Archdiocesan Prayer Breakfast to bring local Catholics together for faith, fellowship
May 10, 2011
HOUSTON — Inspired after attending the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., a few years ago, Houston lawyer and Archdiocesan Development board member Brock Akers brought an idea home with him.
"It was an event where it appeared about a thousand people showed up, and seemed to revel in and take pride in their Catholicism," said Akers. "It occurred to me that this sort of an event did not need to only occur in Washington and that we could easily put one on in Houston with the right formula."
The first Archdiocesan Prayer Breakfast was held at the River Oaks Country Club last summer and featured author, speaker and popular Catholic apologist Dr. Scott Hahn. It drew 550 attendees (and many were turned away due to lack of space), which didn't surprise Akers, who says he had confidence that it would be a great success.
On July 13, the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston will hold the second Archdiocesan Prayer Breakfast. In response to the large turnout last year, the event has been moved to the Hilton-Americas in Downtown Houston. This year's event is chaired by Jeb Bashaw, who serves on the Archdiocesan Finance Council and Development Board.
The featured speaker is Father James Martin, S.J., author of "The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything" and culture editor of America Magazine. Father Martin has written for the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and a host of other newspapers and websites and has also appeared on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report," as well as CNN, Vatican Radio, the Fox News Channel, NPR, PBS and the BBC. He has written several books, including "My Life with the Saints," which has sold more than 100,000 copies and has been translated into Spanish. Father Martin's talk is entitled, "Between Heaven and Mirth: Joy, Humor and Laughter in the Spiritual Life," (which is also the title of his forthcoming book to be released in October).
Akers said the goal of the event is for local faithful to have an event to come together in a time of prayer and thanksgiving, but also for enrichment.
"Part of the Catholic tradition is an intellectual one, and formation of good Catholics is a never ending process," said Akers. "Bringing a speaker who can both educate and inspire us in our faith is a step along the way to helping us along the way as ‘works in progress'."
Last year, the event attracted a diverse group of attendees from all over the Archdiocese, which is something organizers hope to achieve again on July 13. †
Details
What: Archdiocesan Prayer Breakfast
When: July 13 from 7:30 to 9 a.m.
Where: Hilton-Americas in Downtown Houston
Cost: $50
For more information: Contact Deborah Johnson at 713-652-4461 or djohnson@archgh.org or visit www.archgh.org/prayerbreakfast.