More than 7,000 delegates sign up for IEC as of December

Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Dennis Villarojo. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

AT least  7,941 delegates have registered for the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) scheduled on Jan. 24-31 in Cebu City.

These delegates fully paid  registration fees as of Dec. 1, 2015, said Margarita Matheu, chairperson of the Cebu Archdiocese’s general secretariat.

“So far, the biggest delegation is from Taiwan with close to 55 individuals, followed by Canada and the US,”  she told Cebu Daily News.

Nearly 60 countries are represented in the official list of IEC delegates.

The Church is expecting 15,000 delegates from around the world to attend the IEC, an international gathering that takes place every four years to promote an awareness of the central place of the Eucharist in the life and mission of the Catholic Church.

Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Dennis Villarojo, 51st IEC secretary-general, said they are expecting more delegates to register by the end of the year.

“We’re expecting the registrations to be coming in around November and December when people have extra resources,” he said.

Delegates may register online at iec2016.ph or fill up  forms at the IEC Secretariat Office at Pope John XXIII Minor Seminary in Mabolo, Cebu City.

Registration fee is P8,000 for the  week-long congress while  a P4,000 registration is good for four days.

Among the speakers during the congress are Timothy Cardinal Dolan of New York, Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, Fr. Francis Maloney, Fr. Robert Baron, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Cardinal Quevedo, and Filipina lay speaker Dr. Josefina Manabat.

Registration continues unil Jan. 20.  Only official delegates can attend the seminars and listen to the pool of international speakers at the Eucharistic Pavilion in seminary compound in  Mabolo.

The Pavilion was built by Duros Development Construction and turned over to the Cebu Archdiocese two weeks ago.

The archdiocese aims to raise P250 million for expenses in the IEC.

Villarojo said the Church still needs financial assistance to defray  expenses which include the board and lodging of speakers and interpreters during the IEC.

The church also has to refurbish the templete or little temple at the South Road Properties in Cebu City where the statio orbis or culminating Mass will be held and prepare other venues where Holy Mass will be celebrated.

So far, the Church collected P60 million of its target through fund raising and registration fees. Its  ‘Piso Para sa Misa ng Mundo’ campaign collected P16 million so far.

Last week 400 priests in the archdiocese, including Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, went on stage for a two-day music concert  to raise additional funds for the IEC.

The archdiocese also receives pledges and sponsorships from different groups and private firms.

The last time the IEC was held in the Philippines was in 1937 in Manila.