Cardinal Service Commitment Kickoff

Catholic University President to Announce 125th Anniversary Service Project

Thursday, Sept. 1, 12:10 p.m.

John Garvey, President of The Catholic University of America, will officially announce the University's Cardinal Service Commitment to perform 125,000 hours of volunteer work, following Communion at the Mass of the Holy Spirit Sept. 1 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Mass will start at 12:10 p.m. After the Mass, members of the CUA community will sign up for service projects at the annual University Picnic, which will take place on the University Mall. The service initiative is part of the University's 125th anniversary celebration. The goal is for The Catholic University of America community - students, faculty, staff, and alumni - to log in 125,000 hours of community service over an 11-month period that started May 15, 2011. The service will culminate on Founders Day, April 10, 2012. On that date in 1887, Pope Leo XIII sent a letter to Cardinal James Gibbons, archbishop of Baltimore, giving his formal approval for the University's founding. Starting this month, Catholic University will host a series of events and service projects to celebrate its anniversary. Upcoming events include an Alumni Day of Service on Saturday, Aug. 20, at the Capital Area Food Bank in Northeast D.C., and the 9/11 Day of Service on Saturday, Sept. 10. Catholic University is sponsoring with HandsOn Greater DC Cares for the citywide 9/11 Day of Service. Volunteers will assist at organizations throughout the city. University students, alumni, faculty, and staff are being encouraged to visit the Cardinal Service Commitment website to log in hours of service they have completed since May. The website lists the number of hours that have already been completed by the University community, service opportunities, and guidelines for what constitutes service. "This commitment will unite our alumni, students, faculty, and staff in acts of service that bear witness to the Catholic faith that is central to our identity," says Garvey. "I think it also will make a strong statement about who we are as a University community."