Sláinte to St. Patrick
The first-ever Sláinte to St. Patrick event was an evening of celebration, philanthropy, and community, emceed by Tom Didier. The program kicked off with a warm welcome and the sounds of a bagpiper, setting the stage for a night of Irish-themed festivities supporting Catholic Charities.
Event Highlights:
Welcome & Irish Toast – Guests learned the pronunciation of "Sláinte" (Slawn-cha!) before enjoying a blessing from Bishop Rhoades.
Dinner & Silent Auction – Guests dined while exploring opportunities to bid on silent auction items, participate in the wine and whiskey pull, and donate baskets of essentials for families in need.
Catholic Charities Mission & Video Presentation – Dan shared insights on the work and impact of Catholic Charities, followed by a compelling video presentation.
Awards Ceremony – Bishop Rhoades and Dan presented two first-time prestigious awards:
St. Louise de Marillac Award for Service – Honoring St. Pius X Refugee Ministry for their dedicated support of refugee services.
Mother Teresa Award of Philanthropy – Recognizing St. Joseph Community Health Foundation for their impactful generosity.
Live Auction & Raise Your Glass Paddle Raise – Guests participated in an engaging live auction and pledged donations by raising their glasses to various giving levels, supporting meals, counseling, and refugee services. Before the evening, Fr. Andrew Budzinski agreed that if $50,000 was raised, he would reprise his role as the 1993 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Leprechaun — and he did!
Entertainment & Celebration – Live Irish music by Laughing Jack helped close out a wonderful evening.
Thank you to all that attended and to our sponsors:
Summit Consultants + Spoltman Family
Star Financial
University of Notre Dame
Paulette and Todd Davis
University of Saint Francis
Community Foundation of Elkhart County
Barrett McNagny
Hylant
Catholic Community Foundation of Northeast Indiana
John and Molly Zarse of Specialized Printing Products
