There was no mistaking the palpable sense of joy and excitement emanating from the small but vocal Australian delegation at the IEC in Quito, as the Vatican announced Sydney as the host for the 54th International Eucharistic Congress in 2028.
Aussie flags and enthusiastic cheers filled the air as the delegation of nearly 40 pilgrims erupted with pride, at the opportunity to bring their unique spirit to this global gathering
“Get ready to host the world again, as we did in 2008, as we did in 1928, to share our faith with the world and to let the world share their faith with us,” said Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP, who has been at the forefront of Sydney’s bid to host the congress.
Sydney last hosted the International Eucharistic Congress in 1928, an event that saw over 500,000 Sydneysiders line the streets of Sydney, the largest religious spectacle seen in Australia at that time.
The IEC in Sydney is expected to draw tens of thousands from around the globe to the harbour city.
“We’ve been trying for several years now, negotiating with the Vatican about being a potential host. And at last, it’s come to fruit. Now the big job begins. Now, the years of preparation and then the years of celebration, and finally the years of reaping the fruits of an international Eucharistic Congress,” the archbishop said.
For the 40 pilgrims celebrating the news, the announcement capped off a nervous morning.
“I must be honest; I couldn’t eat too much. I had a jittery stomach. Very nerve-wracking, but very excited,” said Devon Boyle from Sydney Catholic Schools.
“I’m excited. I’m sleep deprived. The Bulldogs just lost last night, first final in over eight years! But while I might be sleep-deprived, the Eucharist makes me joyful. The crowd’s abuzz. It’s amazing,” said Fr Ben Saliba, Assistant Priest at St Mary’s Cathedral.
As Archbishop Fisher and Bishop Richard Umbers presented a parting gift to the people and church of Quito, the Australian delegates looked ahead to what the IEC will mean for the people of Sydney.
“We are in that time of change. He’s invited us and we just need to open our hearts and accept that and say, ‘Yes, Lord,’” said Hazel Lim from the Life Marriage Family Team in the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation.
She believes this announcement signals a hopeful time of revival for the church.
“This is just something that I’m so excited about for Sydney. It will really change the Catholic Church in Sydney. I’m hoping all Catholics in Sydney really embrace Jesus in the presence of the Eucharist and use this as a tool of evangelisation to spread God’s love to others.”
“I just think it will have a phenomenal impact on our church in Sydney,” said Kim Towells, a primary school teacher at St Michael’s in Meadowbank.
“We haven’t had it in Sydney for so long, people probably don’t even know what it is. But I think once people see the energy it brings and the renewed focus on the Eucharist and how important that is to our faith in our universal church, it will have a lasting impact for Sydney.”
Bishop Richard Umbers, auxiliary bishop with the Archdiocese of Sydney believes the fruits of an event like the IEC echo World Youth Day 2008, which saw nearly 500,000 young people from more than 200 countries descend on Sydney.
“It’ll be awesome to relive what we lived at World Youth Day 2008. This is much broader. It’s not just youth, it’s not just families. It’s everybody. Because it’s the Eucharist, it’s the church. So, these next years are going to be amazing,” said Bishop Umbers.
“There’ll be a lot of joy present in the streets, the joy of worshiping God, the joy that comes from being all together and knowing how much God loves us, I think that’s really what we want to bring to the rest of Sydney. And to Australia. And hey, I mean the rest of the world will be watching,” he said.
Archbishop Fisher believes this announcement will lead to all Australians deepening their connection with the Eucharist and embracing the opportunity to share the faith with pilgrims from around the world.
“I’m hoping certainly for tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands from all around Sydney, all from around the rest of the world,” he said.
“It’s a hundred years since the last International Eucharistic Congress in Sydney. It’s 20 years since the World Youth Day in Sydney in 2028.
“It will be a chance, then, for a new generation to experience the renewal that happened at WYD, that happened at the Congress in 1928. That’s going to happen for Sydney all over again. And it will be a wonderful time.”