April 6, 2010
| Cardinals Will Celebrate Mass at Cathedral of Christ the King |
WASHINGTON, D.C. - America's Catholic cardinals will gather in Atlanta Friday, April 23, to raise money for college scholarships at the 21st American Cardinals Dinner, to be held at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta.
Most Rev. Wilton D. Gregory, archbishop of Atlanta, and Very Rev. David M. O'Connell, C.M., president of The Catholic University of America, will serve as co-hosts for the dinner. All proceeds from the event will benefit Catholic University scholarship funds.
Prior to the dinner, Archbishop Gregory will be the principal celebrant at a 4 p.m. Mass at the Cathedral of Christ the King located at 2699 Peachtree Road, NE. Visiting cardinals, bishops and clergy will concelebrate the Mass, which will be open to the public. Father O'Connell will be the homilist.
"Every year, I am so grateful to all who join us at the American Cardinals Dinner to show their support for The Catholic University of America," says Father O'Connell. "Our devotion to the mission of Catholic education has never been stronger at the university. Those who attend the dinner play a vital role in advancing that mission by supporting our deserving students who wish to receive an education at one of America's premier Catholic universities."
"I welcome the Cardinals of the United States to Atlanta along with many of my fellow CUA Trustees for the 21st Annual Cardinals Mass and Dinner in support of the scholarship fund for CUA," says Archbishop Gregory. "Their presence is a visible and spiritual reminder of the importance that The Catholic University of America has for the Church in the USA. "This exceptionally fine institution has provided scholarship and research opportunities for so many different areas of Church life. It welcomes young men and women from throughout the United States into an environment of faith and learning in our nation's capital. Its goal is to strengthen ecclesial life in our country by educating men and women for positions of leadership and public service always in conformity with our Catholic faith. Welcome to the eminent Cardinals to the Church in North Georgia!"
The dinner is expected to feature four cardinals who currently serve as archbishops of U.S. dioceses as well as three retired cardinals. The former are also members of CUA's Board of Trustees.
Also expected to attend the dinner are Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States; Most Rev. Donald W. Wuerl, archbishop of Washington and university chancellor; and Most Rev. Allen H. Vigneron, archbishop of Detroit and chairman of the CUA Board of Trustees.
Each year a different diocese or archdiocese hosts the black-tie event; this is the first time the dinner has been held in Atlanta. In recent years the dinner has been held in such cities as Houston, Boston, Las Vegas, Miami, Minneapolis-St. Paul and San Francisco. Since its inauguration, the annual event has raised more than $22 million to support scholarships for Catholic University students.
MEDIA: Members of the media may obtain more information about covering the dinner by calling Katie Lee or Mary McCarthy in the CUA Office of Public Affairs at 202-319-5600.
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The Catholic University of America, located in the heart of Washington, D.C., is unique as the national university of the Catholic Church in America. Founded in 1887 and chartered by Congress, the university opened as a graduate research institution. Undergraduate programs were introduced in 1904. Today the private and coeducational campus has approximately 6,700 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in 12 schools of architecture and planning, arts and sciences, canon law, engineering, law, library and information science, music, nursing, philosophy, professional studies, social service and theology and religious studies.