Medal, International Eucharistic Congress, Australia, 1928

This medal was issued in 1928 to commemorate the 29th International Eucharistic Congress, held in Sydney. The Eucharist is considered be the source and pinnacle of all evangelization and the centre of the whole life of the Church. The Congress is an expression of the Church's world-wide prayer for unity and peace. The first International Eucharistic Congress was held in Lille in northern France in 1881.

The Congresses were then held intermittently, interrupted by events such as World War I. From 1922 they were held every second year. Between 1922 and the eve of World War II in 1938, nine congresses were held in different countries across the five continents, including the 29th Congress, held in Australia. The medal features an image of Pope Pius XI. Pius's pontificate, during the inter-war period, was marked by considerable diplomatic activity. Pius spoke out against nationalism, racism, anti-Semitism and totalitarianism, and in favour of human dignity. He also had little regard for laissez-faire capitalism, and urged social reform in the 1931 encyclical Quadragesimo anno.

Pius argued that it was not possible to be both Fascist and Catholic, and relations between Mussolini and the Holy See deteriorated. However, he was presiding over the Church when it signed a concordat with Hitler in 1933. The Nazis continually meddled with Church activities, persecuted clergy and tried to convert German Christians to the new faith in Nazism, and Pius finally denounced the government and Nazi theory in Mit brennender Sorge in 1937. Soon after he issued the analysis On Atheistic Communism, denounced persecutions in Russia, Mexico, and Spain.

To protect Eastern rites Catholics from Latin influence he augmented their congregation, established a commission to study their canon law and asked Western Catholics to embrace their brothers of the various Eastern rites. Mint: Amor. Obverse: Bust of Pope Pius XI facing left, under shoulder truncation W.J.A.; around, PIVS XI. PONT. MAX. Reverse: Mary's Cathedral, Sydney; in field left, 29TH / INTERNATIONAL / EUCHARISTIC / CONGRESS / SYDNEY / SEPT 1928 in the exergue: AMOR. Edge: Plain.