Preparations are underway to celebrate the 50th Eucharistic Congress in Ireland in June 2012.

Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Murphy and other members of the organizing committee sat down with Pope Benedict this week to discuss the final plans.

Martin and his delegation from Dublin spent three days presenting their arrangements to more than 70 delegates nominated by the Catholic Bishops' conference.

This weeks meeting in Rome fell on the 50th anniversary of the Eucharistic Congress at Munich in which the Pope said he attended "as a young professor of theology."

Benedict met with the delegation, led by Martin, during the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses in the Sala Clementina of the Vatican Apostolic Palace.

During the meeting the pontiff said he hopes the Eucharistic Congress next year will renew a sense of spirit in the Irish church.

Said Benedict, “Your assembly has paid great attention to this event, which is also part of the modernisation programme of the church in Ireland. The theme recalls the centrality of the Eucharistic mystery for the growth of the life of faith and every authentic process of church renewal,” he said.

The Pope also reminded the delegation that three will be a double celebration at the 50th congress as it will also be 50 years since the opening of the Second Vatican Council.

The theme of the congress is Communion with Christ and One Another.