The Celebration of the Priesthood dinner is an annual fundraising event that gives us the opportunity to honor the nearly 540 active and senior priests in good standing who have worked tirelessly to strengthen their communities across Greater Boston without asking anything in return.
For the past several years, The Celebration of the Priesthood dinner has been blessed to be able to feature notable guest speakers sharing their stories of how a priest from their community played an indispensable role in their lives:
- 2016: Timothy P. Shriver, Ph.D., Chairman, Special Olympics
- 2017: Roma Downey, Emmy nominated Actress and Producer
- 2018: Mark Wahlberg, Academy Award nominated Actor and Producer
- 2019: Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, O.F.M., Cap., Archbishop of Boston
And stories like these are happening every single day all throughout our Archdiocese, as the extraordinary efforts of our wonderful priests continue to bring the love and hope of Christ to so many in a multitude of ways.
View the video from COP 2019 “Stronger Communities” and learn how:
- The Association of Boston Urban Priests created what we know today as the Pine Street Inn
- The Boston Fire Department benefits from the work of their Fire Chaplains
- Rostro de Christo works with those living on the margins in Ecuador
- Vietnamese immigrants have found a new home away from home at St. Mark’s in Dorchester.
View the video from COP 2018 “Portraits of Faith” to learn about:
- Hector, who was homeless for much of his youth, but eventually graduated from college with the help and support of Fr. Paul O’Brien in Lawrence.
- Evan, who suffered as a young man from crippling depression that slowly but surely began to lose its power over him when he sought out advice through Confession with Fr. Matt Williams at Our Lady of the Voyage in the Seaport district.
- Or Andy, a US veteran who, while serving in the Middle East, found solace and a much-needed friendly face from home with a Boston Navy Chaplain.
Letter:
Dear Friends,
I invite you to join me Tuesday, September 29, 2020 at 7pm for an extraordinary virtual event that honors our wonderful priests who have made such a tremendous, life-changing influence in the lives of countless people and communities all across the Archdiocese of Boston. While your support means a great deal to me personally, I cannot emphasize enough the impact of your gift in the lives of more than 500 priests, especially our senior priests, who for decades have celebrated our marriages, baptized our children, and blessed our loved ones who have been called home to God. Due to the pandemic, we have seen our priests work in new and innovative ways to ensure that they can continue bringing the presence of Christ to the world around them.
Truly, the strength and vibrancy of our communities depend greatly on the health and well-being of our priests who so tirelessly and selflessly dedicate their lives in the service of others.
All proceeds from this event go to the Clergy Health and Retirement Trust – an independently managed trust with a majority lay board of trustees, overseeing funds used for the sole benefit of the health and well-being of active and senior priests in good standing.
On behalf of Cardinal Seán and so many priests who rely on our generosity, thank you for your thoughtful consideration. We hope you will join us virtually this September, so you can celebrate the amazing priests of our Archdiocese with us.
With gratitude,
Joe D’Arrigo