You will have seen that the North Staffs Eucharistic Congress has been mentioned/advertised on our parish bulletin for a number of weeks now. The time for the event is getting closer. It is happening from Thursday 10th to Saturday 12th July. This is an opportunity to give you more information about it, and hopefully, encourage you to take part.

What is a Eucharistic Congress? It is not just a conference. It is an event in the life of the Church, either internationally, nationally, on a Diocesan level, or, in this case, in a Deanery. There is a ‘conference-type event’ as part of it, to which everyone is invited. But it is more than that, and elements of it will be taking place across the Deanery.

The Congress will begin on Thursday evening, 10th July, with a Deanery Station Mass, celebrated by His Grace Archbishop Bernard Longley, beginning at 7pm at Sacred Heart Church in Tunstall. There will be representatives from all the schools in the Deanery, and we want as many parishioners as possible, so that this is a great celebration. The idea is that this is the opening of the Congress, but it is also an opportunity to invite the Archbishop to celebrate a Jubilee Mass with us. This Mass brings together the celebration of the Jubilee Year, the gift of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, as well as thanksgiving in the year of the centenary of the federation of the City of Stoke-on-Trent. Please plan to come to this Mass if you are able. Practicalities regarding parking etc will be notified in a couple of weeks time.

After the Mass, the first events of the Congress take place. There will be a talk given by Fr Julian Green setting the scene for the Congress, followed by a Holy Hour, and then all night Eucharistic Adoration, which will happen on both nights of the Congress. Thanks to the Syro-Malabar community who will ensure that the Blessed Sacrament is accompanied through the night in the crypt at Sacred Heart. All parishioners from across the Deanery are also invited to take part in the nighttime Adoration.

On Friday the focus will be schools. All our schools have been working on a programme for the children to follow on that day in their own schools. Hopefully parishes will take the opportunity to have Eucharistic Adoration in the church during the day too.

The Friday evening begins the ‘conference type event’. There will be a Mass in Sacred Heart Tunstall at 6.30pm celebrated by our Dean, Canon Paul McNally, followed by a talk by Fr Jan Nowotnik, and a Eucharistic Healing Service. This is a great celebration of God’s gift of reconciliation and healing. There will, once again be overnight Adoration.

On Saturday, we will be at St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy for the day. There will be keynote talks by Fr Eamonn Mulcahy and Sister Hyacinthe OP of the Dominican Sisters of St Joseph. There will also be workshops and smaller group talks, times of prayer and liturgy, fellowship and testimony. It begins at 9am. It is hoped that it will end with a Eucharistic Procession from St Margaret Ward to Sacred Heart, Tunstall, where Benediction will be given and Mass for the closing of the Congress will be celebrated by Bishop Timothy Menezes.

The whole event is free of charge, though we will be asking for donations according to each person’s means to defray costs. Let’s make this a great witness of our Faith in our Blessed Lord and his Eucharistic Presence. Please come to the main events as well as take part in your own parish. If you are coming on Saturday please go to the Eventbrite webpage (QR code and web address on the flyer) and register to help us to plan for numbers. We look forward to seeing you there!