Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc.

A Quarterly Newsletter from Catholic Charities - February 2004

Niggs Honored at
Papal Knights’ Dinner

Cardinal Roger Mahony and Monsignor Gregory Cox, Executive Director of Catholic Charities, present Peter and Gerry Nigg with a plaque that honors their many years of commitment to Catholic Charities through the Papal Knights’ Dinner.

The Christmas celebratory season began for many on December 5th at The California Club. Approximately 177 persons gathered to recognize Cardinal Roger Mahony and his Auxiliary Bishops. The dinner and dancing event, which benefits the poor and homeless clients of Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, is sponsored by the Knights and Dames of St. Gregory the Great, the Knights and Dames of Malta and the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulchre.
The party began 24 years ago when Cardinal Manning was the Archbishop. Unwilling to have a party simply to honor himself, Cardinal Manning agreed to the dinner if it would benefit a good cause. That’s when Catholic Charities of Los Angeles was selected to receive the proceeds. New members from the three orders are also recognized at the dinner. While the Knights, Dames and Ladies account for the majority of those in attendance, it is not an exclusive invitation.
The white tie with decorations/black tie party is a special, intimate affair, with speeches being discouraged. A brief welcome is given, a prayer before dinner and then it’s all about enjoying the company of good friends, the delicious food, and then after dinner, taking a twirl or two around the dance floor to the music of the J. Sterling Orchestra.
A surprise was added to this year’s festivities. Peter and Gerry Nigg were honored for their dedication to the event. With only a brief break of two years, the Niggs have chaired the dinner since its inception. The “no speeches” rule was overlooked as Cardinal Mahony and Monsignor Gregory Cox, Executive Director of Catholic Charities, thanked Peter and Gerry for their years of service and presented them with a special plaque and gift.

Volunteers Make a Difference at Catholic Charities

Elizabeth Ann Seton Residence provides a clean and comfortable refuge for homeless families through the hard work of volunteers from Dovetail’s ministries’ The Men’s Home.

Volunteers enhance the ability of Catholic Charities to carry out its mission. There are over 1,500 volunteers throughout the agency providing direct service to clients and non-direct service in areas such as clerical support, advocacy, or fundraising.
For Catholic Charities’ San Pedro Region, Dovetail’s ministries’ The Men’s Home has been an essential gift. Residents of The Men’s Home, that supports men recently released from prison, show up promptly at 8:30am every Monday to provide a thorough cleaning of the San Pedro Region’s Community Service Center. In addition, the men assist at the Elizabeth Ann Seton Residence by giving a deep cleaning to bedrooms as they become available for families who are newly homeless. “These men are a real gift. I am sure their services would cost us about $ 10,000 a year if we had to pay for them,” remarked Anna Totta, San Pedro Regional Director.
The Elizabeth Ann Seton Residence is a 35-bed facility for homeless families in crisis. The residence operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Catholic Charities’ San Pedro Region’s main office is located at 123 East 14th Street, Long Beach, CA 90813. Telephone: (562) 591-1641. For more information, please visit the Website at: www.CatholicCharitiesLA.org.