THE EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 143, 18 June 1926, Page 6

THE EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS.

It has been confidently predicted that the Eucharistic Congress to be opened in Chicago on Sunday next will be the greatest religious demonstration evej given in the history of the world. Tlie congress is a modern religious pilgrimage to manifest publicly to the world the Catholic belief that Christ is present in the Eucharist, and to promote among men a more widespread devotion to His person. It is thus a public international demonstration of faith in the central belief of the Catholic world. Two hundred and fifty years ago Father James Marquette, a young French Jesuit priest, celebrated Mass on a portable altar on the site upon which Chicago now stands. Father Marquette had for his congregation only the two companions who had accompanied him. The present congress will be attended by over a million people, and the visitors will include names of international im- | portance. Thus the president of the | League of Nations Assembly, M. Dandurand, will speak at several of the gatherlings, and the President of the United States will be personally represented. ; Great interest will attach to the presence at the congress of Monsignor |iSeipel, the Chancellor of Australia. The j Pope will be represented by Cardinal ißonzano, and it is anticipated that more than twenty cardinals, forty archbishops and two hundred and sixty bishops will be present. Ten tons of medals have been sent from Rome for distribution as mementoes of the congress On Monday, at the opening Pontitieal Mass, a choir of 60,000 children will sing the Mass of thcVAngels. I The special subject selected by the Pope for discussion at the congress is, "The Eucharist and the Family." A special day has been set apart for women and will be known as "Women's Day." There will also be a mass meeting for men in the huge stadium, which is able te accommodate 200.000 persons at one time. The subject of higher education will have a day to itself, and all the Catholic universities and colleges of the United States will be represented. The congress has an added significance at the present time owing to the attitude taken up by a large section of the Anglo|Catho"lics in Great Britain on the subject of adoration of the Sacrament. Many outside the church of Rome will ui.n the congress all success, .sine.", in 1 essence it is a part of the witness which I the Church universal bears to the power of faith.