At the start of every “Preach” episode, we state the mission of the show: “We take you into the minds and hearts of some of the finest preachers in the Catholic Church; we listen to their homilies, learn what makes them great and draw inspiration to keep preaching the Good News.” This mission informed our decision to send host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., to the National Eucharistic Congress, a historic event—the first of its kind in 83 years—that took place in Indianapolis, Ind., from July 17-21.

On this episode of “Preach,” Ricardo reflects on his experience attending the congress and the rich tapestry of preaching styles he experienced while there. From homilies by bishops like Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the pope’s envoy to the congress; Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York and Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minn., to keynote addresses and breakout sessions led by notable speakers such as Gloria Purvis, the Rev. Mike Schmitz and Mother Olga of the Sacred Heart, he gained a deeper understanding of the art of preaching and its power to inspire and transform.

Joining him is Paul Shelton, S.J., a fellow Jesuit priest who was one of three Jesuits chosen as Eucharistic preachers for the National Eucharistic Revival and was also at the congress. Paul also serves as the provincial’s assistant for vocations in the Midwest Province. Together, they discuss their takeaways from this momentous occasion in the life of the U.S. church.

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