Cardinal Egan Receives Tributes at Legacy Dinner
On the evening of June 22, hundreds of friends of Edward Cardinal Egan, including Archbishop Dolan and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, paid tribute to the spiritual leadership of Cardinal Egan at a Legacy Dinner held in his honor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Temple of Dendur.
Cardinal Egan was recognized for his nine years of pastoral service as Archbishop of New York from 2000 until this past April, when Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation that the cardinal had offered two years earlier in accord with the Code of Canon Law.
In his remarks, the cardinal warmly thanked those who had arranged for the dinner, and the guests for their kindness to him and their generosity to the archdiocese throughout his tenure as archbishop.
"There is no way that I could adequately express my appreciation," the cardinal said. "Because of the great priests, deacons, religious, Catholic faithful, and friends of other faiths and communities, all that I had hoped for when I came to New York in 2000 is largely in place. I step down with unlimited gratitude in my heart and genuine joy over the Holy Father's choice of a truly extraordinary archbishop as my successor."
Archbishop Dolan gave a blessing and spoke words of tribute about his predecessor. During the dinner, toasts were raised by Mayor Bloomberg; Peter Grauer, chairman of the board of Bloomberg L.P. and president of the Inner-City Scholarship Fund; and John Phelan, chairman of the board of archdiocesan Catholic Charities and retired chairman and chief executive officer of the New York Stock Exchange. The Cardinal's Scholarship Program and the Cardinal's Committee for Charity were equal beneficiaries of the generous gifts from dinner committee members and guests.
A highlight was the performance of "High Hopes" by the 30-student school choir from St. Joseph's School in the Yorkville section of Manhattan, along with guest singer Stephen Schwarzman, co-founder and chief executive officer of the Blackstone Group.
The crooner and musician Harry Connick Jr., who performed last year at the Papal Mass at Yankee Stadium, added a musical tribute, featuring, "It's All Right With Me."
WCBS-TV news anchor Maurice DuBois was the master of ceremonies.
Before the dinner a reception was held in the museum's newly renovated Engelhard Court.
The dinner committee comprised Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence E. Auriana, Mr. and Mrs. John M. Callagy, Mr. and Mrs. Russell K. Carson, Mrs. Richard M. Cashin, Mr. and Mrs. John K. Castle, Mary Higgins Clark, Ms. Patricia D. Dillon, Ms. Florence B. D'Urso, Mrs. Henry J. Gaisman, Mr. and Mrs. Peter T. Grauer, Mr. and Mrs. William Mann, Ms. Vicky McLoughlin, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Moran, Ms. Margarita Perusquia, Mr. Thomas C. Quick, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen A. Schwarzman, and Mr. and Mrs. Alfred E. Smith IV.
Catholic New York — July 16, 2009