In the world of superstition, Friday the 13th is an inauspicious day. Organizers of this year's National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, on the other hand, believe Friday, April 13 will be, instead, an important day for faith in general and the Catholic faith in particular. On that day, the fourth National Catholic Prayer Breakfast will be held in Washington, DC.
Organizers believe that, if the pattern of the prior three holds true, it will also have record-setting attendance. The first Breakfast was held at the Mayflower Hotel four years ago. However, the demand for seats was so great that the event quickly outgrew that venue. It will be held this year at the Washington Hilton, which can accommodate a crowd of around 2000.
The first event featured an address by Cardinal Avery Dulles. This year the speaker will be Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington. Still in his first year at the helm of the Church in our nation's capital, Archbishop Wuerl will address "Christianity and Our National Identity."
Though the event is four years old, it has experimented with its format each year in order to better serve the spiritual and intellectual needs and interests of Catholics in Washington and elsewhere. For instance, two years ago, at the request of Cardinal McCarrick, the organizers held the Mass the evening before the Prayer Breakfast. That practice continues this year. And like last year, the Mass will be celebrated at St. Matthew's Cathedral at 6:30 pm Thursday evening. Bishop Paul Loverde of Arlington, Virginia, who has steadfastly supported the event through the years, will celebrate the Mass and deliver the homily.
Also, as last year, the Mass will be followed by a speakers' reception at the Army/Navy Club (DC) at 8 pm. Transportation is available from St. Matthew's for those unable to walk to the reception. However, attendance at the reception is limited to the first 500 people who arrive.
Last year, the organizers arranged for two noted theologians, Dr. Scott Hahn and Father Benedict Groeschel, to speak following the conclusion of the actual Breakfast (which ends at 9:30 am). Attendance was so strong that they decided to expand the offerings. This year, between 10 am and noon, there will be two speakers, Father Richard John Neuhaus, the editor of First Things magazine, and Hahn. Neuhaus will speak on "Why I am Not an American Catholic," and Hahn will speak on "Divine Liturgy as Our Prayer."
There will then be a break for lunch, followed by two afternoon panels. One will be on "Public Policy Issues of Interest to Catholics." It will feature William Saunders of the Family Research Council, Leonard Leo of the Federalist Society, Carter Snead of the Notre Dame University School of Law, and Brad Wilcox of the University of Virginia Department of Sociology. Issues to be addressed will include the sociological evidence for why marriage matters, the judicial confirmation process, and stem cell research.
The second panel will cover Catholics in the media, and will include Raymond Arroyo of EWTN, Eduardo Vestegui, the lead actor of the film, Bella, Steve McEveety, producer of The Passion of the Christ, and Tom Allen, president and editor-in-chief of Catholic Exchange.
The Prayer Breakfast attracts many out-of-town attendees, more and more each year. In order to respond to them, the organizers have arranged for a tour of "Catholic Washington" on the morning of Saturday, April 14.
The National Catholic Prayer Breakfast was founded in response to Pope John Paul II's call for the "new evangelization." Its aim is to promote solidarity among Catholics and to witness to the presence of the Faith in the nation's capital. Additional information about this year's Breakfast (including how to register) can be found at www.catholicprayerbreakfast.com.
