On Friday, Oct. 3, the Diocese of Helena will hold the third annual Son Light Celebrating Youth Ministry event including a prayer service, gala dinner and auction. The evening will conclude with the drawing for a 2009 Subaru Forester 2.5X LL Bean Edition and $1,884 in cash.

“Parishes throughout our diocese have come to embrace the tradition of gathering each fall with Bishop Thomas to celebrate the formation of our youth and young adults,” explained Glenda Seipp, annual giving and stewardship manager.

“The pastoral plan, Come to the Light, expresses the need to support the youth and young adults present among us. Subsequently, our capital campaign, from Age to Age, will endow funds to ensure a future of abundant Catholic youth formation throughout our diocese. The Son Light celebration provides for some of the immediate needs of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry and Legendary Lodge.”

Proceeds from the event will benefit youth and young adult ministry throughout the diocese. A portion of all proceeds will be used to permanently endow youth ministry and Legendary Lodge within The Foundation for the Diocese of Helena.

There are many ways to participate:

• The prayer service will be held at 5 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Helena. Tim and Sarah Kelly, members of Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Helena, will convey the witness message. Youth from throughout the diocese will serve as greeters, music ministers and readers. All are welcome.
  
  
• The dinner entrée includes both grilled Montana Black Angus beef tenderloin with a shiraz reduction sauce and wild mushroom chicken fricassee served over a hearty wild rice pilaf. A variety of desserts will be offered as well as unlimited visits to the chocolate fountain. Event tickets may be purchased by calling the Chancery at 442-5820 or 1-800-584-8914. Tickets are $75 each or $600 for a table of eight.
  
  
• Raffle tickets for the 2009 Subaru, sponsored by Placer Motors of Helena and 4 Seasons Motors of Missoula, are available in every parish throughout the Diocese of Helena, Loyola Sacred Heart High School Scrip Office and Butte Central High School as well as both car dealerships until Sunday, Sept. 28, at 5 p.m. Tickets are $25 each. Tickets will be available at the Chancery until 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, and at the event.
  
  
  

Going once, going twice…SOLD!

The live and silent auctions feature something for everyone.

A new twist on a popular auction item will kick off the Son Light auction. Anyone interested in participating in a game of heads or tails for the low, low price of just $10 could find themselves the winner of a backyard BBQ for six hosted by Bishop George Thomas.

A trip for two to New York City and an opportunity to cheer on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will appeal to the travel enthusiasts. An adventure into the Bob Marshall Wilderness with A Lazy H Outfitters or fly fishing with Father Mike Poole will be sure to satisfy anyone looking for a rugged Montana experience.

Gather the family and enjoy the comfort of a Big Sky retreat at the condo of Lieutenant Governor and Mrs. John Bohlinger. Experience the hospitality of Choteau with golfing, dining and an overnight stay. The Marina Cay Resort and the Izaak Walton Inn are both offering two-night stays with dining at the Showthyme Restaurant included with The Marina Cay Resort.

Father Kevin Christofferson, chef extraordinaire, will prepare dinner for six people in a home along the shore of Swan Lake. Bob Morgan will inscribe in his new book, “Bob Morgan’s Montana,” and a vignette of the buyer’s choice will be added.

This year’s Legendary Lodge campers created one-of-a-kind quilt squares reminiscent of the lodge. These have been sewn with love into a timeless quilt. Bob Kolar of Diamond Dream Wholesale & Supply has created a Montana Sapphire bracelet. Tim Norbeck’s convertible picnic table will enhance your patio dining. Peg of Peg’s Handpainted Gifts has collaborated with the Good Samaritan Thrift Store to create a one-of-a-kind keepsake trunk.

John Thies has constructed a queen-sized oak bed. An agate-topped table fashioned by Lennie Krone will suit any room in your home. And Mike and Janet Henning have handcrafted a stunning zig zag quilt.

Two of Bev Doolittle’s prints, “Sacred Ground” and “Prayer for the Wild Things,” will be offered in the live auction. And prints by three Montana artists, Rhonda Wiegand, Angela Lemon and Linda McCray, depicting their unique perspectives of Montana life, will be available in the silent auction. Original watercolor artwork by deceased Montana artist Bob Wood will also be on hand.

Dining options include Metals Sports Bar and Grill, Perkins and Joe’s Pasty Shop. You can quench your Irish thirst with the contents of the basket donated by Alan and Mary Ruby.

An after-dinner basket containing a collection of cigars and brandy, a Montana basket with enough gear to ensure your ambassadorship status, a book worm basket with a Tiffany-style lamp, a fighting Saints theme basket, a photo of the old Cathedral School complete with blueprints and antique religious items and jewelry are also up for bidding.

You won’t want to miss out on the opportunity to purchase a Catholic Schools scholarship for the 2009-2010 school year (Missoula schools excluded) or a $250 Tuition Grant for Carroll College.

The parishes of Holy Rosary, Resurrection, St. Ann’s in Butte and Christ the King will be represented with baskets of local treasures. SS, Cyril and Methodius Parish has once again prepared a wine basket of epic proportions.

Special diocesan donations include Labor Day Weekend 2009 at Legendary Lodge, a framed print of Legendary Memories and several condo vacations with destinations in Big Sky, Whitefish and Fairmont.

The auction will conclude with a Dutch Auction to raise funds for the wish lists of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry and Legendary Lodge.

Packets of cards created by Stewards of the Faith at Leadership Camp 2008 at the lodge will also be available for purchase.

Attendance at last year’s event was over 300 and event coordinators are anticipating 400 guests this year. Reservations will be accepted through Friday, Sept. 26 at 5 p.m. Contact Glenda, Christine or Beth at the chancery to make a reservation at 406-442-5820 or 1-800-584-8914 (in Montana).

Visit www.diocesehelena.org/sonlight to preview the auction items.


Published in The Montana Catholic Online, Volume 24, No. 9, September 19, 2008.