Catholics across Australia are invited to remain in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament on Sunday 1 March, as the church begins a new phase of spiritual preparation for the 2028 International Eucharistic Congress in Sydney.
The national hour of Eucharistic adoration, promoted by the Eucharist28 team, is intended to mark the beginning of a wider “pilgrimage” of prayer leading to the congress and a hoped-for renewal of Eucharistic faith across the country.
“On 1 March 2026, every parish in the country is encouraged to cast away an hour of time: to kneel before the Blessed Sacrament in adoration, praying for a eucharistic transformation of our country and our lives,” says Eucharist28 deputy chief operating officer Sebastian Condon.
While acknowledging the pressures of family life and busy Sundays, Condon encourages the faithful simply to remain in church after Mass, even briefly, trusting that prayer bears real fruit in God’s plan.
Drawing on St Thomas Aquinas, he noted that prayer not only brings grace to others but also changes the one who prays, disposing the heart more fully toward God and neighbour.
The initiative comes as the Archdiocese of Sydney begins a series of deanery-based formation workshops on Eucharistic adoration for clergy, liturgical ministers and parish leaders. Titled Eucharistic Adoration: Exploration of Theology, Liturgy, Music and Prayer, the sessions will be held across Sydney from early March to mid-May in parishes including Holsworthy, Sutherland, Lidcombe, Broadway, Bondi and Lewisham.
The workshops aim to deepen theological understanding and provide practical guidance so that parishes can foster reverent and fruitful adoration in the years leading to the congress.
The 54th International Eucharistic Congress will be held in Sydney in 2028, bringing pilgrims from around the world to celebrate and reflect on the mystery of the Eucharist at the heart of the church’s life.
National and local initiatives such as the March adoration hour are intended to ensure that the event bears lasting spiritual fruit in parishes and families well before pilgrims arrive.
“The pilgrimage has begun,” Condon wrote. “Join us.”
