Irish priest looks back at ICEC 2012

Niall Leahy SJ found an Irish Catholic community ready to embrace renewal and celebrate their faith at the International Eucharistic Congress 2012 in Dublin. A lot has changed in Ireland in the 80 years that have passed since the country last hosted the Congress, so how did this year’s event reflect the transformation in its host country and in the wider Church?

80 years ago, a fledgling Irish state hosted the International Eucharistic Congress. The black and white images from 1932 show masses of people welcoming church dignitaries enthusiastically and paying public homage to Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, present in the Eucharist.

In 2012, Dublin became one of the few cities to have hosted the International Eucharistic Congress more than once. During the intervening years, Ireland has changed in many ways, culturally, socially and economically. Equally, the Second Vatican Council has transformed the Catholic Church's understanding of its own mission and place in the world. With this in mind, as I journeyed through each day of the Congress I was eager to find out how Catholic Christians' way of 'doing Church' in Ireland has evolved over the best part of a century.

To read more of Fr Niall's piece on Thinking Faith see: www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/20120622_1.htm