EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 173, 23 June 1926, Page 9

EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS.

PUBLIC SESSION HELD. NEW YORK, June 21. Undaunted by threatening skies, more than 200,000 people assembled in the Soldiers’ Field on Monday to witness the first public session of the Eucharistic Congress. The day began with a solemn Pontificial Mass at the stadium altar, ' before the greatest throng of worshippers ever gathered together for the rite. The ecclesiastical procession, which was led by the cardinals, could not enter the stadium until the police had struggled for half an hour.

The Communion blessing, given by Cardinal Bonzano, the Papal legate, was barely over when throngs of worshippers, intent on approaching as nearly as possible to the prelates and the altar, rushed forward, bringing the ceremonies to a halt. The remainder of the programme, consisting of addresses, including one by Dr. Mannix, Archbishop of Melbourne, had to be abandoned.—Reuter. RECORD GATHERING. CHILDREN’S CHORUS OF PRAISE. Received June 23, 9 a.m. NEW YORK, June 22. A chorus of 62,000 children lifted their voices in praise and thanksgiving to Christ, their Eucharistic King, in the greatest religious gathering ever held on American soil, rivalling in splendour the ceremonies and pageantry of ancient Rome. One hundred and forty-five thousand persons gathered from all the nations of the world in the stadium within half a mile of Chicago’s busiest centre. Tiers of seats filled with pilgrims lined either side of the field, reaching up to the Grecian columns, from which flew the Stars and Stripes and the gold and silver colours of the Papacy. The altar was topped by a cress that towered to the clouds. At the north end of the stadium four huge bronze statues of angels faced in four directions, bearing banners inscribed: “Salve Bonzano,” and other cardinals were seated under a canopy on the right side of the altar clad in robes of red. Hundreds of thousands more lined the streets leading to the stadium during the ceremonies.—A. and N.Z. cable.