In the Catholic Church, a 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 Catholic doctrine. Congresses bring together people from a wide area, and typically involve large open-air Masses, Eucharistic adoration, and other devotional ceremonies held over several days. Congresses may both refer to National and International Eucharistic Congresses.
An aerial view of City Park Stadium in New Orleans, filled with worshippers at the National Eucharistic Congress of 1938
The 21st International Eucharistic Congress in Montreal in 1910. Canadian Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier is standing on the right.
Eucharistic adoration is a Eucharistic devotional practice primarily in Western Catholicism, but also to a lesser extent in certain Lutheran and Anglican traditions, in which the Blessed Sacrament is adored by the faithful. This practice may occur either when the Eucharist is exposed, or when it is not publicly viewable because it is reserved in a place such as a church tabernacle.
Eucharistic adoration during Holy Hour at Santa Cruz Church, Manila, Philippines
Ciborium, made by the metal and stone sculptor Ernst Hanssen for the St. Francis Church in Hamburg-Barmbek
Eucharistic adoration in Saint Therese Little Flower Catholic Church in Reno, Nevada, U.S.
The Venerable Leo Dupont