Gratitude, service themes of milestone clergy dinner
A Dominican sister stands for the Pledge of Allegiance during the 30th Annual Priest and Religious Appreciation Dinner hosted by the Diocese of Fort Worth Knights on July 28, 2025 at St. Vincent de Paul in Arlington. (NTC/Juan Guajardo)
ARLINGTON — Themes of gratitude, service, and taking initiative were constants during the 30th annual Priest and Religious Appreciation Dinner hosted by the Diocese of Fort Worth Knights of Columbus on July 28 at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Arlington.
More than 400 people were in attendance for the milestone program. It featured guest speakers Chris Lewis, president of the American Wheelchair Mission and son of the late comedian Jerry Lewis; Ron Alonzo, state deputy of the Knights; and a performance by the diocesan Deaf Ministry.
Priests, sisters, deacons, and seminarians were seated at tables sponsored by various Knights councils, while the room included the spiritual leader of the diocese, Bishop Michael Olson. The Knights presented him with a check for $66,830, in funds tabbed for Deaf Ministry.
The presentation was the finale during a program in which $4,500 was awarded to an emergency fund for seminarians via the Pennies for Seminarians campaign by the Knights. There also was a recap of the wheelchair funding drives facilitated by priests in the diocese.
“At the heart of all of this is generosity,” Bishop Olson remarked. “And generosity can only be born of gratitude. And we live at a time right now in the United States of America which very much needs us to be the Church, not just simply a partisan organization, but the Church that Christ founded, the Church who is meant to bring God's love to all people.
“The Knights of Columbus is simultaneously a Catholic organization and an American organization. And what is at the heart of American exceptionalism is not our wealth. It's not our power. It is our gratitude and the generosity when we recognize what we have as gifts from God meant to be shared,” continued the bishop.
Alonzo spoke of carrying out founder Blessed Father Michael McGivney’s call of growing in faith and putting faith in action, and to simply “love everyone.”
“Every person is a gift from God,” he said. “To convert, and to really expand ourselves, that’s what we need to do, to love everyone — to take the initiative, to be the first to love.”
The dinner has been a labor of love since the first one was held Aug. 16, 1996, at Council Hall 2813 in Fort Worth, said current event chairman Pat Henz. At the first dinner, Bishop Joseph Delaney was presented with a check for $36,000 and designated the funds for Deaf Ministry. The subsequent bishops have continued, said Henz, chairman for the past 20 years.
Henz said 66 councils in the diocese comprise 8,684 Knights. A good deal of effort goes into the dinner, which rotates among parishes large enough to accommodate attendance.
“The main thing is we really want to show our love and support and appreciation for everything that they do.” Henz said of priests. “We couldn’t have the Eucharist without them. We couldn’t have Mass without them. We know that they make that commitment. They give us the faith and the hope, every day, every week.”
He said it’s also important to recognize the sisters, deacons, and seminarians. On average, 80 to 100 clergy and religious attend the dinner.
This year, the diocese has 28 seminarians, said Henz, including five new ones. The Knights pair each seminarian with individual councils that provide funds for their personal needs, as well as a network of supportive individuals.
Michael Marincel, a seminarian from St. Phillip the Apostle Parish in Flower Mound, is moving into his pastoral year and recently spent time learning sign language with a Deaf ministry program in Boston. He was energized by the dinner.
“For me, this is a beautiful opportunity to meet Knights from all around the diocese, to see so many familiar faces, reconnect with people, and meet a lot of new people,” he said. “But I think what’s most special for me is to see the witness of faith of all these men and women here. We all witness to each other, the priest to the laity, the laity to the priests. I think the most powerful thing is the witness that we all give to each other at events like these — spark into flame the spirit of charity that’s in each of us.”
The seminarians were recognized by being called up to the stage area. As they returned to their seats, Lewis moved to the podium for his presentation.
“The seminarians up here!” he beamed. “It makes me have faith for the future of the Catholic Church. Thank God for Texas!”
Lewis — a fourth degree Knight — said he is moving to Texas.
“I am here to say thank you,” he said. “The wheelchairs that we deliver allow children to go to school; allow adults to go to work to take care of their families; and allow the elderly to get out of a bed they might have been in for five, 10 years.”
The Deaf Ministry choir signed a song after Dr. Lisalee Egbert, head of Deaf Ministry’s advisory board, spoke about the program and encouraged mention of the ministry in parishes.
The diocese has interpreters at six Masses each weekend, according to Connie Martin, diocesan coordinator of Deaf Ministry. There also is a monthly Deaf Community Mass at St. Rita in Fort Worth each September to May. Martin said the Deaf community members serve as lectors, ushers, choir members, and more. Father Ken Robinson is available for confessions ahead of the Mass.
The ministry also puts on retreats and has interpreters for religious education.
As for the dinner, Father Sushil Tudu, TOR, of St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Carrollton has made it a priority to attend the last eight years.
“It is very important,” he said, “because the Knights appreciate us, our work, what we do, so it’s great to be here.”
Sister Maria Raphael Tran, OP, who teaches at Nolan High School in Fort Worth, saw her first dinner as an opportunity to show gratitude to local Catholics.
“This helps us show our appreciation to all the people who help support our vocation,” she said. “We get to know all the people behind the scenes who help us in their prayers, because we do need that.”