2020 Augustinian Gala Cancelled Due to Concerns over COVID-19

Dear Friends of the Augustinians,

As a community of priests and religious brothers, the Augustinians are commissioned with the pastoral care of our faith communities. This means we take on responsibility for the spiritual and physical well-being of our parishioners, students, and supporters. In this time of widespread concern over the rapid spread of the Coronavirus/COVID-19, we as an Order must make extra-ordinary efforts to care for our flock. For this reason, the Midwest Augustinian Province leadership have decided it prudent to cancel our annual Augustinian Gala, which was scheduled to be held on Friday, April 24, at the Drake Hotel in Chicago.

The event—which includes the celebration of honorees Fr. Daniel Hartigan, O.S.A., Fr. Jim Thompson, O.S.A., Mark Hacker, and Robert Sullivan—will be moved to April of 2021.

Circumstances continue to change rapidly in our communities, as we wait to see the impact of this virus. We cannot be sure what our circumstances will look like in late April. However, the most recent statement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the cancellation of events and gatherings of 50 people or more for the next eight weeks. For the past seven years, our Gala has never failed to draw more than 300 people, all ready to demonstrate their love for the Augustinians.

As a small community of friars with a large financial burden, this was a difficult decision to make. This Gala is our largest fundraiser and brings in an average net revenue of $150,000 each year, all of which goes directly to the care of our elderly friars, the education of new vocations, and our missions in Peru.

However, the core purpose of the Gala has always been the celebration of our Augustinian identity—both its heritage and its future. For us as friars, it serves as an annual renewal of a spirit of gratitude and hope. This gratitude and hope of the Gala will carry on. We remain grateful for the elderly friars who have served us in the past as we continue to care for them. We remain hopeful, because we continue to see a new generation of men entering our Province.

The most immediate signal of hope to which we can point is the upcoming Ordination of Jack Tierney to the Priesthood, which is still scheduled for Saturday, April 25. As a means of reaching out to our supporters and maintaining our spirit of community, we are happy to announce that we will livestream a video broadcast of this ceremony, so you will be able to participate from the safety of your own homes.

More details about the video broadcast will be posted on our Province website and social media accounts. If you have not done so yet, I urge you to sign up for our Email updates from our homepage at MidwestAugustinians.org.

Continue to take care of yourselves spiritually and physically in the coming months. Remember that “social distancing” does not mean isolation; so I encourage you to reach out to any of the friars if you are in need. We are here for you.

Sincerely in Christ and St. Augustine, 

Rev. Anthony B. Pizzo, O.S.A.

Prior Provincial

Midwest Augustinians