Ding dong, the Pope makes the eucharistic congress official

Holy Father rings bell symbolizing call to turn out for June congress in Ireland

Pope Benedict XVI rings the International Eucharistic Congress Bell before his general audience at the Vatican March 14.
CNS photo/L'Osservatore Romano

Pope Benedict XVI was the last to ring the International Eucharistic Congress Bell to symbolize the opening of the International Eucharistic Congress to be held this June in Ireland. The bell traveled around Ireland for year which drew several Irish Catholics. Carol Glatz of Catholic News Network has the story:

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI blessed and rang the official International Eucharistic Congress bell, which has been on tour across Ireland for nearly a year, in preparation for the world meeting in June.

An Irish delegation, led by the 2012 congress president Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, presented the pope with the small brass bell before the start of his weekly general audience March 14. Before the pope was driven into St. Peter's Square, he met with the delegation and rang the bell.

Read the full story at The B.C. Catholic website.