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Four County Catholic September 2013
Catholic Charities Hosts 1st Annual “Flames of Charity” Gala To Honor the Flames of Charity in our Diocese who Help Catholic Charities Help Local Families This fall, Catholic Charities is hosting its first annual Flames of Charity Gala to benBy Anna DeBiasi Development Coordinator, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Norwich
efit local families in need. The event will honor individual “Flames of Charity” throughout Southeast CT who have helped Catholic Charities Diocese of Norwich remain a beacon of light to local families in need since 1921. Parishioners throughout the entire Diocese are invited to join in the celebration of the generosity and commitment of these Flames of Charity, and to learn more about the direct impact that the services at Catholic Charities are having on local families. Many of these families are struggling to put food on the table, shelter over their heads, or to treat mental illness during these difficult economic times. A portion of the evening will feature the lighting of “Flames of Remembrance.” For a gift of $50, families throughout the diocese can honor their loved one’s memory with a Flame of Remembrance candle which will be lit at the beginning of the night. Each candle will represent a legacy that lives on today through the acts of love happening at Catholic Charities every day. The lighting of the candles will be followed by a blessing by Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, Bishop of Norwich. Kevin Hogan, local news anchor for WFSB Channel 3, and parishioner of Christ the King Church, will be the Master of Ceremonies. Honored at the event on October 4, 2013, will be “Humanitarian of the Year,” Mr. Kenneth Capano Sr., owner of local Shoprites in Clinton, New London and Norwich, and long-time board member of Catholic Charities Diocese of Norwich. Ken has been a major supporter of Catholic Charities, sponsoring the agency’s annual golf tournament for almost a decade, and serving on the development committee to ensure Catholic Charities has a future of serving families in need in our diocese.
Also honored at the event will be the members of the New London Golf/Advisory Board. The group has been volunteering their time for the past 8 years to organize Catholic Charities’ annual golf tournament, which is sponsored by Shoprite and Conway, Londregan, Sheehan & Monaco, P.C.. Members include Committee Chair, Attorney Ralph Monaco, Sheila Barrs, Kristine Raddatz, Madeline Raddatz, Gay Mullen, Janis Reed Roseann Ward, and the recently deceased, Bob Smith. Bob Smith’s legacy of love will be honored with a special Flame of Remembrance at the gala for his decades of support of local families in need. This year’s tournament will be held Wednesday, September 18, at Fox Hopyard Golf Club in East Haddam, Connecticut. Ralph Monaco, Chairman of the New London Advisory Board, has been volunteering his time to Catholic Charities for the past 8 years, and his law firm, Conway, Londregan, Sheehan & Monaco, have remained a major sponsor of the tournament for many years. The “Honoring our Heritage” award will go to Rev. Robert McNulty, MSW, former Diocesan Director of Catholic Charities Diocese of Norwich from 1979-1993. He is known for his wonderful work connecting babies with adoptive families, for organizing the “Thanksgiving Clothing Drive” for local families in need, and for hosting an annual dinner each fall for the hundreds of lay people who helped Catholic Charities provide help & hope to neighbors in need. Lastly, Catholic Charities “Employee of the Year, Susan Sedensky, J.D.” will be celebrated for her hard work and dedication to both birth mothers and adoptive families, and for embodying the Christ-like qualities of compassion, hope, and love.
Susan Sedensky, J.D., has been running the Catholic Charities accredited adoption agency for the past five years, helping to create families
by uniting couples with babies who each need each other. She is known for her compassionate work with birth mothers in guiding them through the difficult and selfless process. Susan was nominated by her colleagues and selected by a subcom-
mittee of the Board of Directors. Catholic Charities Diocese of Norwich offers multiple services to families of all faiths who are in need of help throughout Eastern Connecticut. The agency serves over 4,500 individuals and their families annually, providing services such as emergency basic needs, a wide-range of mental health services, pregnancy & parenting support, adoption services, foreclosure prevention, and immigration services. Each year the local need continues to grow, while funding sources are stretched thinner and thinner.
Funds from the evening will help ensure Catholic Charities can continue serving the neediest among us. The fundraiser will be held at the Mystic Marriott in Groton, CT, on Friday, October 4 at 6:00 pm. The evening will feature a reception with a silent auction, followed by a gourmet Italian meal, and will be hosted by Kevin Hogan, of WFSB Channel 3. The night will end with a short live auction, featuring the main attraction of 2 tickets to Super Bowl XLVIII at Giants Stadium in February 2014. Tickets are $100 each before September 20, and $125 after that date. For more information about the event or for sponsorship opportunities, email Anna DeBiasi at annadebiasi@ccfsn.org or visit www.ccfsn.org.
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