Communion breakfast for business leaders sponsored by Fairfield University and CAPP

On Sunday, November 8, the Most Reverend William E. Lori, Bishop of Bridgeport, will celebrate a mass at 9 a.m. for business professionals and leaders in Fairfield University's Egan Chapel of St. Ignatius Loyola. The mass will be immediately followed by a communion breakfast in the Oak Room, located in the Barone Campus Center on the Fairfield campus, where Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight, the Knights of Columbus, will be the keynote speaker. He will be speaking about the new social encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate, and its relevance for business professionals and their companies.

As supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus, Mr. Anderson is the chief executive officer and chairman of the board of the world's largest Catholic family fraternal service organization, which has more than 1.75 million members. He has had a distinguished career as a public servant and educator. From 1983 to 1987, he served in various positions of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, including special assistant to the President and acting director of the White House Office of Public Liaison. Following his service at the White House, Mr. Anderson served for nearly a decade as a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller, "A Civilization of Love: What Every Catholic Can Do To Transform The World;" and co-author (with Msgr. Eduardo Chávez) of "Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Civilization of Love," also a New York Times bestseller. Despite two serious market corrections during his tenure, the Knights has remained financially strong. It is one of only three U.S. life insurers to have the top ratings from both A.M. Best and Standard and Poor's, as well as certification from the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association (IMSA). At the same time, the organization's assets under management have increased from $8.5 billion in 2000 to more than $14.8 billion today - an increase of 74% overall - and 6.4% annually.

The event is being co-sponsored by Fairfield University's Center for Faith and Public Life and the Fairfield County Chapter of Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice ("CAPP"), a lay-led Vatican organization founded by Pope John Paul II for education and evangelization of Catholic social doctrine through business, professional and academic leaders. The mission of both organizations is to increase the awareness, understanding and implementation of Catholic Social Teaching ("CST") so participants in the public arena are well prepared to engage in an active and constructive dialogue about important issues of the day. Robert Rooney is president of the CAPP Fairfield County Chapter.

Seating is limited. Individual tickets are $40. Please respond by October 28. For more information, contact Cindy Russo at (203) 254-4000, ext. 2927, or crusso@fairfield.edu .

Catholic Social Teaching, considered by some to be one of the best-kept secrets in the Church, is a set of principles for reflection to evaluate the framework of society and to provide criteria for prudential judgment and direction for current policy and action. The primary cornerstones are the inherent Dignity of the Human Person, Solidarity and Subsidiarity.

Responding to the growing global awareness of the influence of religion on public affairs and fostering its Jesuit philosophy, Fairfield University created the Center for Faith and Public Life in November 2005, naming Rev. Richard Ryscavage, S.J, as director. The Center sponsors a cross-disciplinary forum for students, scholars, policy makers and religious leaders to converse and reflect on the many issues where religion intersects with civic life. The Center acts as a focal point where local, national, and international activities that link faith and public life may be addressed, including such eminent issues as immigration, politics and religion, and civic engagement. Earlier this year, the Center for Faith and Public Life and the Knights of Columbus co-sponsored a national summit on the vital need for volunteerism.

Contact: Robert Rooney, President CAPP Fairfield County Chapter, (203) 862-8914

Posted On: 10-19-2009 10:10 AM

Volume: 42 Number: 91