WALL STREET — Msgr. Alfred LoPinto first became involved in Catholic Charities Brooklyn & Queens 60 years ago. It was 1966, and Msgr. LoPinto was a young man preparing to enter seminary when, he recalled, the pastor of his church talked him into working for Catholic Charities.
“He said, ‘You’re going to do this. You’re going to run the summer program for kids,’ ” Msgr. LoPinto remembered the pastor telling him. “That was the beginning of a journey that has taken me to places I could never imagine.”
Msgr. LoPinto, who retired as president and CEO of Catholic Charities Brooklyn & Queens (CCBQ) on June 30, was lauded for his service at the organization’s annual Bishop’s Humanitarian Award Dinner at Cipriani Wall Street on Sept. 24.
He served as head of CCBQ for 13 years and was succeeded by Father Patrick Keating, the deputy CEO.
At the dinner, which was attended by 750 people, Bishop Robert Brennan and Father Keating presented Msgr. LoPinto with the Bishop Joseph M. Sullivan Service Award, an honor named in memory of Bishop Joseph M. Sullivan (1930-2013), an auxiliary bishop of Brooklyn who served as executive director of CCBQ from 1968 to 1979.
The dinner, which serves as a fundraiser for CCBQ, raised $1.8 million, according to officials.
Bishop Brennan served as the dinner’s honorary chair, and Msgr. Robert Romano, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Dyker Heights, emceed for the evening.
Three honorees received a Bishop’s Humanitarian Award. One winner, Greystone Inc., a commercial real estate finance company, was represented by its founder and CEO, Stephen Rosenberg.
“The mission of my entire company is to love and support others,” he told The Tablet, “and I can’t imagine an entity that does more to love and support people than Catholic Charities.”
Bert Rahm, senior vice president and general manager of Turner Construction Company, accepted the Bishop’s Humanitarian Award on behalf of the firm.
The Bishop’s Humanitarian Award was also presented to Paul A. Michels, partner emeritus of the law firm Cullen and Dykman LLP.
Brian Long, key principal of Long and DeLosa Construction Group, received the Ubi Caritas Award. In his acceptance speech, he urged young people in the audience to get involved in their churches and in charity work.
“Let’s keep paying it forward,” he said.
CCBQ, which was founded in 1899, sponsors senior housing, provides mental health counseling, operates food pantries, and offers a wide array of services for children and families in need.
In his remarks, Msgr. LoPinto expressed appreciation to those who support the organization’s work: “You enable Catholic Charities to be the hand of God.”