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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN'S ASSOCIATION OF GEORG I \
APRIL 3, 1926.
CHICAGO INVITES ¥00 TO EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS
History of Eucharistic Congress
First-One Held in France in 1881, With Attendance of
3,000—710,000 at Montreal Congress Fifteen Years Ago
Hie congress movement had its ori
gin in the piety of a devout French
woman, Marie Tamissier, at whose
solicitation Bishop Gaston de Segur
convened the first congress at Lille,
F'rauce, June 21, 1881. This congress
was attended by. about 3,00(1 per
sons representing nine nationalities.
Explaining the purpose of that first
meeting, the venerable Bishop said:
‘’ll is quite evident that the
great evils of the day. not mere
ly in France but throughout the
whole Christian world, are trace
able lo the denial of Jesus
Christ. Secularization has been
the watchword of the enemies
of God and their purpose has-
been to keep religion and the
supernatural away from the
heart for Jesus Christ to entex-,
and this purpose can be at
tained only by means of the
Holy Eucharist.”
The following year the congress
was held, at Avignon and was at
tended by more than 6,000 per
sons, Liege was selected for the
congress of 1883 at which assem
bled 10,000 Catholics from all parts
of the world.
When the fourth congress con
vened at Fribourg, Switzerland, add
ed thousands of the clergy and laity
met to participate in its ceremonies
and deliberations. At the seventh
congress held at Antwerp, Belgium,
in 1800, the popularity of the con
gress movement was evidenced by
the presence of more than 150,000
persons.
The pilgrims assembled in Jeru
salem in -1893 for the ninth Eu
charistic congress, and on the Mount
of Olives, where tradition states that
the agony of Christ, before His be
trayal, occurred the adoration of
the Blessed Sacrament t.ook place.
The Eucharistic Congresses follow
ing the one in Jerusalem were held
at Reims, France, 1894: Paray-lc-Mo-
at Rheims. France, 1894; Paray-le-Mo-
gium, 1898; Lourdes, France. 1899,
where 30,000 priests attended the
congi-css and took part in the pro-
ccssions. The thirteenth congress
met at Angers in 1901; Namur, Bel
gium, was chosen for the following
year; and the fifteenth Congress
went to Angouleme, France.
Pope Pius X. added to the solem
nity of the sixteenth congress, which
was held at Rome, by celebrating
Mass and receiving the delegates in
special audiences. This Eucharistic
Congress was held in Rome at the
urgent request of the Pope.
Tournai, Belgium, and Metz, were
the cities of the seventeenth and
eighteenth meetings, in 1906 and
1907. lilach 'year the assemblies had
become more international in their
character, and it was decided to hold
the nineteenth eongi-ess in London.
Cardinal Bourne, then Archbishop
of Westminster, had invited the
delegates to the first Eucharistic
congress to he held among and un
der the auspices of, English-speak
ing people.
Cardinal Viccnzo Vannutelli, who
was the Papal Legate to the London
Congress, was the first of such Le
gates to visit England for more
than three centuries. He was greet
ed by an enthusiastic reception and
escorted by a body of English no
blemen in the procession to the
Westminster Cathedral. With-Cardi
nal Vannutelli were six other Car
dinals fourteen Arehbishops, seven
ty Bishops, and great numbers of
Priests and members .of the laity.
The London Congress was consider
ed the greatest of all Eucharistic
Congresses up to its time.
The twentieth congress was held
in Cologne in 1909, and the follow
ing year the first congress in the
Western Hemisphere was held in
Montreal. In the succeeding years
the Eucharistic congresses met iii
Madrid, Vienna, Malta, and in Lour
des in 1914. The World War in
terrupted the annual meetings, hut
after a lapse of eight years, the
next congress, the twenty-sixth, met
in Rome in 1922. Amsterdam was
the gathering place in 1924 for the
thousands of devoted pilgrims from
many countries who assembled in
the great Dutch city and its “sport-
park” for the congress ceremonies.
