Gala
Celebrates the Journey
Maggie Fischer
Attendees enjoy the opportunity
to have a photograph taken with
Archbishop Vigneron.
The archbishop closed by encouraging
the audience to find optimism beyond
Detroit’s rise from the ashes.
“This hope can’t be simply a shal-
low optimism based on good financial
times,” said Archbishop Vigneron. “This
hope has to be rooted in something deep-
er, something in our souls, a confidence
that God is with us… that is our mission
in the Church: to be the trustees of that
hope and share that hope.”
Msgr. Todd Lajines echoed the Arch-
bishop’s sentiments, recognizing the
abundance of good signs that Detroit and
Sacred Heart Major Seminary have been
experiencing on this journey, including a
See photos and videos from the 2018 Gala at
www.archbishopsgala.com
growing student body and graduates who
are “on fire because they have encoun-
tered Christ in new ways.”
Recently ordained priests were also rec-
ognized, including Fr. Mark Livingston,
Fr. Christopher Muer, Fr. John Maksym,
Fr. Fadie Georgies, Fr. John Jaddou, Fr.
Alex Colautti, Fr. John Machiorlatti, Fr.
Dustin Larson, Fr. Adam Maher, Dcn.
Stephen Blaxton, Fr. Joshua Erickson, Fr.
Thê’ Hoàng, and Fr. Brian Mulligan.
“There’s a lot of talk about the priest
shortage, there’s a lot of talk about that
priests are aging, priests are old, priests
are boring… but not if you come to this
event. If you see the vibrance, the youth,
the intelligence, the joy, the laughter,
the comedy, and the young men that are
coming up in the seminary… it is inspir-
ing for us as Catholics, and particularly as
parents,” said Jonathan Woodsum, a sup-
porter of Sacred Heart and parishioner
at Our Lady of Good Counsel parish in
Plymouth, Michigan.
The high-energy closing act of the Gala
certainly reflected Jonathan’s words, as
the seminarian band played an adaption
of British hymn writer, theologian, and
priest Frederick William Faber’s work,
complete with an upbeat Celtic flavor.
A thank you goes to all the guests,
volunteers, staff, and generous sponsors
who helped make this evening possible,
specifically: The Knights of Columbus,
Weingartz, Trinity Charitable Fund,
Christian Financial Credit Union, St.
Catherine of Sienna Academy through
the generosity of a mutual friend, Ave
Maria Mutual Funds, Saint Joseph Mer-
cy, Alpha & Omega, Genthe Automotive,
and Mersino.
Maggie Fischer is a Catholic freelance writer
and editor based in Omaha, Nebraska.
Seminarians close the Gala with an upbeat
adaptation of a hymn by Fr. Frederick Faber.
The annual event is held
at the Grand Riverview
Ballroom of Cobo Center in
downtown Detroit.
shms.edu
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