All my springs are in you (Psalm 87:7) - The 52nd International Eucharistic Congress, Budapest, Hungary.
Born from the devotion of a laywoman, Emilie-Marie Tamisier, the underlying objective of the Eucharistic Congress is to uniformly garner reverence towards the most Holy Eucharist – sensitizing the faithful to the holy presence of Christ. In 1881, the first-ever Eucharistic Congress held in Lille, France, exemplifies this objective through events culminating in the Holy Eucharist. Over the years, the Eucharistic Congress has journeyed across the globe, including the Archdiocese of Bombay in 1964.
2021 marked the initiation of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress held in Budapest, Hungary. Initially scheduled for 2020, the event saw a shift in plans on account of the pandemic. At the opening Mass, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, president of the Council of European Bishops' Conferences, invited the Church to ponder on the theme: “All my springs are in You” (Psalm 87:8).
Pilgrims – both lay and religious – graced the week-long program from 5th September to 12th September, demonstrating their faith in the Eucharist. Celebrated once in four years, the Eucharistic Congress organized in Budapest featured 60 speakers. Among them were Hungarian President, János Áder, Cardinal Charles Bo of Myanmar, Cardinal Péter Erdő of Hungary, Cardinal Baltazar Enrique Porras from Venezuela and Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako from Iraq. Noteworthy orators including, Mary Healy – one of the first women of the Pontifical Biblical Commission – and Sophia Kuby, founder of the Dignity Watch, delved into topics concerning the Eucharist.
As many priests and bishops shared their testimonies of the Eucharistic faith, representatives of the Shalom Catholic Community, the Cenacolo Community and the House of Prayer Community touched hearts through life experiences and redemptive efforts.
The 52nd International Eucharistic Congress spread across 20 different venues throughout Budapest, including the Liszt Academy, Erkel Theatre and St. Stephen's Basilica, had come to a close with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist by His Holiness, Pope Francis.
In his homily, Pope Francis reflected upon Jesus’ question to His disciples – “Who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:29) – a question that the Lord poses to each of us, personally. The Holy Father further stated that our response “renews us as disciples”, a renewal that includes: proclaiming Jesus, discerning with Jesus, and following Jesus.
His Holiness concluded by saying: “This International Eucharistic Congress marks the end of one journey, but more importantly, the beginning of another.”
Few images from the events around Budapest below. Source: https://www.facebook.com/iec2021budapest
