This year’s Archbishop’s Dinner will be held on Friday, August 20, 2021. Archbishop Peter Comensoli will be this year’s key-note speaker. The event to raise funds for the Priests Support and Education Fund will take place at the Moonee Valley Racecourse, with pre-dinner drinks from 7pm and the formal dinner beginning at 7.30pm. Former race caller, Bryan Martin, will be the Master of Ceremonies.
What is the aim of the event?
The Knights of the Southern Cross Victoria (KSCV) Archbishop’s Dinner for the Priests Support and Education Fund (PSEF) was first held in 1999 to raise money to support the education of Victoria’s seminarians, and the further education of Victoria’s priests, by assisting specifically with the purchase of text books and other educational needs. In recent years, those studying to become Chaplains for the Australian Defence Force have also been included in our support. Thus, the money raised from the hosting of the KSCV Archbishop’s Dinner is split equally five ways between the Victorian Dioceses (Melbourne, Ballarat, Sandhurst, Sale) and the Catholic Military Ordinariate of Australia. As a consequence, seminarians from the three regional dioceses and the Military Ordinariate receive more per student than those studying for Melbourne, seeing a greater benefit, which is a bonus to those who will be ministering in remote regional locations.
Archbishop Peter Comensoli (third from right) with guests at the 2018 Archbishop’s Dinner.
Why are the Knights of the Southern Cross so passionate about this event?
The idea for the Priests Support and Education Fund came about from a Member of the “Under 45s Club” of the Knights of the Southern Cross Victoria back in the late 1990s, when a suggestion was made to set up such a fund for our seminarians. A number of events were held, including a sausage sizzle, and asking branches and members for their support, so as to raise money for our seminarians’ education. These events only raised a few hundred dollars, but the Knights were not discouraged. Rather, they were determined to find another and more effective way to raise larger sums of money. Thus, the idea was formed to host a formal dinner, one which would bring many of Melbourne’s prominent Catholics together to raise larger sums of money. This idea had the full support and backing of then Archbishop of Melbourne George Pell. A Committee was formed to plan this annual Dinner, chaired by former KSCV State Chairman and prominent lawyer Robert Johnson, and featuring members who were well connected within the Catholic community. The first Dinner was held in August 1999 at the Hilton on the Park, with Archbishop Pell as the inaugural guest speaker, and Eddie McGuire as the inaugural MC (he also generously contributed a number of prizes through his media company to auction off at the Dinner).
The crowd at the 2018 Archbishop’s Dinner at Moonee Valley Racecourse.
Ever since the Dinner has been hosted annually (with the exception of 2020 for obvious reasons), and has been one of the main events on the Archdiocese of Melbourne’s social calendar. It is the KSCV’s flagship event. In that time, it has raised over $1.2 million for its intended cause, with many thanks to the committed sponsors, donors, KSC Branches and Members. It has also raised the profile of the KSCV within the Catholic community, and especially with our seminarians and newly ordained priests, who can visibly see our support, to which they forever show their gratitude.
Fr Paul Zaher (centre) of the Sale Diocese talks to guests at the Archbishop’s Dinner while still a seminarian.
On a personal level, I am particularly passionate about my involvement with the Dinner as it has allowed me to get to know so many of our amazing seminarians, with whom I am in frequent contact, and get the chance to show them my support, and provide them assistance where I can. One of my favourite events is the lunch that is hosted at Corpus Christi College Carlton every Pentecost Sunday for the official Launch of that year’s Dinner, where I get to catch up with seminarians and staff to see how they are progressing. It is hard to believe so many of the priests and seminarians involved know who I am, and that I know so much about them. It has been an honour to get to know them all, and see how devoted they are to the service of God and in upholding the traditions of the Catholic Faith.
Knights of the Southern Cross State Chairman, Carmine Miranda (left), speaks with Fr Jithin Anto of the Sale Diocese (middle) while he was still a seminarian and Samuel Pearson at the 2019 Priests Support and Education Fund luncheon at Corpus Christi College in Carlton.
Our determination to support our Seminarians and the PSEF did not waver when COVID-19 hit in 2020. Rather, we were determined to continue planning the Dinner while all other organisations were cancelling theirs, and continued to do so right up until it was absolutely clear we could not host it. From there, thanks to the continued support of our dedicated sponsors, donors, KSCV Branches and Members, we continued to raise money for the seminarians. We were completely amazed that we raised $60,000; about the amount we would have raised if we had hosted the Dinner. When our Chairman Carmine Miranda presented the $60,000 cheque to the Archbishop at his offices in December to a select audience, His Grace and those present were amazed that we were even able to raise that amount. Many cited it as a miracle. Our Lord indeed works in mysterious ways. That achievement was one of my proudest in my extensive involvement at all levels of the KSCV in 2020.
Carmine Miranda (left) speaks with Archbishop Peter Comensoli (middle) and Tom Brodie (right), along with others in the crowd, before the formal beginning of the 2018 Archbishop’s Dinner.
This support of the seminarians by the KSCV is not a recent phenomenon. As a bit of history, nearly a century ago, our first State Chairman, prominent real estate agent Thomas Michael Burke, donated £5,000 ($421,000 adjusted for inflation today) to the overall £70,000 ($5.9 million today) needed for the purchase of Werribee Park, which would become the home and estate which would accommodate Victoria’s seminarians as Corpus Christi College. I am proud to continue to play a part in that rich legacy.
Former 3AW General Manager and AFL Football Commentator, Shane Healy, interviews Archbishop Peter Comensoli at the 2018 Archbishop’s Dinner.
How many years has the dinner been going for?
The first Dinner was held in August 1999, as mentioned earlier, and has been held annually since, excluding 2020, for a total of 21 KSCV Archbishop’s Dinners. We have had many prominent and interesting speakers, such as Archbishop Pell, Andrew Bolt (who addressed the Dinner in 2003 and 2018), former Deputy Prime Minister Tim Fischer, former Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove, Mike Willesee, Cardinal John Foley, then Governor-General Quentin Bryce, and businesswoman Susan Alberti. We have also had a number of seminarians interviewed, such as current priests Frs John Corrigan, Marcus Goulding and Jude Johnson.
Who can attend?
Anyone. We welcome all to the KSCV Archbishop’s Dinner, as it is a great opportunity for individual Catholics and those from various Catholic organisations to meet and socialise. We also welcome non-Catholics, many of whom have attended over the years as friends of those regular attendees. Many of those organisations have expressed their gratitude for us hosting the Dinner, as it gives them the ability to network with other organisations.
What is the cost?
$150 per head. Those who aren’t able to attend can also made a donation to the Priests Support and Education Fund via the booking form.
PICTURES: Andrew Vaccaro.
How does one book for the dinner?
RSVP is by Friday August 6, 2021
Enquiries:
Nadia Bolzonello:
0407 055 237
email giveback@optusnet.com.au
Carmine Miranda:
0412 817 995
email c.miranda@ampfp.com.au
Norm McArthur:
9848 3449 or 0407 229 941
email norman.mcarthur@bigpond.com
Andrew Vaccaro:
0404 390 824
email avaccaro@internode.on.net
Val Sumner:
9482 3494 or 0412 029 389
email valsumner@bigpond.com
Bryan Martin, who called 29 Melbourne Cups, will be the MC at this year’s event. PICTURE: Supplied.