Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, visits with people after Mass at St. Mary Catholic Church in Wilton in 2014.
By Anne Marie Amacher
The Catholic Messenger
DAVENPORT — Tickets are still available for the annual Red Dinner on Feb. 7 with special guest Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York. The dinner benefits Sacred Heart Cathedral.
Father Rich Adam, the cathedral’s pastor, said more than 700 reservations have been made for the dinner, which will be held at Rhythm City Convention Center in north Davenport. Bishop Thomas Zinkula and Bishop Emeritus Martin Amos of the Diocese of Davenport and Bishop Richard Pates of the Diocese of Des Moines will also attend.
Mass will be held at 4 p.m. at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Tickets are not required to attend Mass. Dinner guests with reservations will then head to the convention center and receive their name tags, their ticket into the event, Fr. Adam said.
The reception begins at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. and remarks by Cardinal Dolan at 8 p.m.
“The Red Dinner is a spinoff of Cathedral Sunday,” said Fr. Adam. “The objective is to give awareness of the cathedral, which is the spiritual home to every Catholic in this diocese and the bishop’s church.”
The first two Red Dinners were held in the former Sacred Heart School and filled to capacity — 160 people. The next two dinners were held at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, with attendance growing to around 400 people. “This year we have the possibility of up to 1,000, which is mindboggling.”
Two cathedral beers will be served at the event: an ale called “Amen,” and a Belgian witthbeir called “Witness.” A raffle and silent auction will be held. Raffle tickets for a $500 gift card and an LG 65-inch smart TV will be sold that evening. Tickets are $5 each, 5 for $20 or 12 for $50. Cardinal Dolan will draw the winning ticket. All raffle proceeds will benefit maintenance at Sacred Heart Cathedral.
A silent auction also will be held. Some items include an original stained glass windows of Sacred Heart that was removed during renovation, an 1891 copper finial from Sacred Heart rectory roof, an opportunity to dine with Bishop Zinkula and jewelry from McGiverns and Expressions.
Dinner tickets are $75 per person. Sponsorship for clergy and religious to attend is $75 per person. Table captains may organize a table of 10 people for $750. Table captains will receive an invitation for two to the cathedral rectory following Mass for appetizers and cocktails with Bishop Zinkula and Fr. Adam.
Sponsorship of a table is $1,500 and includes premium seating for 10, acknowledgment of the sponsor in the printed program, recognition at the dinner and an invitation for four to the rectory for appetizers with the bishop and Fr. Adam.
Reservations made online require a two-step process. Go to www.shcdavenport.org, click on the Red Dinner reservations. If you do not have access to the Internet, call the cathedral office at (563) 324-3257 and ask for a form. Complete forms and a check written to Sacred Heart Cathedral with the notation Red Dinner at the bottom and mail to Sacred Heart Cathedral, Red Dinner, 422 E 10th St., Davenport, Iowa 52803. Deadline for dinner reservations is Jan. 31.
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