In the wake of the devastating 6.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Amatrice and other areas of central Italy in late August, the Diocese of Orange, California, Catholic relief Services and Crux are sponsoring a special fundraising dinner Oct. 14 to support relief efforts.
The event is taking place at the cultural center of Christ Cathedral, the magnificent soaring glass structure that was once the Crystal Cathedral.
Anaheim White House Restaurant owner and chef Sir Bruno Serato is providing amatriciana, the fabled Italian pasta dish, in honor of Amatrice, and Elysabeth Nugyen, a local wine distributor, is supplying fine wine in bottles with a special label designed just for the dinner.
Maria Elena Infantino, an award-winning international singer and a friend of the chef, who’s agreed to perform gratis.
Video messages of support from Catholic leaders around the country will be show, including Cardinals Sean P. O’Malley of Boston, Timothy Dolan of New York and Donald Wuerl of Washington, as well as Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
All proceeds raised will go to Catholic Relief Services, the official overseas charitable arm of the U.S. bishops, and through CRS to Caritas Italia, its partner in Italy, which has been on the front lines of the relief effort since the quake struck.
Crux editor John L. Allen Jr. will be the master of ceremonies, and speakers will include Bishop Kevin Vann of the Diocese of Orange, the host for the dinner, as well as Inés San Mártin, Crux’s Vatican correspondent.
The evening will also feature a special surprise in the form of one more video greeting from a very special virtual guest.
The program will begin with a video overview of the earthquake and its aftermath produced by Rome Reports, a Rome-based video news agency, which includes images of Pope Francis’s Oct. 4 visit to Amatrice and other communities affected by the disaster.
For more information on how to help, click here.
