Be Our Guest!

The 29 th Annual Rector’s Dinner

MARK

RANDALL, CFRE • EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

Any time spent at the College in Rome is wonderful (except for the month of August with its oppressive heat and deserted campus). Visiting the seminary, being present with our men, one cannot help but feel a sense of joy and hope. Few have the opportunity to experience life in a seminary, let alone one in the Eternal City.

But if you visit this spring – specifically, ten days after Easter – you will have an even more profound experience if you attend our annual Rector’s Dinner. Are you free to join us on April 20, 2023?

Established in 1991 by then-Msgr. Edwin O’Brien (rector), the Rector’s Dinner is a celebration of the mission of the College and those who support it. Attendees are a diverse group including alumni, esteemed guests from the United States, dignitaries from the Diplomatic Corps, the Vatican Curia, the Italian nobility, and prominent members of the American and European business worlds.

One highlight of the evening is the presentation of the annual Rector’s Award in recognition of service to the Church and support of the College. This year we honor Most Rev. William Murphy ’65, C’74, alumnus and Bishop Emeritus of Rockville Centre. We will also honor Mr. Patrick Kelly, the Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus.

The evening begins with a cocktail reception in the main courtyard of the seminary, followed by a three-course dinner prepared in our own kitchen and served by our seminarians. The program offers remarks from the Rector and honorees, and also features a brief bit of entertainment by our students.

Our students are, in fact, the stars of the evening: parking cars, greeting and checking in guests, serving food and drinks, and handling most of the clean up afterwards. The Rector’s Dinner is an opportunity for them to practice the grace of hospitality, and for you, our guests, to interact closely with them throughout the evening.

After being unable to host the dinner for two years due to the pandemic, I was not surprised during last year’s long-awaited return that many regular attendees told me how much they missed the Dinner. Our students also missed seeing the 400 or so friendly and supportive guests who regularly attend.

In short, here are three brief reasons we hope you’ll consider joining us this April:

• Our extraordinary 12-acre campus and facilities will fill you with hope and gratitude knowing our seminarians are abundantly blessed to study in Rome.

• Spend a few hours with our students witnessing their natural sense of joy, maturity, and commitment to their vocation.

• The Rector’s Dinner provides a significant portion of our annual fundraising revenue. Your ticket, table, or sponsorship purchase will help underwrite the work that we do.

If you cannot join us in person, we invite you to consider a general donation to the Dinner or the purchase of an acknowledgement in our Rector’s Album.

You can learn more and register for the Rector’s Dinner at www.pnac.org/rectorsdinner.

We hope to see you soon! n