It is to Montreal, however, that
one must look in estimating the pos
sibilities of the congred?, to be held
in Chicago next June.
Fifteen years ago, 715.000 visitors
journeyed to the Canadian city for
the Eucharistic meeting. Since that
time devotion to the Holy Eucha
rist has very greatly increased as is
evidenced by tlie almost incredible
growth of the practice of frequent
communion In the United States
this devotion has-been fostered by
special Eucharistic ceremonies such
as weekly or monthly “Hdl.v Hour,”
arcliconfraternities of the Holy Eu
charist, etc. Then, too, travel is
more common today than it was 15
years ago. Add to this the fact that
the congress to be held at .Chicago
is the first to be convened in the
United States. It is not unlikely
that in popularity and in point of
numbers of those in attendance, the
gathering at Chicago next June will
prove to lie the most outstanding re
ligious demonstration of a century.
An attendance of upward of one
million persons is anticipated.
Chicago Ideally Situated
For World-Wide Gathering
Chicago is, by its geographical p.o-
■ sition admirably situated for such
an international gathering. Where
the Montreal of fifteen years ago
was served by two railroads, Chica
go is now the greatest railroad cen
ter of the world, with fifty-three
roads either making their, terminals
or having junctions there. One-half
the population of the United States
is within a night’s ride, and 8,000,000
persons live within a radius of 150
miles from the city. Every day,
50,000 visitors arrive and depart
from the city.
It is estimated that upwards of
1,000,000 persons will ’journey to
Chicago for the five-day meeting
there next June. These people will
come not only from all parts of the
nation lnit from the four corners
of the earth as Well. Already there
are the assurances of the presence of
substantial groups from England,
Ireland, and Scotland, Belgium,
France, Switzerland, .Spain, Italy,
Germany, Poland, Austria, Hungary.
Croatia and Slovenia. There are
special groups being formed in Can
ada and Mexico, from two of. the
Chile, Brazil, Paraguay and Ecuador.
From the Far East, from China and
Japan and the Phillipines will come
small but representative groups and
it is expected that representatives
from both India and Africa will par
ticipate in the Chicago asembles.
Accomodations For Million
Visitors Will Be Provided
Because of the excellent co-opera
tion on the part of Chicago nuns
and teaching religious, the housing
committee of the XXVI11 Internat
ional Eucharistic Congress will he
in a position to accommodate read
ily great numbers of visiting clergy-
aud religious who may come to Chi
cago next June. The various com
mittees also are arranged for ac
commodations for the million, lay
visitors expected for the Congress.
Council of Catholic Women
Is Organizing Delegations
A delegation from the executive
board of the National Council of
Catholic Women, has pledged the
co-operation and support of that or
ganization in promoting and aiding
the Eucharistic Congress.
Following a conference with the
Very Rev. Msgr. C. J Quille, Generali
Secretary of the Congress, Mrs. Ar
thur Mullen, president of the Coun
cil which represents more than 1500
organizations of Catholic women,
stated that an endeavor would be
made to have every unit of the
Council represented at the Congress.
The women’s organization will al
so cooperate with the Catholic
men s League of Chicago winch will
open club rooms in the Fine Arts
building for the accommodation of
delegates to the Congress.
Papal Knights to Be Guard
of Honor At Procession
The United States will for tlie
first time view a body of papal
knights in. full regalia when several
hundred prominent Catholic lay
men, so honored by the poe, will
participate in the ceremonies of the
Eucharistic Congress. Invitations
to the Eucharistic meet had been
sent to all recipients of church hon
ors, Among the orders of knights
to be represented at the congress
will he the Chevaliers of the Goldeu
Supr, on orde r instituted, in early
Christian times and restored by
Pope Pius X; members of tlie Su
preme Order of Christ, instituted in
1319: members of flip Ordine Piano;
Knights of the Holy Sepulchre;
Knights of St. Sylvester; Knights
of St. Gregory, an order with many
members in this country; and the
Privy Chamberlains to the pope.
