“Quietly, everyone has been booking in advance on the assumption the Pope will be coming,” said Doak, 42, who attends Ottawa’s Blessed Sacrament Church. He wants to attend the big Mass on the Plains of Abraham on the Congress’s closing weekend. Should the Pope accept the invitation to attend the Congress, he will preside. Though he has said he hopes to come, a final decision will come before the end of this year.

As of early July, most accommodations near ExpoCité, where events will take place, were sold out. Pilgrims will also be competing for hotel rooms with those coming to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the city’s founding.

On June 25, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) issued a news release reminding people that the Congress is less than a year away. The CCCB directed people to the congress web site at www.cei2008.ca .

“Close to 12,000 participants from all over the world are expected to come for a week of celebrations, adoration, catechesis and cultural events,” the CCCB release said. “Large crowds are expected particularly for the closing Mass.”

“Preceding the Congress is a theological and pastoral symposium aimed at deepening our knowledge of the eucharistic mystery,” it said.

The web site offers online registration, a list of accommodations, and contact information for diocesan, sector and country group leaders. The $230 registration fee is discounted $30 before Jan. 1, 2008, and covers: access to the events; public transportation; Monday through Saturday lunch; Congress-related documents; simultaneous translation in French, English and Spanish; and access to reserved seating areas at the closing Mass.

The registration fee does not include the cost of accommodation. The web site includes a list of suggested hotels, campgrounds and hostels in various geographical sectors in and around Quebec City. The web site will eventually have links to help people find accommodation with local families.