By CatholicVote | Created at 2025-01-08 19:24:38 | Updated at 2025-01-09 10:20:38
14 hours ago
CV NEWS FEED // Monsignor James P. Shea, a distinguished homilist and president of the University of Mary, has been named the keynote speaker for the 2025 National Catholic Prayer Breakfast (NCPB).
Founded in 2004 in response to Saint John Paul II’s call for a New Evangelization, the NCPB gathers more than 1,500 attendees each year in Washington, D.C., to pray for the nation. The event features a lineup of speakers, attracting participation from lay and religious leaders, national figures, Catholic organizations, and individuals from various backgrounds.
Monsignor Shea is a respected leader in Catholic education and evangelization, recognized for his engaging speaking style and insightful homilies. He earned a licentiate in philosophy as a Basselin Fellow at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and later pursued theology at the Gregorian and Lateran universities in Rome.
After completing his seminary formation at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, he was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Bismarck in 2002. He currently serves as president of the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota.
The NCPB will commence with a Holy Mass at Immaculate Conception Church on the eve of the event. On Feb. 28, the day of the breakfast, Eucharistic Adoration is available starting at 6 a.m., followed by the recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet during the program. Following Monsignor Shea’s keynote address, the event will conclude with Benediction.
Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, the Heritage Foundation, and Benedictine College, the prayer breakfast will also honor the prominent pro-life Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) with the Christifideles Laici Award.
The award, named after Pope John Paul II’s 1988 post-synodal exhortation Christifideles Laici, is presented “In Honor and Gratitude for Fidelity to the Church, Exemplary Selfless and Steadfast Service in the Lord’s Vineyard,” CatholicVote reported.
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