CATHOLIC CHARITIES 2780 Eastex Freeway Beaumont, Texas 77703 OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS Phone 409-924-4410, Fax 409-832-0145 www.catholiccharitiesbmt.org Press Release Contact: Daniel Maher FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE E-mail : [email protected] October 5, 2010 Phone: (409)924-4427

Harvest of Hope Gala for Benefit of Catholic Charities of Southeast Texas Will Honor Long Serving Clergy

The eighth annual Harvest of Hope Gala, the principal yearly fundraiser for the benefit of Catholic Charities of Southeast Texas will be held on Saturday, Nov. 13. This year’s event will pay special tribute to 10 priests associated with the Diocese of Beaumont who are marking their Golden Jubilees (50 or more years in the priesthood) in 2010. The Gala will begin with cocktails at 6:00 p.m., followed by dinner and a tribute to the honorees at 7:00 at the MCM Eleganté Hotel in Beaumont. “We have been blessed with truly wonderful and dedicated priests in (the Diocese of Beaumont),” said Martin Broussard, Gala Chair. “I can think of no better way to honor these 10 fine men then to commemorate their service during the eighth annual Harvest of Hope Gala. I hope many will pay tribute to them by supporting this event.” The priests to be honored include three who are celebrating their 50th anniversary of priestly service this year. Rev. Msgr. Michael Jamail, Vicar General of the Diocese of Beaumont, Rev. Telesforo Blanco, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Port Arthur and Rev. George Kalappura, a chaplain for retirement homes in residence at St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica in Beaumont, all were ordained in 1960. In addition, other active clergy to be honored will be Rev. Luis Urriza, pastor of Cristo Rey Church in Beaumont and Rev. Msgr. James Vanderholt, pastor of St. Mark Church in Silsbee. Urriza will be the longest serving priest honored, since 2010 marks his 66th year of priestly service. Five retired priests will also be honored. They are Rev. Msgr. Salvador Culotta, Rev. Msgr. James Dempsey, Rev. Msgr. John DiStefano, Rev. Clement Iglesias and Rev. Msgr. Colonel Walter Montondon. Jackie Simien and Kevin Steele, news anchors for KBMT Channel 12, will share the Master of Ceremonies duties for the Gala. Individual tickets or a table for eight people can be reserved by contacting Catholic Charities at (409) 924-4421 or by visiting their website at www.catholiccharitiesbmt.org. Individual tickets begin at $125 per ticket and table reservations begin at $1,000. Sponsorship opportunities can also be arranged by contacting Catholic Charities. The initial Harvest of Hope Gala was conducted in 2003 to honor Most Rev. Curtis Guillory, Bishop of Beaumont, on the occasion of his 60th birthday. The event has continued to grow and evolve into the primary fundraising activity for Catholic Charities of Southeast Texas each year. The 2010 Gala will push the total amount of net proceeds generated during the eight years of the event beyond $1 million. This year, Catholic Charities hopes to raise at least $150,000 towards its budgetary requirements to provide seven different program services for the needy in the region. Annually, Catholic Charities serves in excess of 10,000 people through its programs designed to provide support services to children and families, food to the hungry, case management for those affected by financial hardship or disaster, legal aid to immigrants, counseling services and parish social ministries. The services of Catholic Charities are available to all who qualify for its programs, regardless of religion, race, gender, age or national origin.

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For further information about the agency, please visit Catholic Charities of Southeast Texas’ website www.catholiccharitiesbmt.org or contact:

Daniel Maher, Vice President of Development & Communications (409) 924-4427 or [email protected].