Catholic faith. It's so refreshing. One memory from today for me is when on the Metro (packed!) we were stopped at a station for a long time. There was no complaining, just singing and smiling and chatting amongst the pilgrims. Everyone is so polite and helpful and happy! it's kinda funny to see the locals’ reaction, they don't understand why this massive group of young people are happy and not causing mayhem!

Anyway! Ger, Colette, Kevin and I finally ate at about 10pm and we had a great chat and laugh about everything. More action tomorrow, visiting various Catechesis venues, talking to people on the metro and of course at our stand.

 I hope you're able to follow some of what's happening here in Madrid online. Salt and Light TV (online too) have good coverage of events. EWTN too. The Pope arrives tomorrow and there is small Metro strike, yay! But who cares? we'll just sing songs with strangers and have a ball!

Will be in touch tomorrow.

Buenos noches."

Sheena, Colette & Gellért

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Thursday 18 August 2011

" Well the Pope is here! There was great excitement around Madrid today. The locals have done a wonderful job decorating their own windows with Spanish and Papal flags. We were so delighted when at 5pm we were told that the police wanted to close all the stalls at 5.30pm! It was a great relief to know we could leave the stand, guilt free! While it started off in the morning at a very cool 25 degrees and some beautiful refreshing rain, it soon shot up to 38 degrees again and we were roasting for the day! This morning I had a lie in and went to Starbucks for breakfast (Gellért wouldn't allow me to go during the week so I enjoyed my coffee in peace and quiet!).

Then I headed to Catechesis with Archbishop Dolan from New York....and it was so packed I couldn't get into the church, not an inch of room on the floor. I stood outside in a crowded courtyard and tried to listen but couldn't so made my way back to Retiro to the stand. I was so tired from yesterday that I was wandering around in a daze for a while so decided to go for a wander to see how the confessions and adoration areas were set up in the park. Three Spanish women stopped me thinking I was a volunteer and when they realised I was from Ireland, one of them got very excited and told me she was an O'Donnell! I gave her a Congress pin and she and her friends said they would love to come to Dublin next year. It's amazing how many people have Irish relations over here! Anyway, I strolled down the never ending line of confession boxes and noticed the volunteers kindly giving bottles of water and bananas to the priests to keep them going. An important note!! When I finally got to the Adoration tent, there was a queue to get in so I didn't stay, the heat was too much. On my way back (slightly uphill!), I met some friends from home so we sat down in the shade for a while. Back at the stand and I was really just fit for sleep so Colette and I went for food in a fab Italian restaurant nearby. Suddenly I was human again!! Gellért was delighted because that meant I had the energy to relieve him so he could go for lunch. He's very particular about his food - he needs to eat often!!

 Ger went to the Catecheis with Archbishop Diarmuid Martin this morning and spoke about the Congress. He said there is great interest in volunteering amongst the Irish, thankfully! I spoke to many Australians, Spaniards, of course, and lots of English pilgrims too. Oh and not to mention our daily visit from Bishop Donal McKeown! He arrived at the right time, just when Kevin got back with ice cream! A young lad from Newry, who will volunteer, told me that his grandad is very excited about next year because he turns 80 on 17 June 2012....he was born in 1932! And he will celebrate in Croke Park!

We also had a visit from our number 2 volunteer, Sean Jones (Ger G being volunteer number 1 of course!) who is over with a group from Sligo. Gellért is meeting so many Hungarians too and I think word is spreading that he is at our stand. The girls love him ;-) He did say though that he found it hard to translate the Congress into Hungarian (or Magyar as the language is known) but that he was getting the hang of it.

Everyone loves the Congress pins and we give a leaflet with every pin. It is great to have the Spanish translation on the leaflets.

