THE ORANGE COUNTY Chapter of the Knights of Columbus hosted its annual Clergy Appreciation Dinner June 19 on the campus of Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove.
Bishop Kevin Vann celebrated Mass prior to the dinner, with a few dozen diocesan priests and deacons in attendance.
Bishop Kevin Vann celebrated Mass before the dinner, which was attended by a few dozen diocesan priests and deacons.
Current Chapter President Louis Gardner reported that the dinner has been going on for almost 40 years.
“The difference is, in the past, the dinners were being held at various local parishes,” Gardner said. “About three years ago, Bishop Vann and Steve Pellegrini, the diocese’s chief financial and administrative officer, asked, ‘Have the Knights considered turning this dinner into a gala of sorts and holding it at Christ Cathedral?’”
As a result, the event has been held on the campus of Christ Cathedral for the past three years.
In addition to the clergy, nearly 200 Knights, spouses and friends attended to celebrate and honor the contributions and sacrifices that these clergy make in their service to the faithful.
“It’s a time for Knights to come together with Bishop Vann and other clergy to enjoy a beautiful evening and have a really good time,” past chapter president Jeff Rice said.
“It’s really awesome to see all the clergy and laity celebrating and coming together,” said Brother Knight Laith Cotta from Stella Maris Council 3772 in San Clemente. “The food is great and the atmosphere is outstanding. It’s something I look forward to each year.”
The guest speaker for the evening was former NFL quarterback Vince Ferragamo. He is perhaps best known for leading the Los Angeles Rams against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XIV at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena in 1980.
“I was raised in the Catholic faith and from an early age I learned the values of prayer, humility, service and trust in God,” shared Ferragamo. “Those lessons stayed with me long after the stadium lights, dimmed and the cheers faded.”
Bishop Vann has been attending the dinner ever since being installed as the Bishop of Orange in 2012.
The Knights of Columbus was founded in 1882 by Blessed Michael McGivney, a young parish priest in New Haven, Connecticut. Based on the founding principles of charity, unity and fraternity, the Knights of Columbus originally began as a small fraternal benefit society and has since grown into one of the world’s leading international charitable organizations. They remain committed to strengthening Catholic families and parishes and to practicing faith in action through service to all in need.
The Orange County Chapter of the Knights of Columbus is a union of more than 6,600 Knights representing 55 different Orange County councils including two college councils.
For more information about the Orange County Chapter of the Knights of Columbus, visit ockc.net