Thursday, 17th May 2012

International Eucharistic Congress, Dublin 2012

Posted on 06. Jun, 2011

 

 
The Eucharist: Communion with Christ and with One Another
 
In June 2008, Pope Benedict XVI announced that the next International Eucharistic Congress will take place in Ireland in 2012.  Whilst the main events will take place in Dublin, the Congress is intended to provide the whole Church, both here in Ireland and beyond, with an opportunity to deepen our faith in the Eucharist and to explore ways to express this mystery in our lives.
 
This International Eucharistic Congress also marks the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of the Second Vatican Council and the theme chosen to reflect upon is closely aligned to the documents of this Ecumenical Council: “The Eucharist: Communion with Christ and with One Another.”
 
The International Eucharistic Congress aims to:
 
o   Engage with all members of our parish and diocesan community: including the sick and the elderly, youth and young adults, the marginalised and those in need, married couples and families, priests and religious, as well as those from other churches and faith communities.
 
o   Renew the local Church through Adult and Youth Faith Development.
 
o   Promote an awareness of the central place of the Eucharist in the life and mission of the Church.
 
o   Draw attention to the social dimension of the Eucharist, the responsibility that we are called to express in a concrete way what we profess and celebrate.
 
The Programme of the International Eucharistic Congress will encompass a variety of celebrations, catecheses and social outreach initiatives including:
 
o   A Two-Year Journey of Catechetical and Spiritual Preparation at both the Parish and Diocesan level.
 
o   A Diocesan and National Calendar of Events leading up to the International Congress.
 
o   Various Theological Conferences and Symposia on the Eucharist.
 
o   An International Eucharistic Congress Week to be held in Dublin from 10th-17th June 2012.
 
As such, this International Congress provides both our parishes and the Diocese of Down and Connor with a unique opportunity to engage with youth, parishioners and the wider society and explore with renewed vision the life and mission of the Church in Ireland.
 
 
 
 

 
Pastoral Planning: Four Stages of Preparation
 
The theme of the Congress is: Communion with Christ and with one another. Over the course of the next two years (2010-2012) this theme will be explored in four distinct Stages of preparation. These Stages will occur seasonally.
 
STAGE ONE: 
 
Autumn/Winter 2010: Christ gathers us as a Eucharistic Community. Overview
 
 
 
STAGE TWO:
 
Spring/Summer 2011: Christ gathers us to listen, to hear, to be nourished and to be formed into community by God's word. Overview
 
 
STAGE THREE:
 
Autumn/Winter 2011: Christ gathers us to be nourished by the Bread of Life. Overview
 
STAGE FOUR:
 
Spring 2012: Christ gathers and strengthens us for Mission by the Word and the Bread of Life. Overview
  

Resources:

 

Overview of the Context and Theme of the Congress (2012)

Pastoral Resources on the theme of Gathering

Full Text and Resources for Stage One (Gathering)

Prayer for the Eucharistic Congress 2012

 

Prayer for the Eucharistic Congress

 

 

Download a Copy of the Congress Prayer

 

Documents

Various documents have been written on the centrality of the Eucharist to the life and ministry of the Church. The links below offer complete texts of some of the significant documents.
 
Sacrosanctum Concilium
Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy prepared during the Second Vatican Council and promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1963.
 
Ecclesia de Eucharistia
Pope John Paul II's Enyclical letter on the Eucharist and its relationship to the Church.
 
Sacramentum Caritatis
Pope Benedict XVI's Apostolic Exhortation on the Eucharist as the source and summit of the Church's life and mission
 
One Bread, One Body
A teaching document on the Eucharist in the life of the Church (published jointly in 1998 by the Catholic Bishops of Ireland, England & Wales and Scotland).

The Shape, Significance & Ecclesial Impact of Eucharistic Congresses.
An address given by Archbishop Piero Marini, President of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses, to the Irish Catholic Bishops Conference in June 2009

 

E-Congress

"e-Congress" is a new on-line magazine prepared for the 50th Eucharistic Congress which provides links to a variety of articles as well as catechetical resources, which can be downloaded for use in your own community.

 

 

 

Issue 1 (May 2010) of e-Congress is now available here.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Issue 2 (October 2010) of e-Congress is now available  here .
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Please send an e-mail to E-Congress@iec2012.ie if you wish to be notified of further issues.
 
 
For further information, see also www.iec2012.ie
 

 

For further information:

 

International Congress Website:  www.iec2012.ie
E-Mail:                                                 info@iec2012.ie

or contact the Down and Connor Diocesan Delegate:

Fr Edward McGee                    (e.mcgee@smucb.ac.uk)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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