Photo Caption: Vicki and Allan Waldschmidt of Henry greet Bishop Jenky at the close of the Bishop’s Gala at the Spalding Pastoral Center on June 1 celebrating his 10th anniversary as Bishop of Peoria.

By: By Tom Dermody

Mix a heaping measure of love for Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, with a healthy concern for the poor and you have the successful recipe for the first Bishop’s Gala.

Nearly 400 people attended the festive event that transformed the Spalding Pastoral Center in Peoria into a saintly, scrumptious garden on June 1 and raised $250,000 while celebrating milestones being observed by Bishop Jenky in 2012, including his 10th anniversary as Bishop of Peoria.

At Bishop Jenky’s request, proceeds from the $150-per-plate gala have been designated to support Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Peoria. The agency is being reorganized to operate without any funding from the state following last year’s passage of civil union legislation that forced Catholic Charities out of foster care and adoption services and resulted in the loss of millions of dollars in state contracts.

Once boasting nearly 400 employees across the 26-county diocese, Catholic Charities now operates with a staff of 12 and will count heavily on volunteers, benefactors, and prayer.

“My anniversary, this night, is really essentially about the re-founding of Catholic Charities and the re-energizing of collective support for the corporal works of mercy,” said Bishop Jenky in remarks closing the evening.

While he was guest of honor at an elevated head table and the focus of kind words throughout the festive evening, Bishop Jenky — who also turned 65 in April and is celebrating 45 years in the Congregation of Holy Cross — deflected personal praise and affection to others.

“I am only the public face of a truly wonderful community of faith, the Catholic Diocese of Peoria,” said Bishop Jenky, giving credit to priests, deacons, religious, and the lay faithful “who do all the work and I get all the credit.”

“A COMMUNITY WORK”
In a video presentation that set the tone for the evening’s charitable purpose, the head of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Peoria minced no words in crediting Bishop Jenky’s courage in taking the agency in a new direction while remaining true to Catholic beliefs and teachings.

“We have the greatest bishop in the United States,” said Sister Ana Pia Cordua, SCTJM, president and director of mission and ministry. “He has taken a great leap of faith by being the first bishop in all of the dioceses in our state in saying ‘We will rely completely on the Lord.’ And we’re behind him on that.”

Sister Ana Pia said that more than ever, the new Catholic Charities must be “a community work, not just the responsibility of a few.”

“Since the rebirth of Catholic Charities, every single thing that we have asked the Lord for and placed in his hands, he has opened the door for us,” she said. “The support of the community at this moment for us is vital because if it wasn’t for volunteer hands and people who are willing to share with us their time, treasure, and talent, we would not be able to do what the Lord wants us do.”

Msgr. Stanley Deptula, who served as master of ceremonies for the gala, announced the funds raised by the evening would be “close to, if not over, a quarter of a million dollars to benefit Catholic Charities.”

“That’s not money coming from Springfield, or Washington, D.C., but from the faithful of the Diocese of Peoria,” said Msgr. Deptula, the rector of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria, director of the Office of Divine Worship, and executive director of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation.

LOVE FOR, FROM BISHOP JENKY
Among those seated at the head table with Bishop Jenky were his sister, Patricia Fontana, and four members of his religious community from South Bend, Ind., including Father David Tyson, CSC, provincial superior of the U.S. Province for the Congregation of Holy Cross.

A longtime friend of Bishop Jenky, Father Tyson served as the evening’s keynote presenter and assured those gathered that Bishop Jenky “loves you as much as you love him, there’s no doubt about that.”

“He is willing to serve you with a certain sense of courageousness regarding the future of the church in this diocese and country,” said Father Tyson, without specifically naming Bishop Jenky’s recent bold stands regarding state and federal threats to religious freedoms. He characterized Bishop Jenky as “a man of conviction” who is acting “with God’s grace and clearly with God’s providence.”

Father Tyson, who has known the bishop for more than four decades, also provided humorous insights into the man his religious confreres simply refer to as “Jenky.”

“Someone once asked me, ‘What is Jenky’s last name?'” Father Tyson said. “I said ‘Jenky.'”

He also recalled a time early in their religious formation when, on a retreat, then-postulant Tyson and his classmates “kidnapped” the future bishop because he was being so demanding of the choir preparing to sing at his first vows.

“He still gets upset over the burlap bag we put over his head,” said Father Tyson.

Msgr. Paul Showalter, PA, vicar general for the Diocese of Peoria, said that working day-by-day with Bishop Jenky for the past eight years has been “one of the greatest experiences of my priesthood.” He presented the bishop with two gifts from the diocesan curia — a silver antique icon of Mary, and a framed sketch of his two Chihuahuas, Monsignor and Vicar. The bishop was also presented with a birthday cake in the shape of his dogs.

Bishop Jenky thanked all involved in the gala, telling his Holy Cross guests that when they get back to the University of Notre Dame they should “tell all those highfalutin Holy Domers, if they really want to learn how to throw a party, they should come to central Illinois and see how it’s done.”

Bishop Jenky told the crowd he “fell in love with this diocese” from the first day he arrived in February of 2002. And while he will one day be buried in the shadow of Notre Dame’s famous golden dome, “I want all of you to know a great part of my heart will always be here in this diocese.”

“So from the bottom of my heart, thank you,” he said.

SAINTLY FARE, SURROUNDINGS
Serving as honorary co-chair of the gala was Rita Kress of Brimfield, who said the evening “accomplished our vision” to bring together people from throughout the diocese for a common cause.

“I think when people stop and consider all the good Catholic Charities does and realize the leadership Bishop Jenky is giving to our faith, they will hopefully step up and do their utmost to support and continue the work of Catholic Charities.”

Major sponsors included OSF HealthCare, which received a standing ovation when Msgr. Deptula announced their donation of $50,000 and the presence of many members of The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis. Almost $60,000 was donated by “priests and parishes who love you, Bishop,” said Msgr. Deptula, who also served as auctioneer for three items that raised an additional $25,000.

Kress credited Catholic Charities and diocesan staff, Msgr. Deptula, and the many volunteers who made the evening possible. A theme of saints ran throughout the evening, with life-sized cardboard cutouts of holy men and women lining the walls of the pastoral center’s conference room framed by palm branches. Each table bore the name of a saint, and the saintly fare included St. Peter’s Fish, St. John’s Bread, and St. Francis Pudding, with each course introduced by the ringing of a bell and served by a wait staff including diocesan seminarians, college students from area Newman Centers, and pontifical servers.

Music was provided by the Peoria Symphony Orchestra Octet and the Peoria Area Civic Chorale Youth Chorus.

The crowd included political figures, business leaders, lay faithful, priests, and women religious including two foundresses — Mother M. Vaclava Ballon, FSJB, of the Franciscan Sisters of John the Baptist, and Mother Adela Galindo, SCTJM, of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

Noting that the work of Catholic Charities is “first and foremost a spiritual work,” Msgr. Deptula and Bishop Jenky called for pledges of spiritual gifts such as rosaries, Masses, and other devotions to assist and guide their efforts.

Pledges of further financial gifts were also invited to “answer Christ’s call to meet the needs of the poor and vulnerable.” Contributions may be sent to Catholic Charities at 419 N.E. Madison Ave., Peoria, IL 61603.