The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-07-25
1WEN1Y.F|FTH ANNUAL
EUCHAR|ST|C CONGRESS

The twenty-fifth eucharistic con-
gress of the Roman Catholic Church,
which began at Lourdes in southern
France on Wednesday, promises to
be the most notable gathering of the
kind ever held.
Ten Cardinals of the Church, head
ed by Cardinal di Belmonte, the pa
pal legate; $50 archbishops and
bishops. monsignori, priests, mnks,
nuns by the thousands and more
than 100000 other persons from all
over the world. crowded the little
French city, famous for its shrine for
the four days of the congress. The
congress will lend after the great pro-
cession of the blessed sacrament with
Mass celebrated by the representa-
tive of Pope Plus x, who as Cardinal
and supreme pontiff has always been
warm advocate of the congress.
Services, formal and otherwise,
were held in ten languages in every
church, chapel and hall of the city.
A great choir of 200 priests intoned
the chants and another choir of 1000
made the music an important fea-
ture of the four days. Receptions
and conclaves, pilgrimages. vista
tions and cures, filled up the time be-
twee nthe formal sessions of the con-
gress.
Interest in the eucharistic con-
gress has been steadily growing since
it's initiation at Lille, France, in
1881. by Bishop CASTOR de Segur.
1t is gathering to honor in a spe-
cially public manner the scriptural
doctrine which may be called the
very heart of the Roman Catholic
Church, the real presence of Christ
in the Eucharist. Upon this doctrine
depends the sacrifice of the Mass
which continues the sacrifice of the
cross consummated on Calvary. The
sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is
made in the Mass, according to the
Church doctrine, by the "transub-
stantiation" or change in the sub
stance of the bread and wine into the
body and blood of Christ. The con-
gress is designed to stimulate the
faith and zeal of the Church in this
vital dogma.
Bishop Heylen of Namur. Belgium.
was presiding officer of the congress,
while the programme was arranged
by Bishop schoepfer of Tarbes and
Lourdes, who is permanent chairman
of the committee.
The ceremonies began with the ar
rival of the Cardinal delegate. A
great gathering of prelates and dele
cations from all over the world ac-
companied the Mayor and other civic
dignitaries of the city to the station
to the representative of the Holy
See. They escorted the prelate to
the Terminal Hotel, where recep-
ton was given in his honor.
Immediately after a solemn pro-
cession was made to the grotto Of
Our Lady of Lourdes. After this
pilgrimage the Cardinal legate was
escorted to the episcopal palace,
where he lodged during his stay.
Except for the religious services
the work of the congress was divided
according to tongue. A section for
English-speaking delegates met at
one place and simultaneously there
met Germans, French. Spanish,
Austrian, Slavic. Hungarian and all
other delegates. While they were
addressed by preplates in their re-
spective languages. the programme
was the same for all. The delibera-
tions concerned the revival of the
faith in countries which have be-
come lukewarm and the propaga-
ton of the faith in all countries.
The work has been divided for the