'Hie papal knights will constitute
the guard of honor for the Blessed
Sacrament during the Fludharistic
procession to he held at Mundelien,
111, June 24, and will take part in
other congress ceremonies.
Significance of Congress
In order to understand the
purpose and significance of a
Eucharistic congress it is neces
sary that something be said of
(he teaching of the Catholic
Church in this matter. Accord
ing to Catholic doctrine, the
Blessed Eucharist, or the Sacra
ment of the Eucharist, is the
“central fact of Catholic wor
ship and devotion.” The teach
ing of the church is that, dur
ing the Mass, which is define*!,
as “the unbloody sacrifice of the
Body and Blood of Christ,” at
the words of consecration utter
ed by the celebrant priest, that
which was, and to all appearan
ces is, bread and wine, becomes
the Body and Blood of Christ.
His Soul and Divinity that
Jesus Christ is actually pres
ent upon the altar under the
appearance of bread and wine
that Jesus Christ is pres
ent upon the altar; in entirety,
in cither - species. The conse
crated Host, or small white wa
fer, is reserved in the taberna
cle of the altar in all Catholic
churches and is adored as the
Living Presence of Jesus Christ.
With this thought in mind it
wi!J be readily understood how,
in all the ages since the dawn of
Christianity, devotion to the
Holy Eucharist has been, among *
Catholics, of whatever race or
nationality, both spirited and
widespread. To Catholics, Jesus
Christ is actually present in the
Blessed Eucharist and, conse
quently. it is upon this doctrine
of the Blessed Eucharist that all
Catholic devotion and practice
rests. Pious Christians have
ever sought to stimulate to in
creased fervor this devotion to
Christ in the Eucharist.
Gigantic Preparations Are
Being Made For Gathering
Fo r more than a year twenty-three
committees of both clergy and laity
of the City of Chicago have been
working away with the preparations
for the Congress. These gentlemen
are engaged in caring for the recep
tion, transportation, housing, feed
ing and general welfare of Chicago’s
guests during their stay iii the city.
To meet with the situation brought
about by the presence of more than
a million visiturs in the city a spec
ial housing committee has been or
ganized, This body is now engaged
in making a survey of the private
homes of Chicago in an effort to
locate accommodations for a mil
lion guests above and beyond the
throngs which are to be housed in
hotels and hoarding houses. Recent
ly, more than 110,900 questionnaires
were distributed in all the Catholic
churches of the city as part of the
campaign to locate suitable accom
modations.
Conferences have been held with
railroad officials and representatives
of steamship lines, to arrange fpr
special, rates for persons coining to
the Congress and to organize all
transportation facilities to bring
them to Chicago in safety and com
fort. Pulman and dining cars will
he sidetracked and used, where
possible, for sleeping and restau
rant purposes.
The commissary committee, after
a series of conferences with Chicago
food producers has annoueed that
it will he able t(j care for the Con
gress crowds in matters of provis
ions and food supplies. Special ef
forts will lie made to prevent any
profiteering, and restaurants and
hotels will be asked to cooperate
with the committee by adopting a
standard scale of prices.
Head of League of Nations
to Attend Great Congress
Senator Raoul Danduraud, presi
dent of the assembly of the League
of Nations will attend the Eucha
ristic Congress, according to a let
ter received by the Very Rev. A.
Pelletier, S. S. S., of the Congress re
ception committee.
M Danduraud, who is a Montreal
hanker and a member of parliament,
was elected to the presidency of tlie
league assembly last September. He
will he among irte speakers who will
address the French section of the
Congress at its daily deliberations.
SAN ANTONIO PILGRIMS TO
JOURNEY ON SPECIAL TRAIN
Urging members of his diocese to
attend the Eucharistic Congress at
Chicago, June 20-24, the Rt. Rev. Ar
thur J. Drossaerts, D. D., Bishop of
San Antonio, lias issued an official
letter which was read in all churches
of the diocese Sunday.
