Seminarians work in the kitchen during last year’s Dinner for Life, an annual charity event that benefits local pro-life organizations and is entirely coordinated by the seminarians themselves. (Courtesy of Sacred Heart Major Seminary)Sacred Heart’s student-run event raises funds, support for local organizations and those abroad
DETROIT — Seminarians are still in training, but already are taking up an important role in the pro-life cause.
The eighth annual Dinner for Life, hosted by the seminarians of Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, will be Feb. 3, beginning with a Mass celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Donald F. Hanchon at 6 p.m.
The annual dinner is a staple of the seminary’s calendar.
“The entire event is run by seminarians,” said seminarian Rodney Abasso, chairman of the Dinner for Life organizing committee. “Each committee of seminarians takes on certain areas of the dinner to make it successful. We have people there to welcome guests when they walk in, we have seminarians there to register people, cook the food, work the raffle, the emcee is always a seminarian. Pretty much A to Z is covered by seminarians.”
Dr. Alveda King, pastoral associate of Priests for Life, will give this year’s keynote address. Abasso said the seminarians chose King, who is the niece of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., for her work in the pro-life movement, particularly with Priests for Life.
Proceeds from the dinner will support Guadalupe Workers of Detroit and Guadalupe Home of Beijing, China.
“We chose Guadalupe Workers of Detroit because we always choose a local organization that’s in need of help,” Abasso said. “We also formed a connection to China and found they needed assistance there.”
The selection of the two organizations shows the great need for more awareness and support in the pro-life cause, both here and abroad, Abasso said.
“I feel this dinner gives us a way to help out organizations that need it,” Abasso said. “It’s our way of being involved in the pro-life movement, while fully supporting these organizations that are already doing so much. This helps us gear toward the future. We’re called preach life, to be pro-life, to minister in any way we can.”
Abasso said the dinner takes months of preparation from the seminarians, who have been meeting since October to plan the event.
In addition to the fish and pasta dinner, the event will also feature a raffle of church supplies and autographed items, donated by people and organizations from the community.
Tickets for the dinner cost $25. Abasso said there are just more than 400 tickets available, so people are encouraged to visit www.shms.edu/content/dinner-life to purchase tickets and make a donation to the event.
“I think Our Lady of Guadalupe is working through us with this event, working through this cause,” Abasso said. “I think it’s great both of the organizations featured at the dinner have her name, it shows she is with us in this cause.”
Dinner for Life
Tickets for the eighth annual Dinner for Life, hosted by Sacred Heart Major Seminary, 2701 W. Chicago Blvd., Detroit, are available at www.shms.edu/content/dinner-life and cost $25. The dinner begins with Mass at 6 p.m.
