Cardinals Support CUA at Scholarship Fund-raiser

By Chris Harrison

Cardinals and others who attended CUA’s annual dinner: top row from left, Cardinals Bevilaqua, McCarrick, Law, George and Keeler. Bottom row from left, Archbishop Levada, Cardinal Dulles, Father O'Connell, Cardinal Hickey and Archbishop Montalvo.

U.S. Catholic cardinals gathered in Philadelphia to show their support for Catholic University at the 13^th annual American Cardinals Dinner, held April 26 at the hotel Wyndham Philadelphia at Franklin Plaza.

More than 800 people attended the dinner, which was co-hosted by Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, archbishop of Philadelphia, and the Very Rev. David M. O’Connell, C.M., president of Catholic University. The black-tie event raised nearly $1 million for scholarships at CUA.

Despite having just returned from Rome where they met with the pope to discuss the clergy sex-abuse crisis, all the American cardinals but two came to the dinner; Cardinal Adam Maida of Detroit and Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles had other commitments that prevented their attendance.

At the dinner, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, archbishop of Washington and the chancellor of Catholic University, expressed gratitude to those in attendance on behalf of his fellow prelates.

"I'm so delighted we've had another successful dinner,” Cardinal McCarrick said. “Many of you who are here tonight are here to honor the cardinals. I thank you. This is a time when your love and your support and your faithfulness mean so much to us. And we thank you."

Scores of reporters and photographers from around the country gathered at a pre-dinner media briefing — which was broadcast live by several national media outlets — to glean information about the cardinals’ recent trip to Rome.

Television cameras were set up behind the reporters at the pre-dinner media briefing given by Cardinal Bevilacqua and Father O’Connell.

After reaffirming that he and the other cardinals intended to support a “zero tolerance” position on clergy sexual abuse at the June 2002 meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Bevilacqua said it was time to focus on the purpose of the cardinals’ gathering that afternoon: Catholic University.

“Catholic University holds a special place in the hearts of Catholic bishops because of its origins. It was conceived of and founded by bishops in the 1800s,” he told the media. “Speaking practically, for Catholic University to continue to be a flagship for Catholic higher education, it needs to provide the financial means for the very best students to attend. That is the reason for the American Cardinals Dinner and why I am proud to host this dinner in Philadelphia.”

At the briefing, Cardinal Bevilacqua announced the winner of the Cardinals Encouragement Award: the Saint Lucy Day School for Children with Visual Impairments. One of five special-education schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, St. Lucy’s received a $10,000 gift in recognition of the care and teaching it provides to children who are blind or partially sighted.

Father O’Connell later addressed the Church crisis in his homily for a Mass held in the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul several hours before the dinner. Cardinal Bevilacqua was the principal celebrant. He was joined by Cardinal Avery Dulles, theologian; Cardinal Francis George, archbishop of Chicago; Cardinal James Hickey, retired archbishop of Washington; Cardinal William Keeler, archbishop of Baltimore, and Cardinal Bernard Law, archbishop of Boston. (Cardinal Edward Egan, archbishop of New York, and Cardinal McCarrick arrived later for the dinner.) The service began with a procession of more than 100 priests, monsignors and bishops, and a boys' choir singing a hymn set to Beethoven's "Ode to Joy."

CUA students who are members of The President’s Society pose with Cardinal McCarrick: from left, Damien Richards, Mary Ann Beninati, Will Lucina and Lynne Dardis.

“All of us as Catholics, regardless of our status or station within the Church, have been shaken in recent weeks and months by the revelation of things so far beyond our imagination that they seem incomprehensible. And they are. And they should be incomprehensible to us, although they are as real as they are difficult to accept,” Father O’Connell said in his homily. “We hear the Gospel, all of us in this basilica, removed in time by thousands of years and the words still sound in our ears: ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Have faith in God. Have faith in Me. I am the way.’”

Cardinal Law, who has been the focus of intense media scrutiny during the Church crisis, received a standing ovation when he arrived at the dinner. “We are here, in a special way, for the students,” he said later in the program, when he offered greetings from the CUA Board of Trustees, of which he is chairman. “Thank you all for supporting this event."

A new video showcasing Catholic University premiered at the dinner. Entitled “Pillars of Excellence,” the video includes footage of various special events at the university, classroom scenes, images of the campus and other Washington, D.C., attractions, and interviews with Father O’Connell, students and faculty. (The new video can be viewed by accessing http://inside.cua.edu/video.cfm or http://inside.cua.edu/video.cfm?modem=1.)

Garbed in patriotic red, white and blue-spangled costumes, a troupe of 12 student singers from the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music provided musical entertainment during the event, including a rendition of Elton John’s “Philadelphia Freedom.” The outgoing and incoming presidents of Undergraduate and Graduate Student Governments participated in the dinner, as did 13 students from the Class of 2002 who are members of The President’s Society, who served as hosts and hostesses and escorted the cardinals to their seats at dinner.

All proceeds raised at the function benefit scholarship funds for Catholic University, the national university of the Catholic Church.

Each year a different archdiocese hosts the dinner, which has raised more than $15 million for scholarships at CUA since the event’s inception in 1990.

The Archdiocese of San Francisco will host the 2003 American Cardinal’s Dinner.