With great enthusiasm and the delicacy that characterizes him, Father Corrado Maggioni, president of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses, arrived on April 4 from Rome to the capital of Ecuador. The Vatican representative arrived with the purpose of accompanying and encouraging the organization of IEC 2024, scheduled to take place in Quito from September 8 to 15 of this year.
In his first days in Ecuador, he visited the facilities of the 53rd International Eucharistic Congress and the Metropolitan Curia of Quito. He held meetings with Bishop Alfredo José Espinoza Mateus, archbishop of Quito, Primate of Ecuador and president of the Local Committee of the IEC 2024.
Forgiveness to heal the heart
In an interview held for the program “Fraternity to Heal the World”, Father Maggioni expressed his joy at being in Ecuador, a country consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus 150 years ago, which is why Pope Francis chose it to be the headquarters of the 53rd International Eucharistic Congress. Likewise, he highlighted the value of forgiveness to heal the human heart, ward off sadness and joyfully announce the good news of the Gospel.
When referring to Mary, mother of the Church, he mentioned that her presence is fundamental in the Congress since it is the first Tabernacle of Christ, which leads his children to the Eucharist. She is the mother who invites us to live in unity, love and fraternity.
Father Corrado will participate in the solemn Eucharist for the 150 years of Consecration of Ecuador to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, scheduled to take place on April 10, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. in the Basilica of the National Vow, where the presence of national authorities is expected.
Third visit to Ecuador
It is the third time that the president of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses visits Ecuador, the first was in the month of November 2022; the second in September 2023, regarding the Plenary Assembly of the 53rd International Eucharistic Congress, in which delegates from the Episcopal Conferences of different countries around the world participated. Today, five months after this great ecclesial meeting, he is fine-tuning details with the Local Committee of the IEC 2024.
Father Maggioni was born in Bergamo-Italy, he was ordained a priest of the Missionaries of the Company of Mary, he has a PhD. in Liturgy from the Pontifical Liturgical Institute of Sant Anselm. He has worked in the Holy See for 34 years. In 2014, Pope Francis appointed him undersecretary of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and in 2021 he chose him to lead the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses, replacing Bishop Piero Marini, who has chaired it since 2007.
