Catholics from our diocese are invited to attend the National Eucharistic Congress and hear an inspirational speaker who has been described as “one of the Church’s best messengers”.

Bishop Robert Barron is the keynote speaker at the all-day event at the Liverpool Echo Arena on Saturday September 8 as part of Adoremus.

The founder of the “Word on Fire” Catholic evangelical outreach ministry, Bishop Barron is a world-renowned theologian and writer and is based in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

His weekly half-hour TV show is broadcast across the United States every Sunday evening.

Father William Massie, chaplain at Hull University, has been using Bishop Barron’s ground-breaking ten-part Catholicism DVD series with students throughout Lent and Eastertide.

He explains: “They really like Robert Barron – for the clarity and beauty of the teaching – he never speaks down to his audience – and for the simple, down-to-earth manner and stories he employs. Six of them have signed up to attend the congress!”

Tickets are now available for anyone from our diocese who would like to attend. They cost £40 and can be booked by emailing sharrondriver@dioceseofmiddlesbrough.co.uk.

The absolute deadline to book through the diocese is Thursday May 31.

A limited number of tickets are also available for Day One of the congress, on Friday September 7. This will include a theological symposium, with workshops for parish catechists, RE teachers and extraordinary ministers. These tickets are also £40.

Eucharistic Congresses are gatherings of clergy, religious and laity that promote an awareness of the central place of the Eucharist in the life and mission of the Church.

The last International Eucharistic Congress in England was held in 1908 when permission for a public procession of the Blessed Sacrament was refused.

This time a one-kilometre street procession will take place, on Day Three of the congress, Sunday September 9. This is open to all but access to the final Masses, at 9.30am and 11.30am on the Sunday morning, will be restricted by the capacity of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral.

A limited number of hotel rooms are available in the city over the weekend of the congress but these are relatively expensive because of high demand.

Catholic author Katie Prejean is the keynote speaker at a Youth Congress aimed at those aged 13-20, which takes place in Liverpool on Saturday September. Tickets for this event are £10.