 We stayed away from the centre tonight and went for dinner near the hotel instead and watched the Pope's welcoming ceremony on TV in the restaurant/bar. On the way in we met two Spanish guys who spoke fluent English and whose daughters were heading off to Ireland in September to study...one guy’s daughter is going to King’s Hospital in Dublin and the other guy’s daughter is going to....wait for it Laura...Our Lady's Bower in Athlone!!! Both will study in Ireland for 3 years and do their leaving cert. And yes, they all got Congress pins!

Tomorrow is our last full day at the stand and my last day with Gellért and Colette :-( I will miss them both so much. They want me to go to Rimini with them! I asked Kevin but.....

 I know tomorrow is going to be another busy but enjoyable and productive day! I’ll need a foot massage when I get home too and knee replacements, my legs are in bits!!

 Buenos noches"

 Sheena

The Vocations Expo 2011 during World Youth Day, brings together over sixty Catholic organisations, including faith, prayer, justice movements, religious congregations and communities. This Vocations Fair gives hundreds of thousands of young people the chance to learn more about vocations within the Catholic Church and discover God’s path for them in their own lives.

The exhibitors at Vocations Expo include: the 50th International Eucharistic Congress, Christian Life Movement,  Net Ministries, Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, Life Teen, Communion and Liberation, Shalom Community and Christians Without Frontiers.
 
Meet Colette, Father Kevin Doran, Sheena and  Gellért from IEC2012 on stand six at Vocations Expo.  They can tell you how Ireland is preparing for the 50th International Eucharistic Congress and invite you to join us in Dublin for this significant event.
 
The Catholic Church in Ireland will host the 50th International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin from 10 until 17 June 2012. Registration is now open. 

For more information on our Youth Programme, click here.

In recent years the National Ploughing Championships has provided an opportunity for ecumenical collaboration between the Christian faiths.

At this year’s championships, the Roman Catholic Church, the 50th International Eucharistic Congress 2012, the Church of Ireland and the Methodist Church in Ireland are together in a shared space, inviting people to come together to pray. At the Ecumenical Stand, common prayer is said at regular intervals. Visitors can post prayer petitions on a prayer wall.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, and Archbishop Michael Jackson, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, will visit the Ecumenical Stand at the National Ploughing Championships on Thursday, 22 September.

The International Eucharistic Congress Bell is also at the National Ploughing Championships. The bell began its pilgrimage on St Patrick’s Day 2011 and has travelled to dioceses and parishes as a symbol of the call to prayer, to renewal and as an invitation to the International Eucharistic Congress. Recently the Bell was brought to Lourdes with the 2,000 pilgrims who made up the annual Archdiocese of Dublin diocesan pilgrimage to the French Marian shrine.

Fr Kevin Doran, Secretary General of the International Eucharistic Congress 2012, said “The Congress is delighted to be represented at the 80th National Ploughing Championships in Athy, the biggest agricultural event of the year. Another important 80th anniversary occurs next year when the International Eucharistic Congress takes place in Ireland, with 2012 marking the 80 years since the 1932 Congress was last held here. Over the next few days I encourage all to visit us at Stand 300, Block 4 on Row K.”

Find out more about the National Ploughing Championships.  

• the people’s response to the greeting by the priest
• I Confess
• the Gloria
• the Apostles’ Creed
• the acclamations for the Eucharistic Prayer, and
• the invitation to Communion.

There aren't any changes to the Order of the Mass or the structure.

Find out more about the new translation of the Roman Missal and download resources which explain the changes to prayers and responses.

IEC2012 has recently appointed two new members of staff.
Paul Rooney, National Leader of Youth 2000 for the last four years, will join the management team of IEC2012, as Volunteer Services Manager. In addition to the valuable experience he has gained in coordinating a major Catholic youth movement, Paul brings with him to his new role a wealth of professional experience in project management.
Sharon Doyle, a native of Waterford, has just joined IEC2012 as Financial Controller. In these economically  challenging times, she will have a crucial role in plotting the course that will lead to the delivery on budget of a successful international Congress.

Find out more about current job opportunities in IEC2012.
 

