5 milestones of the International Eucharistic Congress Quito 2024

The Quito 2024 International Eucharistic Congress concluded a few days ago and has left behind 5 memorable events that we review below, already on the way to Sydney, the next venue for this world event that will be held in Australia in 2028.

The Monasterio del Carmen Antiguo de San José, known as El Carmen Alto in the historic center of Quito (Ecuador) was the place chosen to produce the 66,500 hosts for this event, where Christ the Eucharist was the main protagonist.

“Making the forms is bringing Jesus into our lives, bringing Jesus to the hearts of people,” Mother Verónica de la Santa Faz, prioress of the Monastery of El Carmen Alto, the home of the first Ecuadorian saint, told ACI Prensa. Saint Marianita of Jesus.

In the midst of an atmosphere of celebration, joy and devotion, some 25,000 people, including 1,600 children in white vestments and traditional costumes who received their First Communion, participated on September 8 in the inaugural Mass of the 53rd International Eucharistic Congress Quito 2024, in the esplanade of the Bicentennial Park.

The Archbishop of Quito, Bishop Alfredo Espinoza, highlighted the importance of the First Communion of children and said that “this memory will be engraved for a lifetime in their hearts and they will be able to say with certainty that they are the ‘Eucharistic missionaries’ of our Church of Quito and grow knowing that they are called to build the Fraternity, starting in their own families,” said the prelate, alluding to the motto of the Congress: “Fraternity to heal the world.”

The Bishop of Orihuela-Alicante (Spain), Bishop José Ignacio Munilla, gave a powerful conference on September 12, in which he encouraged everyone to turn their gaze to Jesus: “We need Christ to love. Without Jesus Christ we do not know how to love.”

The Spanish bishop and theologian stressed the importance of divine grace to be able to live the commandment of love. In an emphatic tone, he asked the thousands of attendees: “Could we fulfill the commandment to love one another as Jesus has loved us, or even the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself, without the grace of Jesus Christ? Impossible”.

Several churches in the historic center of Quito celebrated masses in different languages ​​on September 12 as a sign of the universality of the Catholic Church, within the framework of the International Eucharistic Congress that took place in the capital of Ecuador until Sunday, September 15.

In total there were 14 temples from the historic center and three from other areas of Quito. In addition to Spanish, the Eucharistic consecrations were pronounced in Latin, Quichua, English, French, Chinese, German and Italian.

The historic center of Quito witnessed an exciting and massive Eucharistic procession, in which thousands of faithful participated accompanying the Blessed Sacrament, on Saturday, September 14.

The atmosphere was filled with deep reverence, songs and praise, while the pilgrims, coming from more than 50 countries on the five continents, walked alongside Jesus in the Eucharist, led by hundreds of bishops, priests, deacons and seminarians from all over the world. .

At 4:30 pm (local time), in the Church of San Francisco, a Mass was celebrated that preceded the procession and was officiated by Mons. Luis Cabrera, Archbishop of Guayaquil and president of the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference.