B.W. COOK--The Crowd

It is somewhat challenging to report on a social event with a religious

purpose. As a columnist responsible to a diverse public readership, it

might seem a violation of that relationship to report on the true purpose

of such an event without either endorsing or denying the real essence of

the gathering.

On the other hand, to avoid the subject and only provide a surface view

also would be irresponsible. Such challenges are more acutely felt by

reporters covering the news beat. Their objectivity is far more crucial

to accurate and fair journalism.

The columnist is afforded the opportunity to speak his or her point of

view. I am truly grateful for this privilege. I take it seriously, even

if my story is innocuous. Today’s reporting is not.

Last week, I attended the 22nd annual Gentlemen’s Haberdashery fashion

show and luncheon at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel, Fashion Island.

The event benefits the Heart of Jesus Retreat Center in Santa Ana, owned

and operated by the Sisters of The Sacred Heart.

It has been sponsored for many years by Catholic community activists,

including the late Tom Riley and his wife, Emma Jane, and current chairs

Tony and Melinda Moiso.

In 1977, when the idea was first introduced, the Sisters of The Sacred

Heart earned $15,000 to support their retreat center. This year, the

total may exceed $180,000. In the words of Sister Jane Stafford, Superior

General to the Society Devoted to The Sacred Heart, “$1.7 million has

been raised over the years for the children to know that there is a God

who loves them.”

I have attended this event for many of the eight years I have been

assigned to the Newport-Mesa social beat. It is always a gathering with

an emphasis on fellowship, especially meaningful to members of the Roman

Catholic faith.

This year, because of the efforts of the Moisos, Melinda Fitch, Steve

Ireland, and all of the sisters, the event was significantly

inspirational.

Stafford set the tone with her greeting, in which she implored the

audience to recognize the import of this Jubilee Year of Christ.

“What is in the heart of God . . . in the mind of God?” she asked the

crowd of about 500 guests. Many in attendance were of the Catholic faith,

but there were people of other religions also in attendance, supporting

friendships and business and social bonds in the community.

“The scripture tells us that Jesus referred to God as Father, for God is

truly a parent whose love for his children never stops,” Stafford said,

adding that loving and devoted parenting is perhaps as close to

reflecting God’s love as human beings may aspire.

“And in this year 2000, our Jubilee Year, God is listening, so don’t

waste your prayers on petty things,” she said. “Ask God for the world.

Ask God for peace on earth, for miracles of health and healing. Ask God

for pure joy, for renewed spirit, for peace in the midst of pain. Ask

big, my friends.”

Indeed. Ask big, and why not? We have so much to learn as human beings.

Are we any closer to God than the persecuted early Christians of the

first century? Are we any closer to God than the ancient Jews? Or the

spiritual Muslims, Buddhists or even Scientologists of today?

The Old Testament teaches that God owes man nothing. No explanation, no

favor, no acknowledgment. Man, instead, owes everything to God. It is an

axiom that has been adapted from the Jewish scripture into the Christian

New Testament and that of other faiths.

The extrapolation of meaning in the message is that man serves God during

his lifetime by honoring Him with God-like actions on Earth through

honorable relations with his fellow man.

Yes, we still have much to learn, so we must listen when Stafford

implores to ask big. We must ask for guidance, strength and inspiration

to follow our hearts to be people who are just and loving. And we can

begin this process with ourselves, our families, our children.

This is the message of the sisterhood, and the purpose of the center they

have built in the name of Jesus.

Unfortunately, the name of Jesus has far too often been a call to

bloodshed throughout history. Stafford asked all in attendance to write

down their giant prayer on a slip of paper that the sisters would collect

and post on a massive prayer board in their home to be used as a catalyst

to prayer for the rest of the Jubilee year. My prayer was simple: May God

grant man the grace of tolerance for all men, regardless of their faith,

in the absence of their faith, so that the human race may finally

understand that the message of Jesus (or Jeshua) was love, forgiveness

and mercy.

Love is our greatest gift from God, the Father of all children. We need

to focus on its power to heal. So while it is the primary purpose of the

Sisters of The Sacred Heart to bring children to Jesus, let us in this

Jubilee year remember that the message of mercy is of utmost

significance.

That message is buried with million of lives--from the brutality of the

Roman Empire and the murder of Jesus, to the invasion of Constantine and

the conquering of Rome, giving birth to the acceptability of Christian

doctrine, to the reformation of Martin Luther.

If Jesus was crucified so that mankind would realize the sacrifice and

live to honor God, mankind has clearly not learned anything at all,

regardless of whether you follow Jesus as divine or respect him as a

prophet of truth.

So, in this Jubilee Year of Christianity, Christian and non-Christian

alike may share in the blessing of God’s mercy. And in the words of

Sister Jane Stafford, open your hearts and minds as wide as you may

possibly fathom, for God is so big, so unfathomable, his mercy so grand,

that there is no telling what may result if we all ask for the world. May

it be a world of peace for all men.

The handsome men in the crowd, and on the runway, included: Richard

Broming, George Cotter, Dan Donohue, Antonio Cagnolo, Jason Brandman,

Michael Brandman, Dave Celestin, Bill Dunlap, Don Moe, Steve Schurm,

Richard Reisman, Skip Johnson, Gray Urban, Dan Urban, Bill Watt, Bob

O’Hill, Terry Jones, Tony Forster, Dave Clark, John Racunas, Mike

Gallegos, Andy Keif, Denny Shields, Ron Taylor, Mark Hoover and John

Markel.

Also: Paul Carey, Sammy Lee, Matt Willig, Brent Caldwell, Murray Krow,

Jay Bullock, Theo Glorie, Greg Sherman, Kevin Canning, Dan Kelly, Mark

Osgood, Matt Osgood, Chuck Poss, Jim Crocenzi, David Fields, Rick Evans,

Fred Evans, and Msgr. Paul Martin and Father Steve Sallot, both stealing

the show in their evening formalwear.

CUTLINES

#1 -- Left to right, Sister Jane Stafford, Rick Evans of the Irvine Co.,

and wife Susan and son Fred at the benefit for the Heart of Jesus Retreat

Center.

#2 -- Bob O’Hill of O’Hill Partners Inc. takes to the runway.