By Mary Frances McCarthy
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 9/11/03)

"I have been able to celebrate Holy Mass in chapels built along mountain paths, on lakeshores and seacoasts; I have celebrated it on altars built in stadiums and in city squares. …This varied scenario of celebrations of the Eucharist has given me a powerful experience of its universal and, so to speak, cosmic character. Yes, cosmic! Because even when it is celebrated on the humble altar of a country church, the Eucharist is always in some way celebrated on the altar of the world. It unites heaven and earth. It embraces and permeates all creation." Ecclesia de Eucharistia

The current exhibit series at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington D.C., "At the Altar of the World," will showcase over 400 photographs of the Holy Father taken by staff photographers of L’Osservatore Romano, the official newspaper of the Vatican.

The first exhibit, "At the Altar of the World: Faith’s Great Mystery," which runs through Jan. 25, provides an overview to the work of the pope as it relates to his latest encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia.

This first exhibit, and the following three in the series that will each illustrate a specific theme from the encyclical, demonstrate the Holy Father’s devotion to the Eucharist.

"He has truly lived the words of his encyclical," said Father G. Michael Bugarin, executive director of the cultural center.

Father Bugarin traveled to Rome earlier this year to select the photographs for the exhibit. The over 400 photographs chosen were picked from the 3 million photos in the archives of L’Osservatore Romano.

The photographs on exhibit offer a rare and very personal glimpse into the life and work of one of the most influential men in the world today.

At the entrance to the hall of photos hangs a sign bearing these words of the Holy Father: "The path itself is long and strewn with obstacles greater than our human resources alone can overcome, yet we have the Eucharist" (Ecclesia de Eucharistia).

The photographs span all 25 years of John Paul II’s pontificate, and show him visiting many different countries. The pope is pictured greeting throngs of people and celebrating public Masses as well as alone in contemplation and prayer.

The exhibit is divided into eight sections: an introduction, a section for each of the six chapters of Ecclesia de Eucharistia, and a conclusion.

"Faith’s Great Mystery" will run through Jan. 25, 2004.

"A New Heart Will I Give You," an exhibit showcasing the pope’s efforts at reconciliation through his work to advance peace between nations, social classes and religions, and through the attempted assassination of him, will run Feb. 4 through May 23, 2004.

"Blessed is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord," exhibiting the pope as the successor to St. Peter, will run from June 2 through Aug. 22, 2004.

The final exhibit, "Into the Deep: The Third Millennium" will run from Sept. 1 to Nov. 7, 2004, and will draw from themes the pope has focused on at the turn of the millennium including youth, eccumenicism, faith and culture.

A book, also entitled At the Altar of the World, will be published by the cultural center and will be available in November. A 2004 calendar featuring photographs from the exhibit has also been published, and is available through the cultural center.

Other planned events to celebrate the pope’s silver jubilee include lectures, a music concert and the dedication of a Children’s International Peace Garden.

For information call 202/635-5400 or visit www.jp2cc.org.