Priests Talk Eucharistic Revival: An Interview with Fr. Patrick Hyde, OP

Leading up to the National Eucharistic Congress in July 2024, we have been working to create a lot of Eucharistic themed content for the churches we partner with including weekly saint biographies about saints with Eucharistic devotions, digital and print graphics, photography, and more! One thing we are most excited about, though, is the people involved in the Eucharistic Congress, so we asked Fr. Patrick Hyde, OP, to speak with us about his work as one of the 50 National Eucharistic Preachers.

This special group of diverse priests have been commissioned to be the “boots on the ground” and help prepare the nation for the Congress by traveling to dioceses and churches to preach and guide Americans to individual conversion.

Allow us to introduce Fr. Patrick Hyde, OP:

Q.    Hello! Please introduce yourself and what your ministry is/ministries are.

A.     Hi, I am Fr. Patrick Hyde, OP. I am the pastor of St. Paul Catholic Center, the Newman Center at Indiana University, in Bloomington, Indiana. 

Q.   How did you become one of the National Eucharistic Preachers? What are your goals for that role?

A.   I was encouraged to consider being a part of the National Eucharistic Preachers by my provincial leadership. 
I have two major goals for my work as a National Eucharistic Preacher. First, I want to help Catholics deepen their love of the Eucharist. I hope to remind them of how much God loves and desires them and how He is present to them in the Eucharist. I pray that this manifests in deeper Eucharistic lives. Second, I want to share how a Eucharistic revival, both personal and in a parish, has changed me and my parish. Over the past ten years, the Newman Center I serve as pastor (and many other Newman Centers across the country) have experienced tremendous growth by simply putting the Eucharist and our encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist at the center of everything we do. It is a source of hope and joy for the Church. 

Q.   What do you hope are the graces that come from the Eucharistic Congress event?

A.    The National Eucharistic Congress is a unique moment in the life of the Church in the United States. To my knowledge, we have not had a national event that is meant to serve and attract all Catholics in a long time. Simply having an opportunity for the various groups and cultures of our Church to gather as one in prayer and at the Eucharist is an immense grace. My biggest hope, though, is that the good news and good work of evangelization and discipleship formation that is going on in so many areas of the Church will become more mainstream in our parishes and amongst the faithful. For instance, I think of the many Catholics I know who love the Lord, His Church, and the Eucharist with all of their heart but also feel great sorrow that so many of their loved ones have walked away from the Church. By bringing these people together with those who are doing such great work in the mission field, I have great hopes that the National Eucharistic Congress will set the Church on fire with God's love and presence. 

Q.   What has been the most meaningful part of being part of the EC?

A.   In every place I have visited, I have been absolutely astonished at the beauty and power of so many people's faith in Jesus and in the Eucharist. Ours is such a divided and contentious culture, but the Eucharist, because it is Jesus, has the power of bringing together all people and transforming them. The faith of the people in the pews in the Eucharist is inspiring. The Revival has provided people more opportunities not only to worship the Eucharist more ardently but also to walk together with other faithful, ardent Catholics. 

Q.   What Should Catholics do to prepare for the event?

A.   1. Spending time with Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament should be a greater priority for all of us. Sign up for a Holy Hour at your local Eucharistic Adoration Chapel or simply drop in on Jesus in the tabernacle at your local parish. 

2. Work with your pastor and fellow Catholics to move toward more reverent and more beautiful worship. 

3. Serve the poor. 

Q.   Please share a story of how the Eucharist has affected your life.

A.   When I was in college, I made a solo trip through Europe for four weeks after a semester abroad. The first stop of my trip was Krakow, Poland. My first day of the trip was quite emotional primarily because I experienced a bit of home sickness. The next morning, I woke up early and went to the closest parish for Sunday Mass. I was a bit thrown off at first because I do not speak a word of Polish. However, the Gloria was chanted in Latin, which was familiar to me. In that moment, I realized the power of the Mass and the Eucharist. No matter where we are in the world, Jesus is there for us in a real way. 

Thank you so much, Fr. Patrick, for giving us some insight into your life and experience!

Want more inspiration for the Eucharistic Congress? You can find our collection of Eucharistic themed graphics, social media stories, quotes, photography, and more under the Eucharistic Congress 2024 pin inside of WeCreate, our library of Catholic content.