15,000 expected at int’l clergy meet in Cebu

CEBU CITY—The Archdiocese of Cebu on Friday launched the 100-day countdown to the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) which is projected to bring in about 15,000 delegates from all over the world to the Queen City of the South.

A eucharistic congress is a gathering of people to promote an awareness of the central place of communion in the life and mission of the Catholic Church.

A digital countdown clock was unveiled in a simple ceremony outside the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral in downtown Cebu City.

Cebu Auxiliary Bishops Dennis Villarojo and Oscar Florencio led the activity in lieu of Archbishop Jose Palma who was in Rome for the Synod of Bishops on the Family.

After the countdown, Archbishop Emeritus of Cebu Ricardo Cardinal Vidal celebrated Mass at the cathedral which is undergoing a major facelift in preparation for the IEC.

Villarojo said at least 8,000 individuals from 55 counties signed up for the IEC, 6,500 of whom had fully paid the registration fees.

Villarojo, IEC secretary general, said they were expecting more people to register by the end of the year.

Registration fee is P8,000 for those who want to take part in the weeklong congress and P4,000 for those who will attend for four days.

The archdiocese is working on a budget of P250 million for the IEC.

“So far, by God’s grace, we still have available resources to finance the budget. We still could pay for what we need to acquire,” said Villarojo.

A major source of funds, he said, is the Piso Para sa Misa ng Mundo, a nationwide fund-raising campaign for the IEC, and the registration fees.

Villarojo said the fund-raising drive has collected P15 million with over half of the donations generated from Cebu.

Msgr. Ruben Labajo, chair of the IEC committee on accommodations, said they requested hotel owners in Cebu not to take advantage of the IEC by jacking up the rates.

If possible, he said, the hotels may want to offer special rates or less than the usual accommodation fees for the IEC.

“We do not want to discourage delegates from coming to Cebu. We know how expensive it is to come here. We do not want hotels to give additional burden to the delegates,” Labajo said.

He said the archdiocese also requested host families in the cities of Cebu and Mandaue to accommodate some delegates during the weeklong IEC for free.

Labajo said only 60 percent of the target 1,000 host families had agreed to open their homes to the delegates.

Fr. Brian Brigoli, chair of the committee on venues, said they were preparing the venues that would be used during the IEC.

These include the Eucharistic Pavilion inside the seminary compound in Mabolo, Cebu City; Plaza Independencia; the Capitol grounds; the Cebu City Sports Center; and part of the South Road Properties.

The pavilion, where most of the events would be held, was nearing completion, Brigoli said.

The pavilion is being constructed by Duros Development Construction at an estimated cost of P550 million.