With the Pope in attendance, Sydney will be the Eucharistic heart of the Church in 2028: dates for the International Eucharistic Congress are announced

(ZENIT News / Sidney, 10.01.2026).- A century after Sydney hosted its first International Eucharistic Congress, the Catholic Church will return to the Australian harbour city in 2028 for a week devoted to the Eucharist, with organizers hoping the gathering will become more than a major pilgrimage: a catalyst for renewed Eucharistic faith across the country.

Bishop Richard Umbers, auxiliary bishop of Sydney and secretary general of the 54th International Eucharistic Congress, has announced that Eucharist28 will take place from September 24 to October 1, 2028. A theological symposium will precede it from September 20 to 22, offering participants what Bishop Umbers calls a “deep dive” into the theology of the Blessed Sacrament.

The choice of Sydney carries its own historical weight. The city hosted the 29th International Eucharistic Congress in 1928, making the 2028 event a centenary return. Australia has previously hosted the international gathering only once more, in Melbourne in 1973.

But the organizers are presenting Eucharist28 not simply as a commemoration. Its stated ambition is renewal. Bishop Umbers hopes the congress will encourage Australian Catholics to rediscover the Eucharist as the centre of Christian life and draw more people back to the Mass and to the mystery of Christ’s sacrifice.

“The Eucharist is the centre of our faith,” he said, describing the 2028 congress as an opportunity to “believe in that reality” anew.

That emphasis is reflected in the theme chosen by Pope Leo XIV in 2025: “This is my body, given for you,” words taken from the account of the Last Supper. The theme places Christ’s self-giving at the heart of the congress and points beyond the event itself to what Catholics believe happens at every celebration of the Mass.

For Bishop Umbers, this is precisely why a Eucharistic congress is meant to be more than a gathering of like-minded Catholics. “A gathering of the Church is for everyone because the Eucharist makes the Church the Church,” he said.

The organizers have already begun laying the groundwork. On March 1, 2026, parishes across Australia marked Eucharistic Holy Hours to launch a Year of Prayer for Eucharist28. Resources for parishes, schools and communities have also been made available, alongside videos, podcasts and reflections. Catholics can register for updates and volunteer opportunities while beginning a two-year journey of preparation through their local communities.

The congress is expected to draw pilgrims from across Australia and from abroad. Pope Leo XIV has not yet formally accepted an invitation from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, but in February 2026 he offered a striking indication of his intentions: “There is still a long time, [but] I will be there.”

If the Pope ultimately attends, his presence would add another dimension to a gathering already designed to connect Australia’s local Catholic life with the universal Church.

The international dimension is also shaping the practical preparations. Harvest Journeys has been appointed the official travel agency for Eucharist28 groups and will develop pilgrimage packages for dioceses, parishes, schools, movements and communities travelling to Sydney. International pilgrims will also be offered opportunities to explore parts of Australia, including the Blue Mountains, regional New South Wales, Queensland and central Australia.

For Selina Hasham, Harvest’s chief executive, the task is to remove logistical distractions so that pilgrims can concentrate on the religious experience. The agency brings decades of experience organizing travel for World Youth Days, youth festivals, canonizations and pilgrimages.

The International Eucharistic Congress movement itself began in 19th-century France, with laywoman Émilie-Marie Tamisier playing a major role in the organization of the first congress in Lille in 1881. Nearly 150 years later, the movement will bring its international gathering back to Sydney.

Bishop Umbers describes the reason in deliberately simple terms: Catholics believe that Christ gives himself to them in the Eucharist, a gift originating in the Last Supper and made present at every Mass, after which he remains present for adoration.

“Why wouldn’t we want to celebrate that and tell the whole world about it?” he asked.

In Sydney, that celebration will unfold a hundred years after the city first welcomed the congress. But the organizers are already looking beyond the anniversary. Their larger question is whether Eucharist28 can turn a historic week in 2028 into a lasting renewal of Eucharistic life in the Church in Australia.

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