Bishop from ‘Down Umber’ heading to 2020 Eucharistic Congress

Bishop Richard Umbers, otherwise known by his twitter handle as ‘Bishop Down Umber’, will represent Australian catholic bishops at the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) to be held in Budapest in Hungary in September 2020.

Social-media savvy Bishop Umbers is the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Sydney and is renowned for his modern interpretation of the Gospel.  

Pope Francis announced the location of the 2020 Congress in a videotaped message aired during the  recent International Eucharistic Congress held in Cebu City in the Philippines.

The congress aims to bring together faithful from all around the world to pray before the Blessed Sacrament.

“We are all called to a daily conversion that begins by looking to Jesus,” Bishop Richard Umbers said.

“If He is the centre of our lives it makes sense that we should spend time with Him, as did the first disciples.

“Adoration is a prolongation of the Christmas miracle,” he continued. “As we gaze upon the Emmanuel – God with us – we can call to mind His entire life as recorded for us by Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

“We need to respond to the challenges of our time with prayer. If our gatherings were preceded by extended periods of silent prayer in church the Spirit of Christ would find more docile instruments with which to work,” Bishop Umbers concluded.

International Eucharistic congresses have been held since 1881 in different cities around the world to promote, celebrate and bear witness to the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

The event, which is held every four years, drew about 12,000 participants in Cebu City when it hosted the 51st IEC in 2016.

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