Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington Hosts 38th Annual Ball

Honors St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Colonial Beach, VA 
and St. Anthony of Padua in King George, VA for Commitment to the Poor

Raises Funds for 21 Programs Serving Those in Need in our Diocese 

ARLINGTON, Va. -  On February 7, 2020, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington held its 38^th Annual Ball at The Ritz-Carlton in Tysons Corner. The event was sold out with more than 1,000 attendees. It is the largest annual fundraiser for Catholic Charities, raising a significant portion of the resources needed to support 21 programs serving those in need throughout the 21 counties and seven cities of the Diocese. This year's theme was, “With Love and Charity.”

“I am incredibly grateful for yet another successful Catholic Charities Ball, and for the sacrifices those in attendance made to support the many Catholic Charities ministries which uplift the needy and vulnerable in our Diocese,” said Bishop Michael F. Burbidge, Catholic Diocese of Arlington. “It is inspiring to see so many people compelled to model Christ's own love for us through generosity and faith. They have shown tremendous compassion and opened their hearts to the light of Christ's message. The Catholic Charities Ball has a long tradition of helping those in need through the generosity of those who attend. I pledge my continued support for the Ball and pray that we only increase the number of people we serve in years to come.”

The evening's honorees were:

• St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Colonial Beach, and St. Anthony of Padua, King George (one parish with two communities); Recipients, Bishop Loverde Award honoring the person, parish or organization with an extraordinary commitment to the poor. This recipient partners with Catholic Charities to transform the lives of those in need.

• Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Lindsay Jr., Recipients, The James J. Matthews Legacy Award recognizing individuals who embody spirit, determination and vision for the Ball to charitably assist those in need.

• Mr. and Mrs. Ronald W. Steele, Honorary Chairs, 2020 Catholic Charities Ball, who generously serve those in need through this and other efforts. 
  
  

Pictured are attendees Mr. and Mrs. Ray and Laura Bennett. Photograph by Jenifer Morris Photography.

The volunteer-led ball raised support for 21 Catholic Charities programs. Among those are Catholic Charities' transitional housing programs for homeless men at Christ House and homeless families at St. Margaret of Cortona Housing; the St. Lucy Project, a diocesan-wide food collection and distribution program for the hungry; free health care at Catholic Charities' Mother of Mercy Free Medical Clinic; the emergency financial assistance program; mental health counseling for families and individuals; Pregnancy and Adoption Services; Hogar Immigrant Legal Services; Education and Workforce Development; Migrant and Refugee Services; the Prison Ministry and Welcome Home Re-entry program; the Car Ministry, and the new Catholic Charities' Opioid Epidemic initiative.

For more information, contact Amber Roseboom, Director of Media Relations, Catholic Diocese of Arlington, at 571-215-8731 or Amber.Roseboom@arlingtondiocese.org.

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Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington serves the poor and vulnerable who live within the 21 counties and seven cities of the Diocese of Arlington, which is led by Bishop Michael F. Burbidge. Catholic Charities provides food for the hungry, a free medical clinic for adults including prenatal care, adoption services, transformational housing for the homeless, mental health counseling, emergency financial assistance, prison ministry, workforce development and immigration and refugee services. Catholic Charities serves all, regardless of faith.www.ccda.net.