A local committee will be ap
pointed with the officials of the
congress, the letter states, and the
Bishop hopes that San Antonio will
be well represented at the congress,
which will “surpass in grandeur and
attendance anything so far witness
ed in the Catholic world.”
Dates of Congress June 20-23
Million Catholics Will Receive Holy Communion First Day
—Other Features of Official. Program Announced
The principal meetings of the
Congress wilt be held in the huge
stadium known as “Soldiers’ Field”
on the lake front of Chicago; in the
famous Coliseum; and at the Tclio-
logical Seminary of St. Mary of the
Lake at Mundelin, III. An exhibi
tion of ecclesiastical art in painting,
sculptoring, etc., will be housed in
Chicago’s municipal pier.
The Congress will open Sunday,
June-20th. It is planned to cele
brate Midnight Mass in all the Cath
olic churches of the city and to have
a million Catholics receive Holy
Communion, which is to he offered
to the Pope as a “spiritual bouquet."
Priests from all parts of the coun
try will be invited to come to the
city a week ahead of time and as
sist in the hearing of the confes
sions and in the distribution of Com
munion.
The formal opening will take
place at noon on the same day with
solemn ceremonies in the Cathedral
of the Holy Name. This ceremony
celebrated with all the liturgical
beauty of the Church, will be the
occasion of an address by the Cathe-
nal Legate, representing the Pope
The second day, a Pontifical High
Mass will be celebrated in Soldiers’
Field in Grant Park. This Stadium,
built last year as a memorial to the
Chicago soldiers who fought in the
World War, will accommodate 160,-
000 persons. One of the visiting Car
dinals will celebrate the Mass, and
a choir of 50,000 children from the
parochial schools will sing. By use
of the microphone and loud speak
ers, every' member of the vast con
gregation will lie able to hear the
words of the sermon and the Mass.
In the famous Coliseum, scene of
many national conventions, the
principal meetings of the Congress
will lie held. Two meetings will he
held there every day: one at two
o’clock; and another at five o’clock.
Sixteen large hails throughout the
city have been engaged for sectionl
meetings of the national groups.
His Holiness, Pope Pius XI, lias se
lected the general subject for discus
sions at the Congress. “Tlie Holy
Eucharist and the Christian Life.”
Women will play a greater part
in the meetiugs at Chicago than in
any previous Congress. The third
day of the Congress will be their
special day, and a Pontifical High
Mass will lie sung in the Stadium,
with a choir of the nuns of Chicago
and visiting religious, thousands of
whom are expected to be present.
The Holy Name Society of Chi
cago, one of tlie largest anil most ac
tive units of the national body, will
be in charge of the meeting on Tues
day evening, when all of the male
Gongressists and the men of the
Chicago archdiocese will assemble in
the Stadium, Cardinal Mpuweyciu a
visiting prelate, and a prominent
layman will deliver addresses.
Wednesday, the fourth day of the
Congress, will be devoted to the in
terests of Catholic higher education
Representative from Catholic uni
versities and academies, from all
parts of the country, will he present
at tlie Mass and at the meetings;
students from Chicago colleges ami
high schools wilt sing the Mass.
The great pageant of the Congress
will he 1 lie Eucharistic processiou
which will be the outstanding fea
ture of the ceremonies on the last
day. Thousands of the ciergy, in
their ecclesiastical robes, and mem
bers of the laity from all over the
world, will march through the
grounds of the Dioccsau Seminary
at Mundelein.
The buildings of the new Chicago
Seminary stand on a terrace sur
rounded by 1200 acres of lawns and
forest lands. The colorful proces
sion will wind around the walks of
the Seminary aud circle the beauti-
for little lake on which the buildings
of the Seminary face. bloats in
honor of the Holy Eucharist; a flo
tilla of decorated ships in the lake;
and the brilliant vestments of tlie
Hierarchy and clergy; will make the
greatest religious pageant which
America lias ever witnessed. Num
bers of choirs will be stationed
along the line of march to sing the
hymns of the Congress.
