The whole of Ireland came to a standstill as the Eucharistic Congress came to town. People had booked the annual vacation around it and came from all over the island. This was the event on the year. The year being 1932!
80 years on and it’s back in Dublin. Ireland in the 1930’s was a very different place. We were 10 years after the civil wars and a little more than that with the War of Independence. This generation doesn’t know what that kind of fighting entails, we only know of it second hand. So in 1932 we are in search of leadership or a guiding light and that came with the Eucharistic Congress. Well timed by Rome I would say!
In 2012 we are in a similar position, in search of a guide that could lead us in the right direction. With all that has come out about the Catholic Church I’m not sure it’s the guiding light we need these days. It’s like sweeping the floor with a broken brush, but we can’t tar all with this same broken brush. There are many within the Church who have done fantastic work and put others before themselves, it’s important not to forget this!
One question, where was the Pope this week? He sent his right hand man. Big deal! It’s like waiting for the lead singer of a band and getting the bass player (respect to all bass players) I think we deserve more than that for the Church who has left its children weak and unprotected, at home and abroad.
I don’t even think we know what the Eucharistic Congress actually means. I asked an old fella in a pub in Galway the other evening what he thought about it and he said ‘is that what we voted on last week’ referring to the Stability Treaty referendum. This man is in his late 60’s and you’d imagine his generation would be clued into something like this.
The Irish term for it is ‘Comh Dháil Corp Chríost.' The word Dáil basically means coming a gathering and Corp Chríost meaning the Body of Christ. The Word Comh stands out to me. It means to be equal. Who is equal to what?
I go to mass maybe twice monthly. Do I believe everything the priest says on the altar? No! Do I get solace and peace of mind from it? Yes I sure do!
There is mass every day at 10am in the Augustinian church in Galway city. You are literally in and out within 20 mins. No peace shaking hands and no messing. You get your communion and away you go. It’s a great place for people spotting. You can see the holy joes a mile away.
Last time, there was one guy who seemed out of place, he looked like he played in a Bon Jovi tribute band. Then he got up to do one on the readings.
I speak to the man above all the time, usually with a series of questions. Stupid ones, but I like to ask. For example, if the Eucharistic Congress is all about the Eucharistic and the Eucharistic is one of the most important parts of the Church. Why can’t a person who is Celiac receive normal communion? Surely to God (you God) you could sort this one out! Anyway I was on my way out of the Church and this older lady came up to me and said that I was disrespectful because I didn’t shave before coming to Mass. I told her that ‘Our Lord Jesus Christ’ had a beard and was unshaven. She smirked and walked away as to say I’ll never watch you on TV again. Whoops!
The event has been over shadowed by the soccer Euro’s. This is very noticeable in the media coverage which I think is a good indicator these days of what people are interested in. It even seems that the WAG’s (wife’s and girlfriends of the footballers) are getting more inches! Actually their high heels and what they are wearing at the games seems to be more important that the footballers kit.
If Communion, high heels and throw backs to the 1930’s doesn’t do it for you, we always have our Minister for Justice Alan Shatter, who landed himself in the ‘bogside’ this week by referring to Doire Cholm Cille or Derry as London Derry. What’s next, a Minister calling Galway Clare-Galway!
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Bythebay | Jun 18, 2012, 03:51 PM EDT
vincentruane, it's the abusive Catholic clergy and their enablers who will be going to hell. As far as making money, the Vatican Bank is making plenty and the Catholic Church has pillaged the art world and other antiques from around the world. The Catholic Church looks out for itself and its pedophiles.
