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Spotlight on service at Catholic Charities Ball

George Goss | Catholic Herald Multimedia Journalist

Bill and Mary Noel Page, the honorary ball chairs, are recognized for their support of Catholic Charities during the 37th Annual Catholic Charities Ball at the Ritz-Carlton in McLean Feb. 22. GEORGE GOSS | CATHOLIC HERALD

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Fr. Donald J. Rooney, pastor of St. Bernadette Church in Springfield, serves as master of ceremonies at the 37th Annual Catholic Charities Ball at the Ritz-Carlton in McLean Feb. 22. GEORGE GOSS | CATHOLIC HERALD

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An attendee smiles during the 37th Annual Catholic Charities Ball at the Ritz-Carlton in McLean Feb. 22. GEORGE GOSS | CATHOLIC HERALD

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Bishop Michael F. Burbidge addresses young adults at the 37th Annual Catholic Charities Ball at the Ritz-Carlton in McLean Feb. 22. GEORGE GOSS | CATHOLIC HERALD

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Christine and John MacLaughlin receive the James J. Matthews Legacy Award during the 37th Annual Catholic Charities Ball at the Ritz-Carlton in McLean Feb. 22. GEORGE GOSS | CATHOLIC HERALD

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A guests arrives at the young adult reception at the 37th Annual Catholic Charities Ball at the Ritz-Carlton in McLean Feb. 22. GEORGE GOSS | CATHOLIC HERALD

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Bishop Emeritus Paul S. Loverde greets Mike and Emma Jones at the 37th Annual Catholic Charities Ball at the Ritz-Carlton in McLean Feb. 22. GEORGE GOSS | CATHOLIC HERALD

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Bishop Michael F. Burbidge bestows the Bishop Paul S. Loverde Legacy Award to the Knights of Columbus — represented by Ed Polich and Tommy Harger — for their work throughout the diocese during the 37th Annual Catholic Charities Ball at the Ritz-Carlton in McLean Feb. 22. GEORGE GOSS | CATHOLIC HERALD

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Bishop Michael F. Burbidge and more than 900 guests attended the
37th Annual Catholic Charities Ball to celebrate charity at the Ritz-Carlton
Tysons Corner in McLean Feb. 22. 

“The Catholic Charities Ball is obviously a celebration of
charity, of loving people that need help and gathering everybody together who
has the common interest in serving the poor,” said Art Bennett, president and
CEO of diocesan Catholic Charities. “Having Bishop here as the source of unity
and leadership for the whole diocese just makes that unity of mission even
stronger.” 

Father Donald J. Rooney, pastor of St. Bernadette Church in
Springfield, served as master of ceremonies with Bishop Burbidge greeting
attendees on and off the stage. The theme for the ball was “God’s Instruments:
Renewing Lives, Restoring Hope,” with Kim Aubry and Anne
Biedscheid acting as ball chairs; Bill and Mary Noel Page as
honorary ball chairs; and Sean and Estelle Ballington as special gifts
chairs.

In the opening blessing, Bishop Burbidge gave reasons for his
having hope and it included those gathered.

“I look at all of you and I’m filled with hope because of what
you are committed to, that in the midst of seeing the needs within our church
and communities you believe that you can do something about it so you support
Catholic Charities. You support its adoption services, the programs that feed
the hungry and that house the homeless, that offer free healthcare and even
prenatal care for those who cannot afford it, who welcome the immigrants and
refugees and migrants, who visit the inmate, who provide for the sick and who
most recently joined my requests to address within our own diocese the opioid
crisis and to help so many people afflicted 
with addiction as well as their families,” Bishop Burbidge said.  

The doors to the ballroom opened at 7 p.m., the official start of
the ball, which began an evening of dining, dancing and pledges of support for
Catholic Charities.

“Regardless of your faith or your denomination, the ball is such
a fun, wonderful, elegant event with the goal of supporting Catholic Charities
in their mission of helping so many in need,” said Mary Beth Carroll, a member
of the advisory committee who has been a chair four times previously. “Everyone
just thinks it’s Arlington, but Catholic Charities reaches out very far to all
21 counties of Northern Virginia.”

After dinner, John and Christine McLaughlin received the James
J. Matthews Legacy Award followed by Bishop Burbidge bestowing the Bishop Paul
S. Loverde Legacy Award to the Knights of Columbus serving throughout the
diocese.

Bennett acknowledged how both awardees were worthy recipients,
noting how the McLaughlins have supported Catholic Charities for decades with
the Knights also in sync with their pattern of humble, but crucial service.

“I’ll just be candid as president and CEO, if we didn’t have the
partnership with the Knights of Columbus, we would be doing so much less,”
Bennett said. “They really are the backbone of so many of our programs by
radically sacrificing their free time for those in need.”

Of special significance was the gift of an ultrasound machine
earlier this year by the Knights of Columbus to the Mother of Mercy Free
Medical Clinic in Manassas. 

“The Knights are great partners with Catholic Charities in our
diocese and I was honored to bless the 1,000th ultrasound machine donated by
the Knights of Columbus,” Bishop Burbidge said to the audience.

The Mother of Mercy Free Medical Clinic is largely volunteer
operated, a strength that Sally O’Dwyer, director of volunteers for diocesan
Catholic Charities, sees as critical to the success of the ball as well.

“It is really impressive that the committee that runs the ball is
all volunteer and it accounts for a significant part of the Catholic Charities
budget,” O’Dwyer said. “It is heartwarming to see so many people come out to
support the work that we do.”

For current volunteers, this year is also about mentoring young
adults active in the ball, the next generation to carry on this work.

“We recognize that they are our future,” said Julie Theobald,
who, along with Carroll, served as the 2018 ball chair. “We hope that when we
retire from running the ball that hopefully they’ll be in the position to step
forward and run it.” 

Later in the evening, Bishop Burbidge broke away from the events
in the ballroom to visit a young adult event being held simultaneously in a
room below the ballroom. The young adults joined in the fun on the ballroom’s
dance floor later in the evening.

Nada Tramonte, who helps coordinate the young adult portion of
the ball and has attended six times, is looking forward to staying an active
member of leadership in the future.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Tramonte said. “It’s great having Bishop
Burbidge there. He makes it a point to engage with us and really support the
young adult ministry.”

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