Though the final list has not been released while the Congress confirms the availability of all prospective speakers, some names were confirmed: Cardinal Peter Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace; Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga, President of Caritas Internationalis, Brother Alois, Prior of Taizé, Archbishop Michael Jackson, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin and Glendalough, and Richard Moore, Executive Director of Children in Crossfire.

More details will follow in the coming month in the Congress Speakers' section of our website: www.iec2012.ie/speakers.

The music will be led by a core choir each day with the participation of many others throughout the RDS and, on the last day, Croke Park. We hope to involve those from the four provinces of Ireland through contact with the relevant Diocesan Directors of Music and Liturgy. Visiting delegates are asked to express an interest in joining in the music programme when they register.

Local and regional rehearsals will take place after 17 April. Details will be announced locally and on this website. It is important that those who wish to participate in singing in the Congress liturgies as part of the massed choirs register for the Congress as soon as possible. We suggest that you register as a group, giving your choir name as the group name. This will allow us to place choirs appropriately in the RDS Arena. For choirs hoping to come to Croke Park only, please note that all available one-day tickets for Croke Park are being distributed via the diocesan network and contact should be made with your diocesan representative as soon as possible to see if some of these can be allocated to your group.

If you have access to Sing the Mass then you can start your community rehearsals now if you know on which day or days you intend to be present. As the core Mass parts are the most important in addition to the Congress Hymn Though We Are Many we suggest that you look at these first and use them in your own parish liturgies over the coming months.

To read more and download the IEC2012 music repertoire, please click here

All roads lead to Knock this weekend for the National Eucharistic Congress at Knock Shrine. The Catholic Church in Ireland is marking the one-year count down to next year’s International Congress by hosting a National Eucharistic Congress in Knock on 25 June next.  Thousands of people from parishes all over the country will travel to Knock to take part in special events, workshops, celebrations and prayer.  The Knock Youth Festival is also running at the same time as the National Eucharistic Congress.

The celebration in Knock is a chance to focus on the local community and the pastoral preparation in Ireland for the International Eucharistic Congress next year.  The International Congress is not just a once-off week of events in 2012, but a journey of renewal.  This is an opportunity to remind ourselves that we are part of something bigger than ourselves and to do something together – in communion – as one body.

Click here for more information.

The volunteer team for the 50th International Eucharistic Congress, which will take place in Dublin from 10– 17 June 2012, is using National Volunteer Day to promote volunteering for the Congress.

The Congress needs between two and three thousand volunteers.
Find out more information on volunteering for the 50th International Eucharistic Congress.

Visit IEC2012 Facebook page to see photographs of IEC2012 volunteer Ger Brennan who went to Croke Park this week for a team talk with fellow IEC2012 vounteers.

1st Option: Pilgrims have the choice to register for 7 days, 10 - 16 June, at the RDS for €95 with the option to gain admission to the final Mass Statio Orbis in Croke Park on 17 June, for an additional €10. Registration for the Congress does not include accommodation costs.

2nd Option: The second option is to register to attend the Congress for 3 consecutive days in the RDS for €60, again with the offer of admission to the final Mass for an additional €10.

3rd Option: The third booking option is to purchase a single day ticket for €30 to attend one day of the Congress programme in the RDS. However, this does not include the option to gain admission for the final Mass.

Croke Park

To gain admission to Croke Park you can book for 7 or 3 days (plus €10) or obtain a ticket through your diocesan network.

More than 80,000 people are expected to attend the final Mass in Croke Park, therefore a limited number of tickets for the Statio Orbis are being distributed by each Irish diocese and through local parishes in the coming weeks. Information on who you need to contact in each specific diocese is available on www.iec2012.ie/statioorbis

Online bookings are available until 9 May 2012. Until this date, pilgrims can register either as an individual, as a family or as a group at www.iec2012.ie/registration. Clergy and Media will also need to register. Alternatively, for those who cannot register online, you can do so by calling 00353 (1) 298 1122. Online registration closes on 9 May 2012, after this date bookings will be on-site only at the RDS.

