HOUSTON — As Daniel Cardinal DiNardo welcomed the crowd attending the Archdiocese’s 175th Anniversary Gala in the ballroom of the Hilton Americas on April 20, he joked, “There’s nothing like having an intimate dinner with 1,100 of your closest friends.”
Bill Balleza, retired news anchor of KPRC Channel 2, serving as the master of ceremonies, began the evening, welcoming a trilingual invocation delivered first in English by Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS; then Father Thu Ngoc Nguyen in Vietnamese and Father Miguel Solorzano in Spanish.
They prayed, “As You have blessed us over these last 175 years, O Lord, we seek Your blessings on the days that lay ahead.”
The evening featured six honorees — each representing different areas of commitment and service across the Archdiocese. Cardinal DiNardo described them as exemplifying the countless men and women who have helped the Gospel of Christ flourish in southeast Texas for nearly two centuries through their dedication and support. The six honorees were Sister Heloise Cruzat, O.P.; Deacon Gerald DuPont; Trini Mendenhall; The Scanlan Foundation; James Studdert; and Raye G. White.
“In honoring these individuals,” said Cardinal DiNardo, “we recognize those who have generously contributed their time and talent to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the local Church of Galveston-Houston.”
A first-of-its-kind exhibition featured artifacts and historic items from the Archdiocesan archives, such as crosiers and miters of the diocese’s early bishops. Organized by Lisa May, director of archives, the considerable gallery also included photos and other vestments of more recent leaders, like the late Archbishop Fiorenza.
