The International Eucharistic Congress is a gathering of clergy, religious, and laity to bear witness to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, which is an important Roman Catholic doctrine.

It brings together people from a wide area, and typically involves large open-air Masses, and other devotional ceremonies held over several days. Congresses may both refer to National and International Eucharistic Congresses. The most recent International Eucharistic Congress was held in Dublin, Ireland in 2012.

It is not often that a country gets to host a global Catholic Church undertaking like the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC). The archdiocese and the government are ready in its preparation to host the IEC from Jan. 24 to 31. I can already see the tremendous effort in clearing and cleaning our streets and security measures. The Eucharistic Pavilion which will be the center of the activity was turned over by Duros Development Corp. (DDC) to the Archdiocese of Cebu last Saturday. Duros built the P550-million building at no cost to the Church. In exchange, the Archdiocese of Cebu will give the construction company usufruct rights over part of the seminary property. The Pavilion features a huge plenary hall, a chapel, theater, and six function rooms. It will be the main venue of the 51st IEC, The private sector is also preparing to host local and international delegates. Hotels, malls and restaurants are expected to be full during this week. The pressure is on the Cebuano’s to bear in the week to come. The 51st IEC opened yesterday and will end next Sunday. It is estimated that millions will join this weeklong event.

The International Eucharistic Congress will highlight our beloved Province of Cebu. This will indeed help boost our development mainly in the commercial and tourism aspects. This will also increase the income of small and medium scale businesses. The IEC will increase the economy of the province not only during the event but also in the long run. It also depends on us; we can make this can happen only if we did our part as Cebuano’s. Let us show them our warmth, discipline and honesty; we are a province that is suitable for business opportunities and tourism. Let us show them what Cebu has to offer. Good Luck to all.

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