The 50th International Eucharistic Congress (IEC 2012) will be a momentous occasion for all pilgrims travelling from all over the world, who will join an expected 25,000 people, including 12,000 international pilgrims, during each day of the Congress at the RDS. Pilgrims attending IEC 2012 can look forward to an exciting programme of cultural events, workshops, keynote addresses and themed liturgies.

More information on the Programme of the Congress can be found on www.iec2012.ie/programme.

The Eucharistic Congress is an international gathering of people, held every four years somewhere in the world, which aims to promote an awareness of the central place of the Eucharist in the life and mission of the Catholic Church and to help improve our understanding and celebration of the liturgy and draw attention to the social dimension of the Eucharist. The theme of the Congress is ‘The Eucharist: Communion with Christ and with one another’.

The programme of cultural events, workshops, exhibitions, catechesis and testimonies throughout the week of the Congress will help deepen and renew the commitment to the lifestyle of justice and service inspired by the Eucharist.

In addition, a dedicated Youth Space for more than 2,500 young people will be held each day at the RDS with a programme of interactive catechesis, workshops, dramas, celebrations, concerts and fun. Young adults between 17 and 25 years of age can register online to participate in the Youth Space programme.

More than 2,000 volunteers are also required to make this great international event happen. Anyone over 18 years of age can now register online to volunteer either before, during or after the Congress at www.iec.ie/volunteer.

These will allow commercial organisations and Church to represent themselves and offer religious goods, Irish craft products and services to thousands of pilgrims.

The exhibition layout is now available and bookings are being taken by email: exhibition@iec2012.ie

The Irish delegation presented the preliminary arrangements for the Eucharistic Congress to seventy delegates nominated by Bishops’ Conferences from all five continents.

The delegation was composed of Archbishop Martin (President IEC2012), Gerard Gallagher (Chair of Committee for Pastoral &Liturgical Planning and Programming), Barbara Gilroy (Chair of Special Events committee), Anne Griffin (General Manager), and Fr Kevin Doran (Secretary General IEC2012).

Press Release from the Archdiocese of Dublin

This morning in the Sala Clementina of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience the participants in the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses. Addressing the delegation, His Holiness expressed the hope that the preparations in Ireland for the International Eucharistic Congress would help with the renewal of the Irish Church.

Pope Benedict said “your Assembly has paid great attention to this event, which is also part of the modernisation programme of the Church in Ireland. The theme, recalls the centrality of the Eucharistic Mystery for the growth of the life of faith and every authentic process of Church renewal”.

Pope Benedict also remarked that this week’s meeting falls on the 50th anniversary of the Eucharistic Congress in Munich, Bavaria, which marked a turning point in understanding these ecclesial events, and which the Pope said “I had the pleasure of attending that assembly in person, as a young professor of theology”. In addition, he said the 2012 Congress in Ireland will have a jubilee character, as it will be the 50th Congress and it will also be 50 years since the opening of the Second Vatican Council.

The Eucharistic Congress will be hosted by the Archdiocese of Dublin on behalf of the whole Irish Church. The theme of the 2012 Congress is “The Eucharist: Communion with Christ and one another” and pastoral planning and preparations are well under way throughout Ireland.

The programme of the 2012 Congress was presented to the assembled delgates by the Irish organisers on the second day of the conference. The Congress theological document "Pastoral and Theological reflections for the 50th International Eucharistic Congress" was presented by Archbishop Martin in plenary session. Alongside this, Fr. Kevin Doran (Secretary General) outlined the four-stage programme of pastoral preparation which has been introduced in most Irish dioceses, and invited delegates to make this a truly international Congress by making use of these pastoral resources in their own countries also.

