“The Eucharistic Congress is not just one week in 2028. It starts now.” That was the clear message from the recent parish planning workshop for the International Eucharistic Congress. More than 150 people from across Sydney – clergy, parish leaders, and everyday parishioners – gathered online to catch the vision for Eucharist28.
As the official journey towards the International Eucharistic Congress 2028 (Eucharist28), to be held in Sydney, has formally begun with the launch of the Eucharist28 website and the rollout of national parish resources across Australia, the workshop, organised by the Parish Renewal Team within the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation, on 19 February at 7.30pm, was simple in structure but big in impact.
Tania Rimac described it as “an opportunity for our parishes to come and learn more about the Eucharistic Congress. Our hope is to support parishes to understand how they can live these three years of preparation towards the Eucharistic Congress in their own local parish communities.”
“A majority of those who joined us were from Sydney. However, we were also joined by many from across Australia and even New Zealand,” remarked Tania. “We were joined by Parish Pastoral Councils, priests with their teams, and individual parishioners hungry to understand what this Congress means for them and their local parish.”
Some parishes who logged in as groups from their parish offices, were encouraged to stay on after the Zoom session ended to discuss what they’d heard and discern what they being called to.
The feedback was clear: “People came with a spirit of openness. A lot of the feedback that we’ve had was that it was very encouraging and people are now raring to go and quite excited,” Tania said.
The workshop helped people see the Congress in three phases: preparation, the week of the IEC, and the time after.
“It’s not just a moment, it’s not just about the one event,” Tania explained. “It’s a time of walking together in these preparatory years towards the Congress so that we gather as a church in 2028 we will have much to celebrate and share with others and it will bear fruit well into the future.”
For Tania, parishes aren’t an afterthought, they’re the engine room.
“Our parishes are the centre of all evangelising activity. Eucharist28 will be an opportunity for us to be drawn back to the Eucharist as well. And the church are the people,” she said. “So, our parishes are integral, to see fruit, not just for the Congress, but also beyond as well. When people are transformed, our parishes are transformed and this happens through an encounter with Christ and His Body, the Church.”
This first workshop was just the beginning: “an introduction so that we can be prepared and learn more about the IEC ahead of the national launch,” Tania said.
As part of the preparatory journey, parishes took part in a nationwide Holy Hour on Sunday, 1 March, the Second Sunday of Lent. This coordinated moment of Eucharistic Adoration marked the start of the Year of Prayer in the lead-up to 2028.
