The First Great Event

It was the first great 'event' of the new Irish nation. It was the international 'coming out' of the young free state and was embraced by the people of Dublin with an unmatched intensity. It included the greatest gathering of Irish people in a century. It launched the national radio station and showcased the high tech capabilities of the Irish people. It reconciled the divided nation still reeling from a civil war only a decade in the past. 

"It" was the 31st International Eucharistic Congress held in Dublin in 1932. 

The world was in deep depression. In Germany, Adolf Hitler had not yet risen to power nor had Franklin Roosevelt become President of the US. Ireland was poor, poor, poor - an agrarian nation only recently risen to independence. The former combatants of the short but intense civil war were still bitter. But, for one glorious week, the nation transcended its divisions and poverty.

1932 was the 1500th anniversary of St. Patrick's arrival in Ireland and so it was to the Emerald Isle that prelates and visitors from around the world ventured. Ireland welcomed the Congress with an unprecedented display of fervour. 

A Eucharistic Congress does what it's name suggests. A gathering celebrates the Eucharist, the sharing of bread and wine in memory of Christ's last supper. The high point of any Roman Catholic Mass is the display of the consecrated host, blessed by a priest and now the body and blood of Christ. And the point of a Eucharistic Congress is to gather ordinary worshippers, priests, nuns and monks to contemplate and adore this holy mystery. In Protestant terms, it's a 'revival', a celebration of the presence of God. 

The first Eucharistic Congress was a purely local affair held in France in 1881. But, the idea took hold and soon national and then international events began to be scheduled. And when Ireland was chosen to organise and host such a huge international conclave, the nation took the event to heart.

In Dublin, every little neighbourhood built a shrine, vying to outdo the neighbours down the street with the glory of their display. To broadcast the proceedings, the government built the first high powered radio station in Ireland. This facility was the start of RTE, still the national broadcaster some 80 years later. 

This wasn't the only cutting-edge technology showcased by the young nation. They pulled out all the stops: spectacular lighting effects, the largest personal-address (PA) system in the world and even sky writing. Every major street in the city of Dublin was decorated with fresh flowers. Every major building was lit at night with spotlights and coloured lamps. Flags and bunting bearing the papal colours of yellow and white transformed the city. Georgian Dublin became for this one week a giant festival arena.

Processions filled the streets during the week of the Congress. Special masses were offered for the women and children of Ireland. Around the country, thousands thronged open altars erected specifically for the event. The high point was the Papal address to over 100,000 of the faithful gathered in Phoenix Park to celebrate the Eucharist. Pope Pius XI addressed the crowd live from Rome over the finest PA system on the planet. Count John McCormack sang and hundreds of Bishops from around the globe marched in their colourful robes between thousands of black clad priests.

The Congress was a healing for the young nation. Millions participated in the various events, local or national. Many remembered it always as a high point in their lives. The colour, the pageantry, the gravity of the Mass all served to highlight the deep faith of the Irish people. 

In June 2012, the 50th International Eucharistic Congress returns to Dublin. The world has changed; Ireland has changed. But, what hasn't altered is the warm welcome that participants will experience during their visit. We at Number 31 invite you to join us during this special week  

The 50th International Eucharistic Congress website gives many more details.