Eucharistic Congress June 24 - 26

The 2011 Eucharistic Conference in the St. Louis Archdiocese is coming up soon, corresponding with the Feast of Corpus Christi. A Eucharistic Congress is a relatively recent phenomenon in the church, evidently dating from the late 19^th century. The first one (so called) was held in Lille, France in 1881, and immediately became an annual event. Saint Pope Pius X ratified the idea by requesting an (or the) International Eucharistic Congress be held in Rome in 1905. Read more in the Catholic Encyclopedia.

In some places in Europe there were civil laws against religious processions and of course some "vigorous" Protestantism which denies the truth of the Substantial Presence of Our Lord in the Eucharistic Species. It seems that the first Eucharistic Congresses were meant to be simultaneously witness to the Faith and a protest against civil laws forbidding public expression of it. The story in the encyclopedia article about the 1908 Eucharistic Congress in London seems indicative. Here in the USA we don't have an established church actively opposing us, but we do have a very skeptical and condescending popular culture as in 19^th century France. A Eucharistic Congress serves to "confirm the brethren" and to publicly witness to our future brethren. Cardinal Burke will be back in St. Louis for the event. Registration is requested. For more information, click the graphic.