The Catholic Church of Taiwan is all set for the 2012 International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) in Dublin. A special website has been created, books and teaching aids on the Eucharist have been published, and there have been awareness programmes on the theme of the Congress, The Eucharistic: communion with Christ and with one another.
As well as materials and scripture on the theme, the Congress programme can be read on the new Congress website.
There is also the official anthem, a link to the site of the International Eucharistic Congress and a series of publications from the Regional Episcopal Conference of Taiwan.
On the part of the IEC organisers in Dublin, the congress prayer has been translated into Chinese for members of the Taiwan Catholic Church.
The organisers say that this is the very first time that Catholics from Taiwan will be able to attend an International Eucharistic Congress.
According to the organisers, 44 people from Taiwan have already booked to attend.
Other preparations are also underway.
During the Autumn Assembly of the Episcopal Conference, Mgr. Li Ke Mian, Bishop of the Diocese of Hsin Chu, was elected head of the Taiwan Delegation to the International Eucharistic Congress.
Also in the Catholic Weekly, a summary of the international conference held in Rome in preparation for the Eucharistic Congress was published to help Catholics in Taiwan to learn more about the meaning of the event in communion with the Universal Church.
A couple from Taiwan were the only representatives from the Chinese Catholic world at the Conference in Rome.
Representatives from Taiwan also travelled to Dublin in June 2011 with the international delegates for the IEC.
A retreat for the delegation to travel to Ireland will take place from April 21 - 22 2012 in Taiwan.
The International Eucharistic Congress is, "a blessing for the Church in Taiwan" according to Archbishop John Hung, Archbishop of Tai Pei and President of the Regional Episcopal Conference of Taiwan speaking about the local National Eucharistic Congress held in November last.
He and the other bishops invited each diocese to attend the National Congress, "to prepare spiritually for the journey to Dublin and further promote Eucharistic devotion.”
The program presented the two main themes, the obedience of Abraham, and Jesus' encounter with the two travellers to Emmaus.
In advance of the IEC, the Taiwan Bishops’ 2012 pastoral letter, signed on January 1, indicates five crucial points for pastoral commitment:
- The priests are invited to prepare and celebrate the Eucharist with care and zeal;
- The lay faithful are urged to participate actively in the celebration of the sacrament of thanksgiving and adoration of the Eucharist;
- The laity must learn, study and recite the Liturgy of the Hours;
- the laity are encouraged to renew their knowledge of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, since the Year of faith is in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the II Vatican Council and 20 years of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church to respond to the challenge of this world of weak faith, and;
- The parishes are invited to develop and promote their project of evangelisation.
The Taiwanese bishops conclude their letter entrusting the pastoral work of the Church of Taiwan for the New Year to the intercession of the Virgin, "so that the life of every believer is like Mary's life.”