From 15 -22 June 2008, the 49th International Eucharistic Congress took place in Quebec, presided by Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the Primate of the
Church of
Canada. Since it was impossible for the Pope to participate himself, he named Cardinal Josef Tomko Papal Legate to take his place. The Cardinal is the President emeritus of the Pontifical Commission for International Congresses; he was welcomed with honour, joy and respect.
In the course of this memorable week, the faithful from 60 countries all over the world heard the call of Christ to be better witnesses in a world thirsty for hope and for love.
The Eucharistic Celebrations, the Catechesis, the testimonies, the sharing, and the brother/sisterly encounters, along with the various expressions of commitment, enriched and confirmed us in our Christian Mission.
The volunteers formed one of the pillars of the Congress, contributing greatly to its success. From all over the world, people came as participants, but they were also ready to give their time to the Church, because of their faith. The Holy Family was present through multiple services in the ExpoCity area, transformed for the occasion into a Eucharistic City, where a great variety of activities took place, many of them open to the public at large, such as the Opening Ceremony, the Blessed Sacrament Procession through the streets of the City, the vigils of prayer and adoration, and the closing ceremony on the Plains of Abraham.
We experienced solidarity with the planet. The Congress brought forth some very practical options for the life of the world. Every effort was made to reduce pollution at its source, and to encourage re-use, and recycling.
The Congress has borne major fruit in the domain of faith and culture for the whole population. It was an extraordinary opportunity for the people of
Quebec to live this unique experience in a festive atmosphere with believers of all ages from all over the world.
Colette Lambert (Canada)
http://www.cei2008.ca/en/accueil
