The Shalom Catholic Community (CCSh) will be present at the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress (NEK2021) in Hungary, being represented by a group of more than 70 people, including missionaries and brothers and sisters from the Budapest Shalom Work. The Budapest mission will be present at the Congress in order to evangelize the participants and the local population in the light of the charism.
Also read| Moysés Azevedo confirmed his attendance at the International Eucharistic Congress
Shalom Community Presence in Budapest:
Within the official program of NEK2021, the pilgrims intend to speak about the Shalom Charism to the other participants, as well as to the priests and bishops who will be present.
Fabiola Vázquez, responsible for the International Communication Office of the Shalom Community, says that the preparation has already started. “Our preparation in these days before arriving in Budapest is through prayers”. We have been praying for our dear Pope Francis and all the clergy, for Moyses who will share his testimony to all those who, just like us, go this encounter with the desire to renew their love for Jesus in the Eucharist to share this great love to all those in need.
The missionaries will bring some English material, such as the magazine ‘shalom to the world’ and the book “Writings” of Moysés Azevedo, which will help explain a little about the charism to the people who will be at the event.
Follow the activities in which the Community will be present:
Photographic Exhibition at the Shalom Snack Bar “HungaRio”
On Monday (06) there will be an exhibition by photographer Orsolya Urbán at the HungaRio cafeteria (managed by the shalom community). Entitled “Sisters”, the goal of the photographic exhibition is to present the consecrated life of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary, and how special the way of living the religious vocation is.
Moysés Testimony and Portuguese Mass
On Wednesday morning Moysés Azevedo will share his testimonty at the Congress. To date, nearly 4,000 people have signed up to be present on this occasion, including cardinals and priests.
Father Franco Galdino, Moysés Azevedo and Anderson da Silva(Local Responsible of the Budapest Mission)
At the end of the day, there will be a Holy Mass, presided over in Portuguese by Mgr. José Manuel Cordeiro, Bishop of the Diocese of Bragança-Miranda (approximately 500 km from Lisbon). The Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest has entrusted the preparation of this moment to the Community. At the celebration, the Shalom community will take over music and liturgy services. Portuguese-speaking participants are expected to attend.
Artistic performances
On Thursday (09), together with the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Budapest, the Community missionaries will participate in artistic events. They will be on stage presenting performances of music and dance, while other brothers and sisters evangelize the people in the crowd.
NEK2020 Family Festival
Within the program, on Saturday (11), there will be a presentation of the play “The Song of the Irias”. At the same place of the festival there will be a stand for vocational promotion where kerygmatic courses will be offered and the missionaries will be there to listen and pray for the pilgrims.
It is expected to reach about 3,000 people during the evangelization actions, with the purpose of starting a post-event prayer group, so that the evangelized can continue in the Shalom Work, and be shepherded by the Community.
Finally, the congress closing will be with the Holy Mass presided over by Pope Francis. It is expected to fill Heroes’ square and the Main Avenue.
Heroes’ Square is one of the main tourist attractions in Budapest (Picture by Daniela Lago)
It will also be possible to find some people from Shalom at the moments of adoration and worship, official masses, and around the city of Budapest, leafleting and evangelizing.
Current status of covid-19 in Hungary
In the country, more than half of the population has been vaccinated and the number of infected is low (in the last month there were 1,000 cases in the country). Masses and other face-to-face activities have returned for some time, so it is no longer mandatory to wear masks. In the country, the third dose of the vaccine is already being offered in order to contain the expansion of variants of the disease.
More Information:
52nd International Eucharistic Congress
When: September 5th to 12th, 2021
Official website: International Eucharistic Congress
Instagram: @comshalom @shtotheworld
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