Already evidences of the interna
tional interest in this Congress are
being shown. A recent contest for
a prize hymn brought thousands of
responses, not only from America
but also from the countries of Eu
rope. An interest almost as great
was also displayed in a contest for
a poster to he used ’throughout the
world to announce the Congress.
Every day requests for information
are received at the general offices of
the Congress. Dispatches from
abroad state that many pilgrimages
are being formed by Catholics who
are eager lo attend the first Con
gress to^be held in the United States.
His Eminence, George Cardinal
Mundelein, Archbishop of Chicago,
is Sponsor for the great Congress,
and the Rt. Rev. Thomas Heylcn,
Bishop of Namur, is President of
tlie Permanent Committee. The Rt.
Rev. E. F. Hoban, D. D., Auxiliary
Bishop of Chicago, is President of
the Executive Staff, and tlie Very
•Rev. Monsignor C. J: Quille is Gen
eral Secretary.
Further information may be had
at the offices of the XXVIll Interna
tional Eucharistic Congress, Cathe
dral Square, Chicago, Illinois.
Cardinal Dubois to Head
Delegation From France
His Eminence, Louis Cardinal Du
bois, Archbishop of Paris, will lead
a delegation of distinguished pre
lates and lay men from France to
the International Eucharistic Con
gress.
Cardinal Dubois will deliver an
address to the Frencn division oT
the Congress which will hold its
meetings in the armory of the 131st
Infantry, Illinois National Guard.
Although the program lias not yet
been completed, other discourses
will be given by prominent members
of the French laity and clergy.
75,000 Canadians Plan
to Journey to Chicago
The Most Rev. George Gauthier,
D. I), Archbishop Administrator
of Montreal, arrived here last March
10, to make arrangements for tlie
transportation and housing of the
more than 75 000 Canadians who are
expected to atend the Eucharistic
Congress.
“The Congress at Chicago is creat
ing as much interest in Canada as
did the Montreal meeting of fifteen
years ago,” said Archbishop Gau-
their. “Communications I have re
ceived indicate that the same in
tense interest is being dihplayed all
over the Dominion as well ns in
Montreal.”
Thousand Catholics Come
With Cardinal of Hungary
His Eminence, John Cardinal Cser.
noch, primate of Hungary, will lead
a pilgrimage of more than a thou
sand Catholics to the Eucharistic
congress, according to a cablegram
received here recently by Rt. Rev.
E. F. Hoban, president of the ex
ecutive staff of the congress.
Holy Name Men Going to
Chicago in Large Numbers
Elaborate preparations for the Eu
charistic Congress are being made
by the Holy Name society, a national
organization . 0 f more than 2,000,000
men with local units in almost every
parish in the country.
An appeal requesting every mem
ber to attend was made by the Rev.
M. J. Ripple, O, P., national direc-
foG who lias assured the congress
officials of the co-operation of the
society in every possible way. Be
cause of the large attendance anti
cipated. Tuesday evening, June 22,
has been designated Holv Name
night, and impressive ceremonies
will be held iii the stadium on the
Lake Front. Cardinal Mundelein, a
visiting cardinal, and a prominent
layman will address tlie men, and
arrangements arc now being made
to conduct an overflow meeting in
Grant Park to accommodate the
hundreds of thousands expected on
that night.
Congress Will Emphasize
Worih of Christian Art
A new movement in ecclesiastical
art, fostered by a large number of
Chicago Catholic artists and archi
tects will have its first exhibit dur
ing the Eucharistic Congress.
The elimination of pagan art; a
new emphasis on Christian symbol
ism; limitation of embellishments
lo those pertinent to the construc
tional growth of the building; and
a return to the medieval use of col
ors in exteriors of ecclesiastical
structures are some of the leading
features of the program planned by
the artists who hope to revive in
terest in church art aud architec
ture. A concerted effort will be
made to direct the activities of
many well known Catholic artists
and architects into ecclesiastical
work.