ROSE GALA 2023

The Rose Gala 2023 will be held in person at Luminarias in Monterey Park, CA on Saturday, October 7th from 4:00 to 8:00 PM. We are looking forward to spending time with you, sharing stories, and enjoying  each other’s company! As in previous years, the Silent Auction will be part of the Gala event.

Our keynote speaker will be Fr. Eugen Nkardzedze who served in his home diocese of Kumbo in Cameroon as an assistant parish priest and school manager, as chancellor of the diocese, and as rector of the remote parish of Mfumte before coming to study at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. where he obtained both his M. A. and Ph.D. in Systematic Theology in 2018. After that, he went back to Cameroon and served as Registrar and later on as Director of Development at the Catholic University of Cameroon while teaching Dogmatic Theology in his alma mater St. Thomas Aquinas' Major Seminary, Bambui, Cameroon. As chancellor of the Diocese of Kumbo, Rev. Eugen had much to do with the work and personnel of the Lay Mission-Helpers, some of whom became his personal friends. Rev. Eugen has recently published two books: The Spirituality of Humor and Laughter: Why Good Things Happen to Bad People, and Keep the Basket Away from the Casket: Seven Indictments Against the Collection of Mass Offerings in Church. 

This year’s Ernst Ophuls Award will be presented to LMH Veterans Art and Ruth Munoz in recognition of their missionary service and continued support of LMH. Ruth and Art were born and raised in Southern California. They met in college and both received music degrees and teaching credentials.  They married in 1975 and had four children. During this time Art went back to school, studied mechanical engineering and began a new career in that field.  Ruth was a private music teacher, musician, and substitute teacher.  She also volunteered many years as a Girl Scout leader and camp director. Going on Catholic mission with their children was something that Ruth and Art discussed often and felt called to do.  They joined Lay Mission-Helpers, and in 1995 were sent to teach at Xavier High School in the Chuuk Islands of the Federated States of Micronesia.  Art taught algebra, geometry, and physics, while Ruth taught language skills and guitar. Their daughter Gina, age 19, taught at the local Catholic elementary school.  Christof, 15, Mark, 12, and Vincent, 8, attended the Catholic schools on the island.  After two wonderful and challenging years on mission, the Munoz family returned home to resume their lives with new purpose and perspectives.  They are grateful to the Lay Mission-Helper family for their generous support in mission and the unique opportunity to serve others as a family.

The St. Therese of Lisieux Award will be given to Cheryl Fabien in recognition of her many years of faithful service on the Board of Directors of LMH and her generous financial support. Cheryl was born on the island of Trinidad and Tobago. Her family immigrated to St. Croix, US Virgin Island, then to Queens, New York, and finally to California. Cheryl received her Masters of Science Degree in Marriage & Family Therapy, and has a California teaching credential. Cheryl is married, has four daughters, three grandchildren, and another on the way. Her lifelong dream growing up in New York was to have a family and to serve others through counseling and mission one day. This was her daily daydream while walking to elementary school. She knew she wanted to help people heal, and to help communities in other countries that needed support.  She first encountered Lay Mission-Helpers (LMH) and Mission Doctors (MDA) at her parish St. John the Evangelist in Los Angeles, the parish home to LMH/MDA since 2002. When she first heard of LMH/MDA, Cheryl was excited and admired the missionaries because they were doing something she always dreamed of doing. Cheryl wanted to support them anyway she could, and thought, maybe one day when her children grew up, she could become a Lay Mission-Helper. Over the years, her relationship with LMH became stronger by creating a garden for the students of the Parish School in the LMH backyard. Then she Co-Chaired the Parish/LMH-MDA Community Health Fair with the Executive Director at that time, Elise Frederick. Cheryl attended celebrations LMH had at the Mission House next to the Parish. It was that growing relationship that eventually led to Elise’s recruiting Cheryl to the LMH Board. She was both excited and honored because of the work that LMH did and does. She saw it as her opportunity to do mission work in a small way. She could in some way fulfill her lifelong dream. Cheryl joined the LMH Board in 2013 and tried to serve in any way she could. She believes in the work that LMH does, and it is her honor to support LMH with her time, talent, and treasure.

You can become a sponsor of the gala by clicking on the GALA SPONSORSHIP button below and selecting GALA from the scroll down menu on the donation page. If you would like your name not to be listed in the Gala Program or would like it to be different from the one that appears on your credit or debit card, email us at info@laymissionhelpers.org or call (213) 368-1870 after you make your gift online.

Tickets for the Gala cannot be purchased online or at the door.

To purchase tickets call our office at 213 368 -1870 by September 25th.  

For those unable to attend in person, we will live stream a few elements of the evening on our Facebook page. 

By supporting the Rose Gala and the Silent Auction, YOU will help us put teachers in classrooms, healthcare workers in hospitals, new candidates in our Formation Program, and so much more!  

YOUR generosity will be felt around the world!  Thank you!