The annual Call to Holiness (CTH) benefit dinner was held at Assumption Grotto to raise funds for the conference to be held in April. Details were provided in a previous post on the Benefit dinner for the Call to Holiness Conference of 2007, and other CTH news.
This year, Richard Thompson, who is now Chief Counsel at the Thomas More Law Center, where Catholic rights are championed, was the speaker at the dinner. He delivered an excellent speech and touched on some interesting cases. You can find updates at the Thomas More Law Center website on a range of issues.
Some may not realize that Richard Thompson has a history with Assumption Grotto. It is where he was received into the Catholic Church on March 24, 1998. Catholic writer Jay McNally, who was deeply involved with Call to Holiness, covered Richard Thompson's conversion in a story on CWNews on April 1, 1998, in an article entitled: Kevorkian's nemesis received into Catholic Church. Jay McNally writes:
Thompson, 60, surrounded by family and friends, received the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and First Communion from celebrated theologian and author, Fr. John Hardon, SJ, at Assumption Grotto Church in Detroit.This is one lawyer we are glad to have in the Catholic Church. In fact, Mr. Thompson ended his talk with a quote from St. Augustine:
"Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are."
I was taking some photos of Fr. Perrone up at the podium when he went into a final blessing as it ended. Richard Thompson is seen in the background.
If you would like to support the Call to Holiness, contact Phyllis Bausano. The CTH is also in need of many more volunteers with the new format. Please consider giving your time, or financial support to this great cause.
Please do check out the tentative 2007 schedule for the annual Call to Holiness Conference in April. I provide the link again here which covered several things from the CTH Newsletter. Don't miss your opportunity to see and hear these speakers at two convenient locations (they will swap between AM & PM):
- Bishop Bruskewitz of Lincoln Nebraska (CTH Advisor)
- Dr. Robert Fastiggi of Sacred Heart Major Seminary
- Fr. Neil Roy of the Research Institute on the Liturgy
- Marcus Grodi of EWTN & Coming Home Network
- Dr. Alice von Hildebrand
CTH Website - a brief CTH history, officers, board, advisors
NCR: Call to Action returns to Detroit roots
Te Deum Laudamus!: CTH 2005 - Photo Post 3