With 84 days to go until the opening of the International Eucharistic Congress, the Cathedral has launched its parish plan for taking part in the event. A leaflet will be distributed to parishioners next weekend (23-24 March), outlining what the IEC means for people in Mullingar. The main focus of the plan is to encourage parishioners to take part in the RDS days of the Congress.

On Sunday 10 June, the Feast of Corpus Christi, a special outdoor Mass will take place in the public square in Mullingar. The event is organised with the assistance of Westmeath County Council, An Garda Siochana, the Arts Centre and various volunteer groups in the community.  The Mass will celebrate the theme of the Congress – the Eucharist as communion with God and one another – and will bring together many elements of parish life, giving public witness to faith.

During the days of the International Eucharistic Congress, buses will bring parishioners from Mullingar to the events and workshops in the RDS.  Tickets for the RDS and the bus are on sale at the Cathedral Shop.  Various ministry groups and parish associations are allocated specific days when they are invited to attend the Congress.  These days are selected to reflect the particular themes of the Congress so that the events and workshops they attend are relevant to people’s role in parish life.

In advance of the Congress, the following projects are underway:

  • St Joseph’s Chapel in the Cathedral is dedicated to IEC prayer and information
  • Primary school children are preparing art work on the Eucharist
  • A history of Mullingar’s participation in the 1932 Congress is being compiled
  • The IEC hymn is sung at Sunday Masses
  • Volunteers from Mullingar have been recruited to help at the Dublin events
  • Eucharistic Adoration is encouraged as part of the spiritual preparation
  • A ‘guided reading group’ began a study of a book on the Eucharist
  • The Mass of Chrism at the Cathedral on Wednesday 4 April at 7.30pm will focus on the theme of the Congress and involve IEC volunteers from across the Diocese of Meath.

Click here for the leaflet distributed to parishioners in Mullingar.

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