Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Feb 25, 2025 / 14:05 pm

Vice President JD Vance will speak at the 20th National Catholic Prayer Breakfast (NCPB) held on Friday, Feb. 28, in Washington, D.C., the organization has announced.

“I am honored to be able to address the 20th annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast and represent the Trump administration’s support for people of faith across the United States,” Vance said in a statement.

Vance spoke about returning to the NCPB as vice president. “Last year, I was moved to witness the joyful devotion of over a thousand Catholics praying for the future and success of our country,” he said.

“Thanks to their faithful prayers, President Trump’s leadership has restored the hopes and dreams of the American people and our great nation is on the path to peace and prosperity once more,” Vance said.

NCPB Chairman Mark Randall stated: “We are thrilled to welcome fellow Catholic JD Vance back, now as vice president, for our 20th annual gathering of fellowship and prayer. His presence is a sign of hope and openness to Catholic values and all the good that they bring to our entire nation.”

This year’s keynote speaker is Monsignor James Shea, president of the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota. Among the other political figures who will attend the event is New Jersey Rep. Chris Smith, who will be honored with the NCPB’s Christifideles Laici Award. 

The award is given out yearly by the NCPB to a layperson who demonstrates service and “good works” to the Church, according to the organization. It was created to acknowledge those following St. John Paul II’s call to “spread the Gospel in ways that are new in ardor, methods, and expression.”

Smith, who is a devout Catholic dedicating his time on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs to advocate for those suffering religious persecution and human trafficking, will be the sixth recipient of the award.

The NCPB events will begin Thursday evening and guest speakers will give remarks on Friday, Feb. 28, starting at 7 a.m. ET. EWTN will cover the event live and report on its presenters.