The Irish standard., 1911-07-08
Hundreds of Prominent American
Churchmen Attend Catholic
Function in Madrid.
About $4,000 People Present in Tri.
umphal Procession of Blessed
Sacrament.
King and Queen of Spain and Entire
Cabinet Attend Final
Session.

During the past week the eyes of
the Catholic world were turned toward
Madrid where the twenty-second In
ternational Eucharistic Congress was
held. The Congress which is said to
have surpassed in some respects the
grandeur of the event which took place
in Montreal last September was
brought to a close June 2s, when a let
ter Of congratulation was received
reminded those present of the condi-
ton of the Church in Portugal and
asked the members of the congress to
pray for a quick alleviation of the
wrongs being done to the Church there
Hundreds of prominent American
church mon have been in attendance
at the sessions of the Congress, which
opened Sunday in the Church of San
Francisco, when Spain officially well
coined the International Eucharistic
Congress, King Alfonso delegating
thereto the Infante Don Carlos, who
made g. speech Of greeting. The
church was filled with prelates, priests
and lay delegates from all nations. A
solemn special service, with discourses
by the Papal Legate and the Bishop of
Nannur, followed.
Cardinal Aguirre Garcia, Arch
bishop Of Burgos, opened the Congress
in the afternoon. The Archbishop Of
Montreal, the Most Rev. Paul Bru-
chest, read the minutes of last years
Congress at Montreal, after which two
kilograms received from the Holy Fa-
ther, Plus X, blessing the delegates
and according them plenary indulgence
were read.
The beautiful San Francisco Grande
church, the national Pantheon, stands
in the same Gale Bailen as the Palocio
Real, beyond the deep chasm Of the
Gale Segovia, which is crossed by the
lofty Vioducto.
Evening sermon and Benedictfon
was given, for English visitors at San
Gines' church, and for Irish visitors at
Santa Maria. Pontifical masses were
said in the Pro- Cathedral of San Isl
dro, church which was SO named af-
Ter the ploughman patron Saint of old
Gale de Toledo. ...
At the general assemblies discourses
were delivered by the Bishop of Sion
and the Archbishop of Sevilla, and by
the famous pulpit orator, Bishop Jara
of La Serena.
The Congress closed Thursday with
a triumphant procession of the Blessed
Sacrament some $4,000 people taking
part.
Towards the expense of decorating
the route of the procession the Cham
Der of Deputies had voted a sum Of
100000 pesetas Qess than $20,000),
5000 pesetas; the Queen Mother, Dona
Maria Cristina, 1000 pesetas, each of
the Infantes, 1000. The Bank of Spain
contributed 5000 and the Casino of
Madrid 1000 pesetas, and many priv
ate persons made donations towards
this purpose.
The procession organized in the Re-
tiro, the great park Of Madrid, and
started from near by San Jeronimo
church, where the historic wedding of
Queen Victoria Eugenie with King AL
fonso was celebrated. Passing the
National Gallery (Museo del Prado),
it traversed the Prado Promenade, and
then turning to the left, continued
along the finest streets of the capital,
the Gale Alcala, across the Puerto del
Sol, along the Gale Mayor, scene OF
the dastardly bomb outrage on the oc-
casion of the royal wedding, and then
sharply to the right, coming to its
grand finale in the Plaza de las Armas
of the royal palace.
The Plaza de las Armas is officially
calculated to hold $4,000. Here the
blessing of the Cardinal Legate was
given and the procession dispersed
After the Legate had blessed the null
titude, the Sacred Host was carried to
the grand staircase Of the palace
where the whole royal family was in
waiting. Escorted by King and Queen