Andreas to Perform at Actors' Chapel Honors, 11/8

The Most Reverend Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, will be honored by St. Malachy's - the Actors' Chapel, at the Fifth Annual Father George Moore Benefit Dinner Monday, November 8, at 6:00pm at the Crowne Plaza Times Square Hotel, 1605 Broadway at West 49th Street.

"Each year, in honor of Father Moore's legacy, St. Malachy's hosts this dinner named for him to acknowledge leaders in our field who embody his commitment to community service, dedication to the arts, and love of people and community," said Rev. Richard Baker, Pastor of St. Malachy's, when announcing that the Archbishop will be honored by St.  Malachy's Church.  "Archbishop Dolan is such a man and this celebration is to welcome him to the Times Square community."

This year's honorary gala chair is Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director of The Broadway League.  Members of the Gala Committee include Joseph Benincasa, James J. Claffey, Jr., Richard S. Claffey, Paul Jags, Robert McDonough, Robert Score and  Michael Silberstein, among others.

Heading the bill to perform is Christine Andreas, currently appearing on Broadway in La Cage Aux Folles.  Chris Cuomo of ABC News will be master of ceremonies.  Charles E. Schumer, Senior U.S. Senator for the State of New York, will speak.

 
The Most Reverend Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York,
to be honored by Actors' Chapel.

The funds raised at this event will help to bring St. Malachy's into a new era. One of the future projects is the development of a child care center for families of actors and stagehands in the entertainment community.  In 2007, a Needs Assessment Study conducted by The Actors Fund and Actors' Equity determined that there is a crucial need by families who work in the entertainment industry for a quality, affordable child care center in the Times Square Area with flexible hours.  Hence, St. Malachy's - The Actors' Chapel is in the Early Stages of developing the Broadway Child Care Project.

Individual tickets for the benefit are $350 each and include cocktails at 6:00pm, dinner at 7:00pm and $3500 for a table of 10.  Tickets can be purchased by contacting St.  Malachy's Director of Development Suzanne Katusin at (212)489-1340, ext 102 or development@actorschapel.org.

Timothy Michael Dolan was named Archbishop of New York by Pope Benedict XVI on February 23, 2009. He was installed as Archbishop of New York on April 15, 2009.

He had served as Archbishop of Milwaukee since he was named by Pope John Paul II on June 25, 2002. He was installed as Milwaukee's 10th archbishop on August 28, 2002, at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.  The Archbishop's official bio is at < www.archny.org/about-us/archbishop-timothy-m-dolan/archbishops-bio/ >.

Located on West 49th Street, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, St. Malachy's Roman Catholic Church < www.actorschapel.org> was founded in 1902. And although the years have seen many changes in the neighborhood of the church, St. Malachy's today remains an active, integral part of its most unusual, most dynamic community.

St. Malachy's service to its community was comparable to that of most other Catholic churches in New York City up until about 1920. Then the Theatre District moved in. Suddenly, actors, dancers, musicians, craftsmen, and tourists were filling the seats, replacing the types of parishioners St. Malachy's had seen in previous years.

Fortunately, the priests and leaders of St. Malachy's have all been men and women of their times, and so, adapted St. Malachy's to meet the needs of its new parishioners. Masses, confessions, missions were all rearranged to accommodate the rigors of theatre and nightclub schedules.  And finally, with the construction of the Actors' Chapel below the main church in 1920, St. Malachy's became famous as a haven of worship for the entertainment community.

Douglas Fairbanks married Joan Crawford at St. Malachy's. Herb Shriner's children were baptized here. Thousands jammed West 49th Street outside the church in final tribute to Rudolph Valentino. George M. Cohan, Spencer Tracy, Perry Como, Irene Dunne, Hildegarde, Florence Henderson, Elaine Stritch, Lawrence Luckinbill, Rosiland Russell, Danny Thomas, Bob and Dolores Hope and Ricardo Montalban, all worshipped at St. Malachy's. Fred Allen, Don Ameche, Cyril Ritchard, Pat O'Brien and Jimmy Durante served many a Mass.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos