In the spring of 2028, Sydney will welcome Catholics from across Australia and around the world for the International Eucharistic Congress.
Organising a gathering of this scale is an immense undertaking. Liturgies, venues, speakers, pilgrim routes, hospitality, communications and logistics must all be carefully coordinated if the congress is to be worthy of the mystery it celebrates and welcoming to all who attend.
Provision will be needed for different languages and cultures, alongside initiatives for young people and schools, spaces for silence and contemplation, opportunities to encounter the richness of the church’s many vocations and apostolates, and experiences that enable participants to deepen their faith and share in the life of the universal church.
Yet organising the event itself is only one part of the task. Preparing the church to receive its graces, and ensuring that those graces take root and bear fruit long after the final liturgy, represents an equally important work.
The congress itself will occupy a particular week, but its real significance should extend far beyond it.
Its success cannot be measured only by registrations, full venues or memorable celebrations. It must also be judged by what changes in the life of the church: whether more people encounter Jesus Christ, whether Catholics grow in love for the Eucharist, whether parishes become more welcoming and missionary, and whether new disciples and leaders are formed.
Preparation for Eucharist28 therefore cannot be reduced to publicity or encouraging people to attend. These are necessary, but they serve a larger pastoral purpose.
The years leading to the congress offer every parishioner an opportunity to ask: if the Eucharist is truly the source and summit of our faith, what difference should it make to the way we live?
Dates announced for the International Eucharistic Congress 2028
At every Mass, Christ gathers His people, speaks through His Word, draws them into His self-offering and nourishes them with His Body and Blood. He then sends them forth.
This movement of gathering, receiving and being sent should shape not only parish programs but the daily lives of those who participate in them.
For one parishioner, this might mean intentionally accompanying someone returning to the church after many years or inviting a friend who is searching to attend Mass, Eucharistic adoration or a formation opportunity.
Families might seek to make the Eucharist more central to their shared life through regular prayer, deeper participation in Sunday worship and practical service of those in need. Young adults might take part in formation, discern how their gifts could serve the Church’s mission, or speak with greater confidence about the hope they have found in Christ.
Others may feel called to support sacramental families, contribute to parish outreach, or help create communities in which newcomers can progress from an initial welcome towards belonging, discipleship and mission.
None of these actions is dramatic. Together, however, they reveal what a Eucharistic culture looks like: people who receive Christ becoming more attentive, generous and available to others.
Parishes can also examine what people experience when they come through their doors. Is there clear information for someone unfamiliar with the church? Does anyone notice a new face after Mass? Are parents seeking baptism for children or involved in First Holy Communion preparation treated principally as people completing a process, or as families whom the parish hopes to know and accompany?
Practical responses might include establishing a more intentional process for welcoming and accompanying newcomers, creating clear pathways for those enquiring about the Catholic faith, and strengthening the connection between sacramental preparation and ongoing participation in parish life.
Eucharist28 dates bring the international congress into view
Parishes could provide continuing formation and opportunities for prayer to families following the celebration of a sacrament, invite them into suitable parish groups or ministries, and ensure that those wishing to explore or return to the faith are accompanied by parishioners equipped for this responsibility.
One contribution to this broader preparation is the Parish Ambassador Network, coordinated by the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation.
Through five gatherings held this month, parish ambassadors from across the archdiocese have come together for prayer, formation and conversation about how they can support the Eucharist28 journey within their own communities.
The network provides a practical connection between the wider preparation for the congress and the particular circumstances, needs and opportunities of each parish in Sydney.
It is hoped that other dioceses might establish similar networks, helping to bring the vision of the congress closer to people in the local communities where the life of the church is lived and the grace of God so often takes real life.
The role of an ambassador need not be elaborate. It may involve keeping parishioners informed, inviting others to participate in Didaskō formation, encouraging participation in the Walk with Christ, held this year in November, or helping to gather people for reflection and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
Just as importantly, ambassadors can listen to their communities, encourage local ideas and help their parishes discern how the journey towards Eucharist28 might deepen Eucharistic faith and strengthen their life and mission.
No parish needs to attempt everything at once. One community might introduce a regular hour of adoration followed by supper and conversation. Another could use the congress resources available online fortnightly with its pastoral council, ministry leaders or sacramental families.
A parish might encourage each person to pray for three people who are distant from the church and invite one of them to a welcoming parish occasion. Another might identify five parishioners with gifts for leadership and intentionally accompany them during the coming year.
These actions need not create another layer of work for an already busy parish.
They can begin by strengthening what is already happening. An existing morning tea can become more intentionally welcoming. A sacramental program can include personal follow-up. A ministry meeting can begin with prayer and reflection on mission. A parish feast can include invitations to neighbours and the wider community.
The preparation period should therefore be approached with confidence and gratitude.
Every parish already contains signs of grace: faithful prayer, generous service, people who visit the sick, volunteers who sustain ministries and families seeking to hand on the faith.
Renewal begins by recognising where the Holy Spirit is already at work and asking how that life might be strengthened, connected and shared.
Eucharist28 gives the church in Sydney and beyond a common horizon, but the congress is not the final destination. Its deepest legacy will be found in parishioners who pray more deeply, notice others more readily, speak about their faith more confidently and understand themselves as people sent by Christ.
The task before us is greater than hosting an event. It is to become more fully what we receive: the Body of Christ, gathered around the altar and sent forth to make His presence, self-giving and mercy known.
