Foreign delegates from 47 countries will convene in Cebu City today for the final meeting of the committee preparing for the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC).
The 59 delegates led by the Vatican’s Archbishop Piero Marini will finalize the program for the IEC which will be held in Cebu City from January 24 to 31, 2016.
Marini is the president of the Pontifical Committee of the IEC. The religious congress will gather at least 15,000 local and foreign delegates.
“If before I was anxious about next year’s international gathering, now I’m excited. I look forward to it with eager anticipation,” Palma said in a press conference yesterday.
Some of the delegates attended the 5:30 p.m. Holy Mass at the St. Therese Parish.
Today, they will gather at the Marco Polo Hotel before going to the Eucharistic Pavilion being constructed for the congress behind the Mabolo seminary.
On Sunday, they will visit different venues for the 2016 IEC which include the Provincial Capitol, the Cebu City Sports Center, Plaza Independencia, and the South Road Properties. They will attend the 5:30 p.m. novena Mass at the Basilica del Sto. Niño in celebration of the 450th anniversary of “Kaplag”, the recovery of the image of the child Jesus.
On Monday, they will be brought to different historical sites in Cebu City to get a glimpse of the place’s history and culture, said Msgr. Dennis Villarojo.
They will also visit the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center’s dancing inmates.
“This IEC is about hope. The inmates’ dance moves actually give us hope and inspires us as a people,” he said.
Operating expenses for the 2016 IEC is estimated at P250 million.
Villarojo said they already identified fund sources like the “Piso Para sa Misa ng Mundo” donation drive which has collected P8 million so far and the delegates’ fees.
Duros Development Corp. is constructing the Eucharistic Pavilion.
Elvira Go, head of the IEC committee on publicity and promotions, said the international gathering in Cebu City next year will be an avenue for Cebuanos to showcase their faith.
Go said she hopes support for the 2016 IEC should exceed Pope Francis’ visit last January in terms of support and cooperation.
“The IEC is all about Jesus. He is the star of the event. Popes come and go but Jesus is constant,” he said.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