Bythebay | Jun 18, 2012, 03:46 PM EDT
WoundFeet, it's the US that will default on July 1, not Ireland. You are the country with the highest amount of debt in the world.
hermitTalker | Jun 18, 2012, 02:34 PM EDT
Wonder if our bankrupt Government could raise cash from China so we could siphon all the caca, scheist, merde from the comments on all these Catholic Church stories and send it far out into space so we could be rid of it. There is a surfeit of it and of course the Taoiseach and Tanaiste and the Minister for Justice and others were so eager to try to force clergy to reveal confessions in Ireland, as well as insulting the Pope - based on a fake quote from him and old letter from a Vatican office that was discarded years ago, and same gentlemen calling on the cardinal to resign. Their job was to fix the mess with the septic tanks in rural Ireland but they found it easier to blast the Pope and meddle in Church doctrine and its internal structure. Jesus must be LMAO at their stupidity in an island of 4.5 million citizens.
BulldogMania | Jun 18, 2012, 02:26 PM EDT
Homosexuals and other radical liberals don't get it...no matter how evil and sinister the actions of some Catholic priests...it by no means changes any of the teachings of the Church. Sodomy is still a mortal sin, abortion is still murder and pre-marital sex is still wrong. Liberals don't seem to get it. What some priests did was horrible...what the Church, and in the case of Ireland, an entire nation did by looking the other way was equally horrible...but the Eternal Truths of the Church will NEVER change.
McNamara31 | Jun 18, 2012, 10:44 AM EDT
Throughout the Bible, the shepherd takes care of his flock at every level. Ireland, who gave more priests, nuns and missionaries to the world has had its faith in Vatican leadership (not in God) decimated by their actions of concealing horrendous crimes against children. If Benedict truly cared about the faith of the people of Ireland he would have been there.
WoundedKnee | Jun 18, 2012, 06:41 AM EDT
ciarabythebay: "the Irish people of 1932 were in poverty, with little or no education". Oh, so today's Irish are much smarter? I guess that's why their country is bankrupt? What nonsense you write.
ProudCanadian | Jun 17, 2012, 11:15 PM EDT
Back in the 1930s the Pope had a strangle hold on the Irish Catholics but today the young people are smart and realizing that the Pope is just someone who is holding the church down from coming into the 21 century. He has to go along with many of the churches doctrines.
sparticusnorth | Jun 17, 2012, 06:34 PM EDT
CATHOLICABUSEUSRVIVORSNI.COM---- OVER A MILLION ATTENDED IN 1932-- only 60,000 in 2012 and 15,000 daily wonder why? the wafer bread and wine was that when it entered the congress, remained so during and was consumed as it entered the symbols of the body and blood of christ, for rememberance symbols instituted before christ died on the cross by him,if he meant anything else by his words the verse, ''i am the door'' wood mean he was a piece of wood with two hinges and a lock ?? simples. cardinal sean brady and the pope who was busy elsewhere simply told us that the wrong of the church and individuals ''themselves'' was a fault that had caused problems, pope benidict said it was a mystery how someone could recieve the eucharist and commit such crimes ''child abuse'' well its not as the above explains. the irish goverment has been torn apart trying to deal with the problems the abuse of children caused by the church and is still seeking its half of victims compensation it paid out on the churches behalf , all the reports murphy etc and its a doomday scenario still to come . in northern ireland the goverment have now underway in the autumn a child sex abuse and torture of children inquiry , which the church was responsible for in childrens homes etc , but will include any in care by any section of the state or church , the churches renewal has never begun , the cover up had begun long ago why has these issues never been dealt with by a religious organisation who cliam god put them here with all this power and money?, the victims need compensated and recognised this has never happened in the north, its been exposed by a few brave victims who got a rock in the congress you cant eat that.
Bythebay | Jun 17, 2012, 05:40 PM EDT
vincentruane, the Irish people of 1932 were in poverty, with little or no education, belittled and intimidated by the Catholic church. Those days are long gone and Ireland is far better for it.
