QUEBEC,QC,CA — No one can know with certainty if the choice of Quebec City as the site of the 49th International Eucharistic Congress was another example Pope John Paul II’s prophetic charism. Nevertheless, in retrospect the choice is certainly providential in its meaning.
Quebec City sits along a narrowing of the St. Lawrence River in the Canadian province of Quebec and has a population of fewer than half a million in the city and just over 700 thousand in the larger metropolitan area. This year marks the 400th anniversary of the founding of the city and, after Mexico, of the Catholic Church in North America.
There could be no better city to symbolize the power of the Eucharist than Quebec. From the humble landing of a ship named “God’s Gift” in 1608, the seed of Catholicism has blossomed into North America’s largest religious group. Yet the city, like the Eucharist, is ever new. The city is both the location of the oldest site of pilgrimage in North America, Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, and has developed a web-site that is awash with new media http://www.cei2008.ca/en/accueil.
Fittingly too, the motto of Quebec Province is “Je me souviens” which means “I remember.” While this is normally interpreted as to a call remember the region’s French culture, its appropriateness to the Eucharist has not been lost on Congress organizers. Neither has the motto of Quebec City, which translates, “I shall put God’s gift to good use.” It is this theme that seems to be most directly echoed by organizers with their own theme, “The Eucharist, gift of God for the life of world.”
In an interview with Catholic Exchange.com, Sister Doris Lamontagne, Assistant Secretary General of the International Eucharistic Congress explained that the first Eucharistic Congresses grew out of a time of religious turmoil in Europe. Their purpose was to promote Eucharistic Adoration, but Vatican II called for a renewal of Congress mission to add the dimensions of celebration and social concern. “It is important to know,” Sr. Lamontagne reminded us, “that all three elements must be present. In the first congress after the Council, Pope Paul VI included a visit to the poor of Bombay when he attended the congress.”
She laughed to recall that it was the Mayor of Quebec who initially proposed the idea of requesting the honor of hosting the Eucharistic Congress. “He wanted an international celebration as part of the [city’s] 400th anniversary.” She continued, explaining that the mayor recognized the key role played by the Catholic Church in Quebec society throughout its history right through the present.
The Congress always enjoys the presence of a personal Legate of the Pope and often of the Pope himself. This year Cardinal Jozef Tomko, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and President Emeritus of the Pontifical Committee for the International Eucharistic Congresses, will represent Pope Benedict XVI.
Asked if they were disappointed with the absence of the Pope, Sr. Lamontagne confessed to CE, “If I tell you the truth, there is some disappointment, but we are not demoralized.” She added happily, “Jesus will be there, or we will all be in big trouble!”
Pope Benedict will deliver the homily at the closing mass on Sunday, June 22 via satellite. Cardinal Tomko will celebrate the outdoor Mass with an expected 50,000 faithful in attendance. The remote homily is not unusual for Congresses as Pope John Paul II delivered the final mass homily at the 48th Congress in similar fashion. The first satellite address came from Pope Paul VI at the 41st Congress in Philadelphia in 1976. Pope Pious XI gave the first remote homily by radio in 1932 at the 31st Congress in Dublin.
Acknowledging that the Congress is a call to awaken the faithful of all ages, they have extended a special invitation to the young. “From the beginning, we wanted the young involved,” said Sr. Lamontagne. “In May of 2005, we called them together in a Youth Summit to gain their commitment.”
With all the planning and prayer undertaken by the city for the Congress, Sr. Lamontagne speaks of humble expectations when asked about her hopes for a lasting legacy of the 49th Congress. “Just that people believe that Jesus Christ is still alive by the example set by those who come. If we can witness of our own faith, then I will be happy.”
