MEDIA ADVISORY

THE 26th ANNUAL CARDINAL’S DINNER
GATHERING THE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY IN CHARITY

TORONTO (21 October 2005) - The 26th Cardinal’s Dinner will bring together 1,800 people from across the Archdiocese of Toronto and the wider community on October 27, 2005, at the Metropolitan Toronto Convention Centre.  The reception begins at 6 p.m., with dinner to follow at 7 p.m.Aloysius Cardinal Ambrozic, Archbishop of Toronto, will give the main address to those who have assembled to support a broad range of charities.  Last year the Cardinal’s Dinner raised $138,000, which was distributed to 23 charities.  This annual dinner, founded by the late Gerald Emmett Cardinal Carter and continued by Cardinal Ambrozic, has raised over 4 million dollars since its inception.At the head table, the Archdiocese will welcome:

His Excellency Archbishop Luigi Ventura, the Papal Nuncio, bringing greetings from the Holy Father;

• His Excellency Sotirios Athanassoulas, Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto; The Right Rev. Colin Johnson, Archbishop of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto;
• The Honourable Michael Bryant, Attorney General for the Province of Ontario.

As a sign of the significance of this event for society’s commitment to the vulnerable, there will also be Mayors, Regional Chairmen and Reeves representing the citizens of many municipalities, leading members of the business community, and representatives of religious orders who were part of the foundational history of the Archdiocese, the Sisters of St. Joseph; and the Sisters of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Loretto).Mr. Rick Waugh, President and Chief Executive Officer of Scotiabank, will chair this 26th Cardinal's Dinner. A press table will be provided.

The Archdiocese of Toronto includes Metropolitan Toronto as well as the Regional Municipalities of York, Peel, a portion of Durham as well as the County of Simcoe, a portion of the County of Dufferin and the Town of Orangeville. The Archdiocese is comprised of 1.5 million Catholics and 223 Parishes and 4 Missions.  Mass is celebrated in 36 languages every Sunday.  The Archdiocese of Toronto is one of the most ethnically diverse dioceses in the world.