• Rev. Msgr. Thomas P. Cahalane
• Rev. Msgr. Thomas J. Millane
• Rev. Msgr. Richard W. O’Keeffe, E.V.
• Rev. Msgr. Todd O’Leary
• Rev. Msgr. Van Wagner

Cornerstone Gala

The Catholic Foundation | Diocese of Tucson

Catholic Foundation to Host
Annual Cornerstone Gala Fundraiser in May

TUCSON, AZ — The Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Tucson will host the 2010 Cornerstone Gala on Friday, May 7, 2010, at 6 p.m. at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa, located at 3800 W. Starr Pass Boulevard, Tucson. Proceeds to benefit the Catholic Foundation and the Cornerstone Fund, which was established to meet the most pressing needs in the Diocese of Tucson. Father Gregory Adolf, pastor of St. Andrew the Apostle Parish in Sierra Vista, will serve as master of ceremonies, and pianist Bill Purciello will perform during the pre-dinner reception. This year’s grant recipients will be announced and a raffle and silent auction with more than 100 items will be featured. Tickets are $200 per person and are available through the Catholic Foundation by calling Clara Moreno at 520-838-2507 or e-mail cmoreno@cathfnd.org.

This year’s gala will celebrate the “Year for Priests,” which Pope Benedict XVI designated in June 2009. Five priests will be honored at the dinner for their decades of service to parishioners and the Diocese. A video of their achievements will be shown and the Most Rev. Gerald F. Kicanas will present each with the Cornerstone award. The five honorees are:

Msgr. Thomas P. Cahalane, pastor of Our Mother of Sorrows Parish; Msgr. Thomas J. Millane, founding pastor and pastor emeritus of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish; Msgr. Richard W. O’Keeffe, episcopal vicar for Yuma-La Paz vicariate and pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Yuma; Msgr. Todd O’Leary, founding pastor of Saint Thomas the Apostle Parish, and of Saint Francis de Sales Parish and Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Green Valley; and Msgr. Van Wagner, retired vicar general and former pastor of Saint Monica Parish and Saints Peter and Paul Parish.

“The gala is a wonderful and important way to support all priests in the Diocese, as well as our five honorees who have given much of themselves to our community,” Bishop Kicanas said. “The donations received from this event are a blessing for the Diocese and the Foundation and our meaningful work.”

The Foundation is also seeking sponsors to help pay for the cost of meals for priests so that as many as possible can attend. For more information and sponsorship opportunities, please contact the Foundation at 520-838-2507 or e-mail cmoreno@cathfnd.org.

The Foundation has held an annual dinner every year since 1986 and the event has been named the Cornerstone Gala since 2003.

The mission of the Catholic Foundation is to build endowments that provide enduring resources to support the mission of the Church in the Diocese of Tucson. Since its inception in 1981, the Foundation has distributed nearly $7 million to Catholic programs, parishes and organizations within the Diocese. For more information about the Catholic Foundation, visit www.cathfnd.org.

Here are brief biographies of the priests to be honored at the dinner:

Rev. Msgr. Thomas P. Cahalane

Msgr. Cahalane was born in Ireland in 1938. After completing his college education in Ireland, he was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Tucson on June 8, 1963. He served as associate pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Scottsdale and in San Manuel, Oracle and Mammoth from 1967 to 1969. He served as associate pastor at St. Augustine Cathedral from 1969 to 1971 and as priest-in-residence from 1971 to 1981. He was director of CYO/Youth Ministry for the Diocese from 1971 to 1976 and was Vicar of Education for the Diocese from 1975 to 1983. He has served as pastor of Our Mother of Sorrows Parish from 1981 to the present.

Rev. Msgr. Thomas J. Millane

A native of Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, Msgr. Millane was born in 1936. He was ordained on May 18, 1963. He served as associate pastor at St. Thomas Parish, Phoenix; Holy Cross, Morenci; St. Joseph Parish, Tucson; and St. Odilia Parish before being named administrator, then pastor, of St. Andrew the Apostle Parish in Sierra Vista. In 1980, Bishop Moreno assigned him to build a new church in the far northwest side of Tucson. He served as founding pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish until he retired in 2006. He currently holds the title of pastor emeritus at the parish.

Rev. Msgr. Richard W. O’Keeffe, E.V.

Msgr. O’Keeffe was born in Kildare, Ireland, in 1935. After attending St. Patrick’s College and Seminary in County Tipperary, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1959 and moved to the United States. He served as associate pastor of Immaculate Conception in Douglas from 1959 to 1961, associate pastor of St. Bartholomew in San Manuel from 1961 to 1963, associate pastor of St. Cyril of Alexandria from 1963 to 1969, pastor of Sacred Heart in Wilcox from 1970 to 1971, associate pastor of Immaculate Conception in Yuma from 1972 to 1981 and pastor of Immaculate Conception from 1981 to the present.

Rev. Msgr. Todd O’Leary

Born in County Caslow, Ireland, in 1938, Msgr. O’Leary studied for the priesthood in Ireland. He was ordained a priest on June 7, 1958, and was among the many Irish priests who volunteered to serve in the U.S. He served as associate pastor at St. Joseph, Tucson; Holy Cross, Morenci; Immaculate Conception, Douglas; and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Glendale and Scottsdale before being named pastor of St. Monica in 1969. While at St. Monica’s, Msgr. O’Leary founded Our Lady of the Valley in Green Valley. He went on to found two more parishes: St. Francis de Sales Parish in 1971 and St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in 1984, where he still serves as pastor.

Rev. Msgr. Van Wagner

Msgr. Wagner was born in Chicago in 1936; his family moved to Phoenix in 1943. He was ordained on April 25, 1961, at St. Agnes in Phoenix. His first assignment took him to St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Casa Grande, followed by several years in the Diocesan Education Office and Regina Cleri Seminary. He also served at St. Joseph Parish in Tucson. He was administrator of St. Cyril of Alexandria from 1971 to 1974, when he was named pastor of St. Monica Parish in Tucson. In 1993 he was named pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish. He served as vicar general for the Diocese from 1999 until his retirement in 2006.

For more information and sponsorship opportunities contact the Foundation office at 520-838-2507 or cmoreno@cathfnd.org.