Eucharistic Congress flag now on display
In the Catholic Church, a Eucharistic Congress is a gathering of clergy, religious and laity to bear witness to the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, which is an important Catholic doctrine.
Congress is generally held over a number of days with the first one held in Lille in France in June 1881. Following independence from Britain, the influence of the Catholic Church on Irish Society grew significantly and the WT Cosgrave-led government established formal diplomatic relations with the Vatican in 1929 leading to the appointment of a Papal Nuncio in Dublin in 1930.
The government believed that a Eucharistic Congress held in Ireland would bring the country together following the divisions of the Civil War and following successful negotiations with the Vatican, it was announced that the 31st Congress would be held in Dublin from June 22 to 26, 1932 to coincide with the 1500th anniversary of the arrival of St Patrick in Ireland in 432.
Every Eucharistic Congress had a theme and 1932 was themed “The Propagation of the Sainted Eucharist by Irish Missionaries”. It was arguably the most important event held in Ireland between the end of the Civil War and the beginning of World War II.
In the run-up to the Congress, religious services were held in every parish throughout the country with the government providing most of the cost for hosting the events. Further monies were raised through church gate collections and overseas donations.
In Dublin, the streets, public buildings and houses were decorated with flags and bunting. A single-issue newspaper, 'The Congress, was published to commemorate the event. Every corner of the country was involved in preparing for the Congress. Hundreds of thousands of people participated in the Congress over the five days with thousands of people travelling from America, Europe and Australia, including over 200 Catholic bishops and eight Cardinals.
Churches stayed open continuously during the event to allow people to pray. The final Mass of the Congress took place in the Phoenix Park where an estimated 25% of the Catholic population of Ireland attended. Four separate processions took place after the Mass where approximately 500,000 people lined the streets around O’Connell Bridge. A special commemorative flag, the same as the one displayed here, was produced to mark the occasion.
This particular flag has been in the possession of the Walsh family, Main Street, for the last 93 years and they have taken great care in its preservation. The flag has always been a great source of pride to the family as Ellen Walsh, along with her twin boys Peter and Paul attended the Congress in Dublin.
The flag itself is an equal armed cross, which is a form of Greek cross and is also a ringed cross, which emulates the early Christian form of cross. The chalice in the middle of the flag is the central vessel in the Mass, which represents the sacrifice of the Eucharist.
The aforementioned Paul was a key member of the Sr Áine Historical Society in Templemore, who produced a wonderful account of the History of Templemore, published in 1991. Credit to the Sr Áine Historical Society, Fr Conor Hayes and the Walsh family for their support of this project.
The aforementioned Paul was a key member of the Sr Áine Historical Society in Templemore, who produced a wonderful account of the History of Templemore, published in 1991. Credit to the Sr Áine Historical Society, Fr Conor Hayes and the Walsh family for their support of this project.