GARDEN GROVE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A sold-out crowd of more than 2,500 gathered Saturday, November 3 for the inaugural Magnificat Day of Faith, the first-ever global Catholic event held within the world-renowned Crystal Cathedral sanctuary, the future Christ Cathedral for the Diocese of Orange.
The Magnificat Day of Faith was another significant milestone in the Crystal Cathedral’s transformation into a global Catholic center for religious and cultural gatherings. The iconic 34-acre campus was a key draw for The Magnificat Foundation, the international Catholic organization presenting the day-long event with support from the Diocese and the Orange Catholic Foundation. The Orange Catholic Foundation will launch the For Christ Forever Capital Campaign in 2013 to support the critical needs of Orange County’s growing community of 1.2 million Catholics and provide renovations and improvements to the future Christ Cathedral campus.
“The opportunity to have The Magnificat and this event come to Orange County is a testament to the Diocesan vision for the Crystal Cathedral as a universal gathering place for people to pray and celebrate our faith,” said Father Christopher Smith, Rector and Episcopal Vicar of the future Christ Cathedral.
The Magnificat Foundation chose the Crystal Cathedral because of its significance in the faith-based world and its integral part in the future of the Catholic church.
“We are blessed to hold this Day of Faith at the future Christ Cathedral,” said Pierre-Marie Dumont, President of The Magnificat Foundation and Founding Publisher of the Magnificat magazine, which has more than one million daily readers. “The gathering was a chance to rediscover the joy that comes from having confidence in God.”
Inspired by Pope Benedict XVI’s “Year of Faith” proclamation to celebrate the “joy of believing,” The Magnificat Day of Faith brought Catholic thinkers together to share their thoughts about the Catholic faith experience.
The keynote featured Clara Gaymard, President and CEO of General Electric (GE) France. Gaymard is the daughter of Dr. Jérôme Lejeune, a Catholic geneticist and the father of modern genetics who discovered the chromosome for Down’s syndrome. He died in 1994 and is under consideration for sainthood by the Catholic Church.
An influential businesswoman, best-selling author, wife and mother of nine, Gaymard spoke about her father’s compelling story as a Servant of God.
“I’m not a historian, nor a doctor, nor do I have faith like that of my father,” said Gaymard, “but I had the grace to be his daughter and I feel entrusted with the task to tell people who he was.”
The Magnificat Day of Faith also featured the internationally acclaimed Pacific Chorale. Led by artistic director John Alexander, the group performed Bach’s Magnificat to its largest live audience ever. The event was globally broadcast live by CatholicTV.com.
About the Orange Catholic Foundation:
Established by Bishop Tod D. Brown in November 2000, the Orange Catholic Foundation is a separate and independently governed 501(c)(3) Corporation, established to provide a permanent source of funding for the religious and educational mission of the Diocese of Orange. It strives to be a premier nationally recognized steward of Catholic philanthropy in carrying out Christ’s work to sustain and enhance all aspects of Catholic life for the faithful in Orange County. The Orange Catholic Foundation is responsible for shepherding the day-to-day stewardship of For Christ Forever, the Diocese of Orange’s first-ever Capital Campaign to meet the critical needs of the region’s 1.2 million Catholics. For more information on the Orange Catholic Foundation or For Christ Forever, visit www.OrangeCatholicFoundation.org, www.forchristforever.org/ or call 714-282-3021.
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