Day Twenty-Five: Statio Orbis at Croke Park
This was the last day of the Eucharistic Congress. The last celebration of the Eucharist is called the "Statio Orbis", a "station" or a place to stop for the world. At the end of every Mass we are sent out and this is even more true today. Having experienced people from all over the world praying, celebrating the Eucharist and sharing faith all week we are being sent out and so is the Eucharist to be fruitful -- to call us to love, the person of Jesus.
The Mass took place at Croke Park, the largest stadium in Ireland with a capacity of over 80,000 people. Croke is the name of a former Archbishop of Cashel. I don't think it is an exaggeration to say that Croke Park is virtually Ireland's national monument. It is the home of the game of hurling and of Gaelic football. It is also the site of Bloody Sunday a massacre of Irish civilians in the face of British frustration during the unrest prior to Irish independence. The Archbishop of Cashel is still the honourary sponsor of hurling and attends games at Croke Park.
The logistics involved in getting in, staying put, celebrating the Mass and then getting out and reassembling for the return to the hotel took more than five hours. The weather, however, co-operated better than yesterday and we stayed quite dry. Marc Cardinal Ouellet presided at the Mass as the pope's official representative, however, at the end was a feed from Rome with the Holy Father speaking directly to the assembled pilgrims. His clarity on the abuse scandal was particularly noteworthy. He not only emphasized the direct harm done, but the way in which the scandals handicap the sharing of the Christian life because of the need to restore credibility. This touches all the clergy and will take patience and perseverance to address.
The Holy Father also announced that the next Eucharistic Congress will be in the Archdiocese of Cebu, Philippines, in 2016.
Tonight the Toronto pilgrims were hosted by Cardinal Collins at a dinner. Among the guests were relatives of the cardinal who are locals from north of the city. The Secretary-General of the Congress Fr. Kevin Doran was also present as was the Canadian Ambassador to Ireland. Tomorrow some of the group will start a tour of Ireland. On Tuesday, most of the rest of us will be making our way home. I am looking forward to coming home, but this journey has proven to be a remarkable gift.
The Mass took place at Croke Park, the largest stadium in Ireland with a capacity of over 80,000 people. Croke is the name of a former Archbishop of Cashel. I don't think it is an exaggeration to say that Croke Park is virtually Ireland's national monument. It is the home of the game of hurling and of Gaelic football. It is also the site of Bloody Sunday a massacre of Irish civilians in the face of British frustration during the unrest prior to Irish independence. The Archbishop of Cashel is still the honourary sponsor of hurling and attends games at Croke Park.
The logistics involved in getting in, staying put, celebrating the Mass and then getting out and reassembling for the return to the hotel took more than five hours. The weather, however, co-operated better than yesterday and we stayed quite dry. Marc Cardinal Ouellet presided at the Mass as the pope's official representative, however, at the end was a feed from Rome with the Holy Father speaking directly to the assembled pilgrims. His clarity on the abuse scandal was particularly noteworthy. He not only emphasized the direct harm done, but the way in which the scandals handicap the sharing of the Christian life because of the need to restore credibility. This touches all the clergy and will take patience and perseverance to address.The Holy Father also announced that the next Eucharistic Congress will be in the Archdiocese of Cebu, Philippines, in 2016.
Tonight the Toronto pilgrims were hosted by Cardinal Collins at a dinner. Among the guests were relatives of the cardinal who are locals from north of the city. The Secretary-General of the Congress Fr. Kevin Doran was also present as was the Canadian Ambassador to Ireland. Tomorrow some of the group will start a tour of Ireland. On Tuesday, most of the rest of us will be making our way home. I am looking forward to coming home, but this journey has proven to be a remarkable gift.
