What is a National Eucharistic Congress
One of the key moments in the pastoral preparation for the 50th International Eucharistic Congress is the celebration of a short National Eucharistic Congress on June 25th and 26th of this year.
People from every diocese will gather together in Knock on June 25th and there will be a liturgical celebration in each diocese the following day, June 26th, the Solemnity of Corpus Christi.
On Saturday 25th June, pilgrims will travel from every corner of Ireland, some arriving in time for a celebration of Morning Prayer in Knock at 11am. This will be followed later in the morning by four workshops on themes related to Communion and Eucharist, which will be repeated on Saturday evening and again on Sunday morning.
Space will be limited and people will be invited to register on line in advance for these workshops, which will be presented by Fr. Kieron O’Mahony OSA, Prof. Robert Enright, Rosemary Swords and Fr. Tom Norris.
The heart of the National Congress at Knock will be the celebration of the Eucharist, preceded by the anointing of the sick. The first reading at Mass on that day is the account of the hospitality of Abraham from the Book of Genesis. It is a powerful reminder of how, even in Old Testament times, people were aware of how God enters into our lives, draws us into communion with Him and forms us into a people of His very own.
During the Mass, a large candle with the Eucharistic Congress Logo will be blessed for each of the twenty-six cathedrals in Ireland. These will be brought back to each diocese to be placed at the centre of a diocesan celebration on June 26th. As we continue our preparation for 2012, these candles will be a reminder of Christ’s presence in each diocesan community and of the communion of the Irish Church.
| Saturday 25th June | ||
| 10.00am | Pilgrims Begin to Arrive | |
| 11.00am | Morning Prayer | Parish Church |
| 12pm – 1pm | Workshops 1-4 | Marquees |
| 2.00pm | Sacrament of Anointing | Basilica – With Youth Festival Participants |
| 3.00pm | Celebration of the Eucharist | Basilica – With Youth Festival Participants |
| 5.30pm to 6.30pm | Workshops 1-4 Repeated | Marquees |
| Evening | Celebration of Reconciliation | Basilica – With Youth Festival Participants |
Details on the workshops and Speakers
Fr. Kieran O’Mahoney – Workshop 1: Recognising the Body: St. Paul responds to a divided church
Fr. Kieran O’Mahony is a member of the Augustinian Community at Orlagh Retreat centre. He is diocesan academic co-ordinator of Biblical Studies in the Archdiocese of Dublin. Fr. Kieran has taught at Milltown Institute and Mater Dei Institute. He is also one of the facilitators of the Word-on-Web Programme. Among his many publications are: Do We Still Need St Paul? A Contemporary Reading of the Apostle: Dublin, Veritas, 2009, and What the Bible Says about the Stranger. Biblical Perspectives on Racism, Immigration, Asylum and Cross-Community Issues Dublin , The Churches’ Peace Education Programme, 1999
Prof. Robert Enright – Workshop 2: Forgiving and Remembering in New Ways
Robert Enright is a Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in America. He has been a leader in the scientific study of forgiveness and its effects since 1985. Time magazine referred to him as “the forgiveness trailblazer.” He is the author of over 100 publications, including five books: Exploring Forgiveness, Helping Clients Forgive, Forgiveness Is a Choice, The Forgiving Life (currently in production), and a children’s book, Rising above the Storm Clouds. His colleagues and he have been in Belfast, Northern Ireland since 2002, assisting schools in setting up forgiveness education programs.
Rev. Prof. Thomas Norris – Workshop 3: ‘From receiving Holy Communion to Building up Communion’
Fr Tom Norris is a priest of the Diocese of Ossory. He has done parish work and retreats. He was professor of theology in St Kieran’s College, Kilkenny, and later at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth. He has written on topics such as the Eucharist, the Church and Spirituality. One such book carried the title, ‘Living a Spirituality of Communion.’ He is a member of the International Theological Commission of the Vatican.
Ms. Rosemary Swords – Workshop 4: Helping children to pray with the Blessed Sacrament
Rosemary Swords is leader of the Elijah Fellowship in Dublin and a director of the Elijah Team, a full-time ministry for evangelisation and catechesis. She chairs the Adoration Sub-Committee of the 50th International Eucharistic Congress.
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