Several hundred guests are expected to turn out for the diocese’s “Believe in Catholic Education” gala dinner next month, a fund-raising event that promises to inspire more than contributions to a worthy cause.

The dinner, which is celebrating its 21st anniversary, will be held at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 29.

The theme of the event, “Believe in Catholic Education…Anyway” will be familiar ground for author Kent Keith, keynote speaker for the event.

Keith has been long been inspiring people to focus on a philosophy contained in his best-selling book, “The Paradoxical Commandments,” written in 1968 while Keith was a student at Harvard University.

The directives were Keith’s response to a prevalent feeling among idealistic young people at the time who were embittered because social change seemed painfully slow.

First published 25 years after they were written, the 10 paradoxical commandments advise people not to focus on achieving power, fame or wealth, but rather on the meaning you get when you love others, do good, fight for the underdogs, and give the world the best you’ve got.

During a telephone interview with The Herald, Keith said that heart of his message then and now is that “if you go ahead and love people,” it is an emotion strong enough to enable you to achieve much, it just takes time.

“If you go out and do what is right and good and true, you’ll get meaning and satisfaction. You don’t have to have the glory,” Keith said.

Keith’s perspective has garnered a worldwide following and his paradoxical commandments have even been posted on a wall at Blessed Mother Teresa’s Children’s Home in Calcutta.

A resident of Honolulu, Hawaii, where he lives with his wife and three children, Keith has served as president of Chaminade University of Honolulu and as chair of the Diocese of Honolulu’s school board.

He said the two biggest influences shaping the philosophy that has guided him through life were his family and his Protestant faith.

“All of my family were living the Commandments. I learned from my family when you live that way, life makes sense,” Keith said.

The paradoxical commandments also are rooted in the Christian message of Good Friday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus.

“We discovered not just what the world did to Jesus, but how Jesus responded to the cruelty, pain, and hate,” Keith said. “He loved people anyway, forgave people anyway, and saved people anyway.”

The Catholic education fund-raiser will also honor the Sisters of Mercy of the Auburn regional community, who are celebrating nearly 150 years of service in the diocese. (See article, this page.)

Fifty percent of the funds raised at the “Believe in Catholic Education” dinner benefit Sacramento Urban Catholic Children’s Equal Education Development.

SUCCEED serves students at five Catholic elementary schools in the urban area of Sacramento which have experienced significant economic and shifting demographic challenges.

Forty percent of the proceeds go to providing need-based tuition grants for Catholic elementary school students experiencing extreme financial hardship, and 10 percent are designated for a new endowed fund that will provide for Catholic education in the future.

Entertainment for the gala will include music provided by the Catholic School Band, directed by Paul Tulga, and student speakers’ reflections on Catholic education.

The cost of the dinner is $600 per person or $5,000 for a table of 10.

For more information, call the Catholic School Department at (916)733-0110.

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