The delegates were also introduced to the new Congress hymn "Though we are Many" by contemporary Irish composer Bernard Sexton. The Congress prayer (in 7 languages) and the promotional DVD were also presented.

As part of the promotion of IEC2012, Fr Doran recorded five programmes with Salt and Light Television and broadcast live on Radio Galilée (Quebec).

Presentations were made to diocesan groups in Toronto, London, Quebec and Montreal as well as to Canadians and Irish people who have lived in Canada for most of their lives. Fr Doran held meetings with Archbishop Thomas Collins of Toronto and Archbishop Gerald Lacroix of Quebec City, both of whom are leading pilgrim groups to the Congress.

He also had the very useful opportunity to compare notes with many of those who were directly involved in the preparation of the last Congress in Quebec City in 2008.

With 12 months to go, there are strong indications that there will be a truly global presence at the Congress in Dublin in June 2012.

 Already there has been confirmation that groups will travel from the United Kingdom and Canada as well as many other countries, including Taiwan, the Ivory Coast and Paraguay.

Additional is also be available to assist pilgrims with registration, accreditation, accommodation, tours and transport for individual and group attendance to the Congress.

For more information and registrations visit: www.iec2012.ie/registration

Find out more about speakers and events at the theology symposium.

Find out more about the call for papers to present at the theology symposium.  

The bell is a symbol of the invitation to gather for the Eucharist and to join in the journey of preparation for the 50th International Eucharistic Congress. Thousands of people in cities and villages all over the North and West of Ireland have received the bell to their parishes in recent months. Some of them came to ring it once again at the Horse Show.

Over the next month the Congress Bell will be visiting parishes in the dioceses of Dublin and Meath, before joining the Dublin Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes from 7th-12th September. Between September 2011 and January 2012, the Bell will make its way through the southern part of the island, visiting parishes, schools and places of pilgrimage.

Registrations to attend the Congress are open and pilgrims can register through our website: www.iec2012.ie/registration.

Registration to become a volunteer for the Congress is also open through our website: www.iec2012.ie/volunteer.

Background Information on the Eucharistic Congress Bell:

The Eucharistic Congress Bell is a key symbol of the 50th International Eucharistic Congress. From its origins in the Dominican Convent of Portstewart, Co. Antrim the Bell was more recently used to ring in the Jubilee Year 2000 in Glendalough, Co. Wicklow. The Bell will reflect the invitation to faith, to prayer, to reconciliation and to mission which has always been important in our Christian tradition and is no less so today. The pilgrimage of the Bell throughout the Dioceses of Ireland, and beyond, will be a vehicle to:

• Invite people to deepen their communion with Christ and with one another

• Promote the pastoral aims of the Congress

• Invite all Christians to join in giving a common witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in an increasingly secular society

• Animate the people of your Diocese to become involved with the Eucharistic Congress both locally and nationally

• Invite people to come to the Congress from June 10th to 17th 2012

There is a strong emphasis on the inclusion of young people in the Eucharistic Congress Bell Pilgrimage however it is not exclusively a youth project. The pilgrimage has included the infirm, senior members of the community, and an outreach to the families and of the children preparing for sacraments (Baptism, Confirmation, and Communion).

The pilgrimage began with the blessing of the Congress Bell by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin at the St. Patrick’s Day Mass in the Pro-Cathedral on the 17th March 2011, and will end in a final pilgrimage ceremony at the opening of the International Eucharistic Congress (back in the RDS) on June 10th 2012.

Wherever the Bell stops on its journey, it is placed on a specially designed plinth, with four icons, written by Irish iconographers) which reflect the four elements of the Eucharist which are being emphasised in the pastoral preparation for the Congress (Assembly; the Word, the Breaking of Bread and Mission / Service).

For further information visit www.iec2012.ie/bell  

Aer Lingus is offering an early bird discount to pilgrims who book flights before 30 November 2011 of 10% discount off airfare on short haul routes or $50 off their return long haul routes.

