Father Roger J. Landry, a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts, is scheduled to be the master of ceremonies at the New York State Eucharistic Congress, set for Octobeer 20-22 at the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs in Auriesville.    

Father Landry serves as Catholic Chaplain and Religious Life advisor at Columbia University, and chaplain to the Thomas Merton Institute for Catholic Life. He is also Ecclesiastical Assistant to Aid to the Church in Need USA, a Papal Missionary of Mercy, a National Eucharistic Preacher for the USCCB’s National Eucharistic Revival, chaplain to the New York chapter of the Leonine Forum, and a member of the board of the Shrine of Our Lady of the Martyrs.   

“As one of the 57 National Eucharistic preachers for the U.S. Bishops’ National Eucharistic Revival, I was asked to serve on the Planning Committee for the New York State Eucharistic Congress and have been really happy to work with Bishops (Gerardo) Colacicco (New York) and (Edward) Scharfenberger (Albany) and the representatives of the various dioceses to prepare for what will be one of the great events in Catholic life in New York State,” Father Landry told The Good Newsroom in an interview.

“I likewise serve on the board of Our Lady of Martyrs and so am thrilled to have the Eucharistic Congress be celebrated at a shrine I’ve long called the holiest place in the United States outside a tabernacle, thanks to its association with four canonized saints. Because I’ve worked on putting together the speakers’ lineup, and have emceed lots of conferences, the other organizers thought that I would be an effective point guard for the weekend, helping to tie one speech to the next so that the entire 40 hours would be integrated and even more impactful,” Father Landry said.     

“Through the introductions and thanks I’ll be giving before and after the great speakers, I’ll be trying to underline their main points about the incredible gift we have of our Eucharistic Lord and to link what they’re saying to the efforts of the bishops throughout New York and the National Eucharistic Revival to revitalize our Eucharistic knowledge, faith, amazement, love, and life,” Father Landry added.

A graduate of Harvard College (1992) and the Pontifical North American College in Rome (1999), Father Landry served as Attaché to the Holy See’s Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations (2015-2022), and has been a pastor, newspaper editor, and high school chaplain in the Diocese of Fall River.      

He writes for many publications, appears regularly on television and radio, and is the author of Plan of Life: Habits to Help You Grow Closer to God (Pauline Books and Media 2018). His homilies, articles, retreats, conferences, educational videos, and other offerings are available for free at catholicpreaching.com Learn more about and register to attend the NYS Eucharistic Conference here.