Bythebay | Jun 17, 2012, 05:38 PM EDT
wdwrkr371 = needs literacy training.
wdwrkr371 | Jun 17, 2012, 04:29 PM EDT
Bythebay = talk talk talk but saying nothing.
vincentruane | Jun 17, 2012, 04:19 PM EDT
By the way Bythebay-in response to your post of false assumptions. Any Catholic who knows a small bit about our belief in Jesus,understands we are all made in the image of our Supreme Creator,therefore it is obvious, that the Irish people of 1932 were every bit as smart and resourceful as the current generation of Irish people. And I don't agree with you when you say the Irish people of 1932 were more easily intimated than today's Irish race of people. In fact I would say today's Irish generation is far more easily intimated, but not by the Catholic Church but by the TV and Newsprint media, most of whom don't really care about the eternal destiny of your soul. The truth is the Catholic Church was and is a great help and comfort to most of the Irish nation. The Catholic Church is there to protect and guide you to Heaven. Most of todays media is here to make money, even if it may mean the loss of your soul to Hell.
Bythebay | Jun 17, 2012, 03:47 PM EDT
Nicoletta, that's your definition of it, it's not everyone's. You have some respect.
Nicoletta | Jun 17, 2012, 03:43 PM EDT
Does the author of this article even know what the Eucharist is all about - the body, blood, soul and divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ? Have some respect man!
Bythebay | Jun 17, 2012, 03:39 PM EDT
vincentruane, the people of Ireland of 2012 understand far better than those poor uneducated people of 1932 in the midst of the world's depression. Those people were intimidated by the Catholic Church. Ireland's people know better now.
Bythebay | Jun 17, 2012, 03:33 PM EDT
The Pope didn't come because the Pope was effectively told he was unwelcome. This Congress wasn't welcome in Ireland either which is why it was held and not attended.
vincentruane | Jun 17, 2012, 02:53 PM EDT
Here Daithi is a small example of what the Irish people of 1932 understood far better than you. How lucky you are to have the gifts from Jesus of Confession and Holy Communion. How lucky you are to have the time and the chance to pray for sinners and the souls in Purgatory. How lucky you are to have the priceless chance to live in happiness in Heaven for all of eternity. PS-Serving Holy Communion in the hand obviously has been a disaster for the Catholic Church.
irishpjk | Jun 17, 2012, 11:53 AM EDT
I guess you can call it a flop, but then that would depend on what you were hoping to have come out of it. It has been considered a great success by many of the thousands, who attended, but since it is still going on at this very moment for to say one way or the other would be a bit premature and premature is very rarely a good thing. But then if O’Se waited for things to settle down it would be hard to write all that drivel, much of it about personal feelings and mass in Galway. What did that have to do with what is taking place in Dublin? As far as knowing about war there are many people all over the world who can tell you a lot about war, many of them missing limbs and family members, I know your closed mind was only thinking about Irelands wars but this is an international congress not just about you and Ireland. Why would you go to a pub in Galway and ask some old man what it was all about. If you had any serious interest you would have been there got the facts and maybe be able to write something that made a bit of sense.
hermitTalker | Jun 17, 2012, 11:30 AM EDT
Wwhat a twisted comparison. Too much papal "bull" as you are trying to spin the 2012 story compared to 80 years ago gives you too much theological indigestion and causes tummy troubles. Enjoy the magnificent weather, the worldwide gathering, the marvellous musical talent and the deeply moving personal witness by a convert and a young lady injured at World Youth Day whose faith grew,a Mayo woman who is a parish worker in Dublin. A Catholic Church, in its sense of being worldwide, and truly inclusive and sensitively ecumenical and humbly contrite with a pilgirmage to Lough Derg by the Pope's cardinal-delegate. The Pope's video is yet to come as Mass ends.
LouJApa | Jun 17, 2012, 11:03 AM EDT
The Roman Catholic Irish Church of Saint Patrick should be ashamed of itself for "dishonoring" the very Vicar of Christ! They should have spirited The Holy Father of Mother Church into the Irish nation at any cost..repent, OH Ireland!....REPENT! lja/JMJ
crny925 | Jun 17, 2012, 11:02 AM EDT
What do you care where the Pope was? Even if he was in Ireland, you'd still cut him to ribbons! Get a grip!