Aer Lingus operates flights direct to Dublin from 22 countries:

- From North America and Canada – flights direct to Ireland from Boston, Chicago, New York and Orlando in addition to connections from over 50 cities across the US and Canada.

- From the UK - up to 38 daily services operating from ten airports across the UK.

- From Europe – direct flights from 20 countries including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey.

- Read more on Aer Lingus Special Offer and book flights availing of this offer.

- More information on Parish or group flight ticket bookings

The Bishops asked parishes to continue to promote the Congress using the materials available from the Congress headquarters in the RDS, Dublin. Parishioners are encouraged to book for their attendance at the Congress by completing a booking form. The various booking options for the number of days people wish to attend are available on www.iec2012.ie/registration. A special booking office for those who do not have access to a computer is now available from the Congress offices in the RDS.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, President of the International Eucharistic Congress 2012 said: “We look forward to welcoming pilgrims from both Ireland and overseas next June. Our Congress will focus on the theme of ‘The Eucharist: Communion with Christ and with one another’.  It will be different in many ways from the 1932 Congress because we are a changed Ireland, a changed people and a Church that is going through an important period of renewal. All of this change brings challenges. We are renewed by the constant centrality of the Eucharist in our lives as Church.”

Next year’s 50th International Eucharistic Congress in Ireland involves two main venues in the RDS and Croke Park, Dublin. The week long programme in the RDS consists of prayer, Eucharist, workshops, discussion groups, catechesis and testimonies, cultural events, tours, exhibitions, and a Eucharistic Procession. It is expected to involve 25,000 pilgrims participating in over 150 workshops; including 12,000 pilgrims from the five continents; and 80,000 participants at the Statio Orbis - the official title for the final Mass of the 50th International Eucharistic Congress, which will take place on 17 June 2012 in Croke Park, Dublin.

 The Eucharistic Congress will be celebrating the theme of ‘Communion in Suffering and Healing’ on Friday 15 June, with a special celebration of the anointing of the sick as part of the principal liturgy. The Mass will be celebrated by Patriarch Fouad Twal from Jerusalem.

Marking World Day of the Sick, Fr Kevin Doran, Secretary General of the 50th International Eucharistic Congress 2012, commented that the healing ministry of Jesus was not just about curing people physically, but also about drawing them back into full participation in the life of the community, from which their illness often excluded them. “Suffering has a way of isolating people. This is sometimes because of their own physical frailty and sometimes because we who are well are often unsure of how to respond to suffering.”

“It is an essential element of the mission of the Church today that we continue to seek ways of keeping people in communion even when they are no longer visible in the community on a daily basis. This remains a challenge for the Church both on a social and on a pastoral level,” Fr Doran said.

In his Message for the World Day of the Sick on 11 February 2012, the Feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes, Pope Benedict said he wished to renew his spiritual nearness to all sick people who are in places of care or are looked after in their families. The Holy Father placed emphasis upon the Sacraments of Healing particularly upon the anointing of the sick, which have their natural completion in the Eucharistic Communion. That Communion will be the focus of the 50th International Eucharistic Congress 2012.

Throughout the Eucharistic Congress there will be an extensive programme of workshops, talks and keynote addresses. On Friday 15 June 2012, many of the programme events will focus on the theme of healing and the promotion of a richer communion with those who suffer in body, mind or spirit.

Another aspect of this theme of Communion is the important place of people with disability in the community of the Church. Six workshops during the Congress will be signed for the deaf and jointly facilitated by people who themselves are deaf. Br Donatus Forkan will offer a workshop entitled ‘Including People from the Margins’, while Fr Niall Ahern will present on the theme of Disability and Active Participation.

The theme of disability will come to life in a particular way in a sensory garden, which will be prepared and maintained by people with disability in the grounds of the Poor Clare Monastery that is being used as one of the chapels of adoration for the Congress.

