Cardinal Marc Ouellet and the 2008 International Eucharistic Congress (2008 IEC) organizers invite the public to take part in a Eucharistic procession through the streets of Quebec City. The procession will be held on June 19 at 7 p.m., starting from Colisée Pepsi and ending at the Agora in the city’s Old Port. The procession will cover 5.1 km and will include a number of planned stops.
This public activity will enable 2008 IEC pilgrims and Quebec City residents to meet together. Some 15,000 people are expected to take part in the procession, which will be led by a vehicle carrying the Blessed Sacrament, papal legate Jozef Tomko, and Cardinal Marc Ouellet. For the occasion, the vehicle will be baptized Thabor for the highly symbolic Mount Thabor in Palestine.
Enormous banners and giants will accompany the marchers. These representations of saints and blesseds from Quebec will highlight the Catholic Church of Quebec’s contribution to the city’s development.
Stops at various locations are planned all along the route. The first stop is scheduled for around 7:30 p.m. at Église Saint-François-d’Assise, where various people will have gathered to welcome the marchers. Cardinal Tomko will enter the church with the Blessed Sacrament and bless the assembly gathered there.
Around 9 p.m., the marchers will stop at Église Saint-Roch and welcome all gathered there. This stop will highlight the many social and community initiatives that began in the St-Roch district. As at Église Saint-François-d’Assise, the legate will visit the sacred church.
Here, pilgrims may light their candle for the final stage of the procession to the Agora. About 20 minutes before arriving at the final destination, the Gen Verde group will take the stage. Radio Galilée will provide live coverage of the event, which will be broadcast on the FM dial at 90.9. The 2008 IEC organizers suggest that marchers use a walkman to listen to the broadcast during the procession. Vehicles equipped with a sound system will also broadcast the event. The activity will end around 10:30 p.m., and public transit (RTC) will be available to return pilgrims to Expocité.