A quote from John for an International Catholic event

Eucharist

Catholics hold “mass”, a gathering, often weekly on Sunday, for prayer, thanksgiving, scripture, song and a memorial of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. The word, Eucharist, is Greek for “thanksgiving”. While people use the words Eucharist and Mass interchangeably, the Eucharist specifically, is where members of the community come forward to receive the body and blood of Christ, in the form of bread and wine. The action of coming forward and receiving the body and blood of Jesus is called Communion or Eucharist.

Catholics believe that the body and blood of Jesus Christ is truly present when they consume the host and/or drink from the chalice. This concept can be difficult for some people to understand. However, there is a rich theological and biblical tradition supporting this belief.

Scripture shows us that the teaching about the Eucharist is consistent with what happened at the Last Supper. This is how Mark relates it in his gospel:

While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body”. Then he took a cup, and giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” (Mark 14:22-24).

International Eucharistic Congress

Eucharistic congresses began during the second half of the 19th century in France. The first International Congress was held in Lille, France, in 1881. Organised by a laywoman, Marie-Marthe-Baptistine Tamisier, it had the blessing of Pope Leo XIII. Its purpose was to renew love for the Eucharist, promoting it as an essential feature of Catholic spirituality. ‘The Eucharist saves the world’ was the theme of the very first Congress.

This was emphasised further following the decrees of Pope St Pius X in the early 1900s on frequent communion. The celebration of the Eucharist was the preparation and celebration of congresses were occasions for fostering the frequent communion of adults and the first communion of children. During the pontificate of Pius XI Eucharistic congresses became fully international in that they began to be celebrated in turn in all the continents.

Melbourne 1973

In February 1973, Melbourne hosted the 40th International Eucharistic Congress, from 18 – 25th February. It went down in history as one of Melbourne’s biggest Catholic events, attracting global media attention and respected international figures. Cardinal Karol Wojtyla (later Pope John Paul II) and Mother Teresa were among the participants. Choosing the theme ‘Love one another as I have loved you’, the organisers wanted to show that the Eucharist, as the gift of Christ’s loving presence, should move us to be a loving presence to others.

Obverse

The obverse bears the logo of the congress, a modern symbol of the Eucharist – the circle is a common shape the bread is distributed in. The negative space inside the outer line looks like a “ciborium” (a cup which holds the Eucharist – the bread, the body of Christ), or a “chalice” (a not dissimilar looking vessel which holds the wine, the blood of Christ).

A priest holds a Host over a ciborium, from the Catholic Diocese of Witchita, at the start of a Holy Year of the Eucharist in that American Diocese (A Diocese is a district of the Church under a bishop).

The Vatican also issued commemorative stamps with the logo to commemorate the Eucharistic Congress.

Reverse

The reverse contains the theme “Love one another, as I have loved you” on three lines, above the event information “40th International Eucharistic Congress Melbourne 1973” on four lines – all the text is left aligned.

The theme of the Congress was from John 13:34: ““A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” In Matthew, Mark and Luke‘s Gospels, the “Last Supper” is described in detail – where Jesus breaks the bread and shares the wine – giving the outline of the modern Mass. This takes place before Jesus is betrayed by Judas, leading to his Crucifixion. John’s gospel concentrates more on the spiritual “how” the disciples, and in turn, how we in modern times, will continue without Jesus standing, in the flesh, with them. John 13:34 is from the conversation which takes place after dinner.

Fifty years after the congress, Melbourne Catholic wrote a retrospective on the congress. Another prominent attendee at the congress was Josyf Cardinal Slipyi, Primate of the Ukrainian Catholic Church (A Primate is similar to but not exactly the same as an archbishop). At this time, Ukranian Catholics were being forced underground by a brutal Soviet Union, and they worried their church was on the brink of extinction.

Another significant event at the congress was a Mass which was the first Australian liturgy incorporating Aboriginal symbols, rituals and motifs. That mass drew 30,000 people to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, and was noted around the world. The last International Eucharistic Congress was in Quito, Ecuador in 2024. The next congress is in 2028, back in Australia, this time in Sydney.