Keynote speakers on this day of healing include Rose Busingye, a Ugandan nurse who has devoted her life to the care of people suffering with AIDS. A workshop on Co-dependency, Communion and Healing will be facilitated by Sr Consilio Fitzgerald, from the Cuan Mhuire Centre.

Archbishop Bashar Warda of Iraq and Archbishop Rrock Kola Mirdita of Tirana, Albania will speak about the experience of personal suffering that is so often the result of tyranny and religious intolerance.

For more information, visit our programme section 

For media information, visit our media centre

We need to deepen our understanding of this reality and this is the reason for the important gathering which will soon take place “close to home” we might say – here in the cosmopolitan city of Dublin. I refer, of course, to the upcoming International Eucharistic Congress which will be held from June 10th to the 17th of this year, a very significant event not only for the Catholic Church in Ireland, but for the universal Church. It has been carefully and creatively organized and prepared. What is the point of such a gathering? It is to renew our faith in the reality which is at the absolute center of Catholic life – the real presence of Christ himself in the Eucharist. Ultimately, it is renewed faith and love for the Lord in the Eucharist that will renew our lives and renew the life of the Church. It is his true presence in the Eucharist which can heal our own spiritual paralysis, which fills us with light and joy, which gives meaning to our lives, and which prepares us for the life of the world to come.

It is a great joy for me to be in Ireland, beginning my time here as Pope Benedict’s representative, especially in this year of the International Eucharistic Congress. Something new is indeed happening. I am convinced that the Lord is preparing something beautiful for his Church. May I ask your support and your prayers for my mission, as I thank you from the heart for being here with me today. Let us ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, to intercede for us and for Ireland as we strive to follow her son more closely."

Extract from Homily of Archbishop Charles John Brown, Apostolic Nuncio, in the Pro-Cathedral of Dublin, 19 February 2012

Read complete Homily here

The theology symposium is a meeting of academics who will reflect on the theme of the 50th International Congress, The Eucharist: Communion with Christ and with One Another.

In 1962 the Second Vatican Council opened and strongly underlined the ecclesiology of communion. Fifty years on, the theology symposium in Saint Patrick's College, Maynooth examines the status questionis with the theme The Eucharistic Ecclesiology of Communion Fifty Years after Vatican II.

From 6-9 June 2012, scholars across the disciplines of theology (scripture, systematics, moral theology, liturgy, pastoral studies, missiology and ecumenics) will explore the question: How goes it today with the ecclesiology of communion in aspects?

Speakers include Cardinal Oscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga, Professor Dr Martin Stuflesser, Father Michael McCabe, Professor Piero Coda, Cardinal Kurt Koch and Cardinal Marc Ouellet.

Each day plenary sessions, liturgy, seminars and workshops will follow a daily theme. There will be round table discussions and dialogue with the halls. Translation facilities will be available. Participants who attend the theology symposium will be graduates (or equivalent) in theology. 

Find out more about speakers and events at the theology symposium in Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth.

They heard from Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin and Eucharistic Congress organisers on how preparations for the International Congress were progressing. There were also detailed discussions and presentations from the International Congress Pontifical Committee and Theological Symposium.

The delegates from 70 different countries represented Albania, Angola, Arab Countries, Australia and New Zealand, Austria, Balkans, Belarus, Belgium, Botswana, South Africa and Swaziland, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina-Faso, Cameroon, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, England and Wales, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Guinea, Hungary, India, Italy, Kenya, Korea, Lesotho, Lithuania, Namibia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, Paraguay, Phillipines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Rep Dem Del Congo, Scotland, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Vatican, Vietnam, West Indies, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Log to our Media Centre and read Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin's address to the delegates, as well as that from Archbishop Piero Marini, President Pontifical Council for International Eucharistic Congresses.

Fr. Kevin Doran was interviewed on EWTN on the preparations for the 50th International Eucharistic Congress 2012. Watch the interview now on our media centre: http://www.iec2012.ie/thecongressinthemedia