International Eucharistic Congress: the Ark of the New Covenant

I have already posted on the Ark of the New Covenant, and its pilgrimage around parishes and communities of Canada in preparation for the Eucharistic Congress. Just before the celebration of the opening Mass of the Congress, the Ark was carried in to the hall being used for the main events. As it was carried in, a series of Old and New Testament readings were proclaimed - starting from the first moments of creation (the prologue to St John's Gospel); moving on to the Ark built by Noah (the Scripture passage read recounted the blessing of Noah and his family as they left the Ark after the flood); then on to Moses bringing the tablets of the Covenant to the people in the desert; next, the account of the institution of the Eucharist and the establishment of the new covenant; and concluding with John the Baptist as the witness to the light, who gave to all who listened to his word the power to become children of God. It was a wonderfully devised catechesis. A video clip of this part of the opening ceremony can be found here. (You will need French to be able to follow the Scripture passages. )

At the end of the opening Mass, the Holy Eucharist was placed atop the Ark and carried out in procession to the room/chapel that would be used for silent Adoration, 24/7 for the remainder of the time of the Eucharistic Congress. My photographs of the Ark in this adoration room/chapel - named the Chapel of the New Covenant for the duration of the Congress:

As an exercise in the new evangelisation, the design and then pilgrimage of the Ark of the New Covenant is only matched by the pilgrimage of the Cross and Icon of the World Youth Day.

Now, Dublin, you have something to live up to .....