The Tenth Annual Evening of Tribute was celebrated on March 12, 2003 at the Sheraton Hilton and Towers in Chicago, Illinois.  This year Bishop Wilton D. Gregory, Bishop of Belleville, Illinois was honored with the Cardinal Joseph Bernardin’s “As Those Who Serve” Award.  Mr. Frank W. Considine was presented the Cardinal Francis George “Christo Gloria” Award.  This was the first time this award was presented and will be given annually by Cardinal George to an outstanding lay Catholic whose life exemplifies the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The proceeds from this event provide our third year students with a pilgrimage tracing the footsteps of St. Paul through Turkey, Greece and Italy.  In Turkey they begin at Taurus, the birthplace of St. Paul.  They pray at St. Peter’s Grotto where believers were first called Christians.

Greece takes them to Philippi where Paul delivered his first sermon in Europe and sowed seeds of Christianity.  They continue to Rome for further study and an audience with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican.  The pilgrimage concludes with a visit to Assisi, Siena, Florence, Ravenna and Venice providing an opportunity to pray at these sites.

As one seminarian commented: “My life and priesthood will be forever enriched by this pilgrimage.  Seeing where the gospel originated was very emotional and compelling.  I’m grateful to all who provided us with this once in a lifetime opportunity.”