Eucharistic Congress

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 203, 11 August 1927, Page 8

Eucharistic Congress

NEW ZEALAND CONTINGENT. VETERAN ARCHBISHOP GOING. New Zealand will be well represented at the Eucharistic Congress in Sydney next years (says the Auckland “Sun.”) Besides the veteran Archbishop of Wellington, Dr Redwood and a majority of the' Roman Catholic bishops, it is estimated that at least 50U of the faithful will make the pilgrimage across the Tasman. The New Zealand contingent will necessitate chartering a special steamer. The red robes of cardinals not seen in Sydney since the days of’ Cardinal Moran, will lend the final note of brilliance to the picturesque and impressive ceremonies which will mark the

Although no definite word has yet been received, it is hoped that Cardinal Bourne, Archbishop of Westminster, and head of the Roman Catholic Church in England, will journey to Sydney. Cardinal O’Donnell, Archbishop of Dublin, and Cardinal Hayes, Archbishop of New York have already intimated their intention of being present. It is certain that there will be several cardinals from the European countries, and at the head of these august dignitaries will be the Papal Legate, sent specially by the Pope to preside over the congress. It is hoped that the latter will be either the famous Cardinal Merry Del Vai who was Secretary of State to Pope Pius X. and whose mother was English, or Cardinal Ceretti, who is well known in Sydney as a former Apostolic Delegate. Both speak English perfectly. Although the Congress is 14 mouths ahead, preparations for it are already well advanced. The Sydney committee is hard at work planning out the innumerable details. Archbishop Kelly is head of the executive, with Monsignor O’Gorman ns general secretary, and Father J. Meany as organising secretary.

Soe time before the opening ofc the Congress members of the permanent committee, which deals with all the Eucharist Congresses in every part of the world, will arrive in Sydney headed by Monsignor Heylen, Bishop of Namur, in Belgium, who,’ as president of the committee, has long devoted his energies to this work; and Count d’Yanville, the secretary of the permanent committee. j. The Congress will last four days and will consist of a series of great religious ceremonies, interspersed with meetings, at which discourses on the subject of the Blessed Eucharist will be given by chosen orators anu scholars.

There will be 12 such discourses, and, in addition, there will be sectional or study meetings, at which debates will take place. The latter will be held in the big educational establishments. The international character of the Congress is evidenced by the fact that sectional meetings will be carried on in English, French Spanish, Italian and other languages' There will bo a big evening sei vice in St. Mary’s Cathedral, the completion of which stately ed'ifice is being hurried, in view of the event. The climax of the religious functions will be the great public procession on the final day of the Congress—the Sunday.. The Legate and the prelates will start from Manly, moving up the harbour in a fleet o’f boats. At Mnn-o’-War Steps the main body will meet them, and the procession, consisting of cardinals, archbishops, bishops, clergy, supliced altar boys, school children in wreaths and veils, and wearing white dresses Papal Knights, and various sodailitios, with numerous banners, will proceed up Macquarie street tb St. Mary’s Cathedral. 'Pilgrims are coming from all parts of the world to attend the Congiess. Practically every country of Europe will be represented. Already three vessels have been chartered to bring visitors from the United States, and another has been secured for a Canadian pilgrimage. The Matson Line is making its newest steamer, the Malula, the flagship of the flotilla from the United States. .Sir Thomas Cook is the official travel agent for the Congress.

The tremendous influx of visitors to Sydney for the event is expected to exced 200,000. As it would bo impossible for the hotels to accommo date all, the local committee is making an index of all the the accommodation available in Roman Catholic homes—a kind of quasi-billeting.