[4] The congress was formally opened on Tuesday, September 23 at 9:30 am with a Solemn Pontifical Votive Mass celebrated by Archbishop Pietro Fumasoni Biondi, apostolic delegate to the United States in St. Cecilia Cathedral.

"[7] Pietro Fumasoni Biondi read a letter from Pope Pius XI sent to the congress, extolling Peter Julian Eymard's Eucharistic League and sending his apostolic blessing.

[10] The ceremonies of Wednesday, September 24 were started by an 8 am Pontifical Low Mass offered for deceased members of the Priests' Eucharistic League at St. John's parish in Omaha.

At 9 am, Bishop Patrick Aloysius Alphonsus McGovern of Cheyenne celebrated a Solemn Pontifical Mass for children and students in St. Cecilia Cathedral; Archbishop Edward Joseph Hanna of San Francisco gave the sermon.

A telegram from President Herbert Hoover was read, expressing his "cordial greetings" and "appreciation of the value of spiritual ideals and of religious observance in the life of our nation, which are indispensable foundations of the social order.

"[12] Cardinal George Mundelein of Chicago spoke hopefully about resurgence in religious practice, citing the example and teaching of Pope Pius X.

Speaking highly of the former pontiff, Mundelein told the story of the young future pope, Giuseppe Sarto, starting as a peasant boy and simple parish priest and that his closeness with the people gave him great vision of the spiritual.

The celebrant, auxiliary bishop of New York John Joseph Dunn, calmly continued with the Mass as members of the men's chorus and firefighters extinguished the inflamed bunting.