Gifts of Grace: Showcasing the Talent of Fordham

On the 25th of March from 6:00-10:00pm in O'Keefe Commons, Fordham University's 2011 World Youth Day Pilgrimage Team presented Gifts of Grace.


The World Youth Day is a meeting of young people from all over the world gathered around the Vicar of Christ. This event is one of the primary means by which the Church proclaims the message of Christ to young people.


This event both celebrated and showcased the talent of Fordham University, while also raising funds for Fordham students to attend WYD. The event was open to the public and admission was five dollars. The proceeds supported the students who will pilgrimage to Spain this August.


The cost of admission covered various concessions and all of the following performers:

• B-SIDES
• RAMBLERS
• SATIN DOLLS
• EXPRESSIONS DANCE ALLIANCE
• JETPACK ATLANTIC

• LC'S LC
• CISZEK HALL JESUIT BAND
• GARVAUNDO HAMILTON (THE CURRENT FORDHAM IDOL)
• FORDHAM JAZZ COLLECTIVE
• DANNY GIBNEY AND COMPANY
• CHRISTIAN AND JEN MONSALVE

• T.J. ALCALA
• MIKE MARTINEZ
• THE BIRDS AND THE BEES
• IRISH STEP CLUB
• SAVE THE YOUTH CENTER

Rebecca Lindner, member of the class of FCRH 2013 and one of Fordham’s tour guides, helped organize this event and was very please with the outcome:

We are the Fordham World Youth Day pilgrimage team, a group of about 30 students going to Spain for three weeks this August for the largest conference of Catholic Youth in the world! We are fundraising to support our effort to attend the Magis program, a week of Jesuit reflection with students at Jesuit universities around the world followed by "experiments" - service projects and pilgrimages around Spain and Portugal - and then the actually WYD event at which we will be meeting the pope and millions of youth. The concert that we hosted on Friday raised over $1400 toward our goal with the help of the Fordham community!

Mike Finucane, member of the class of FCRH 2012, is very excited that Fordham is sending the most students out of any other Jesuit university:

We have focused most of our communal fundraising on the benefit auction, the sale of raffle tickets, and various bake sales throughout the year. Individually we have been writing letters to friends and family who might be able to offer support.

It is very exciting that Fordham is sending the most students out of any Jesuit university and that so many students are supporting their peers in this great cause.