Catholic schools were front and center of the conversation at the 115th annual Dinner of The Cathedral Club of Brooklyn.

The guest speaker mentioned that his education took place in the Diocese of Brooklyn; the guest of honor touted his 16 years of local Catholic education; the club’s president emphasized his Catholic upbringing; and Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio praised the progress being made by an education tax credit proposal in Albany.

The dinner was held Feb. 5 at the Marriott Marquis, Manhattan. Almost 500 people attended the affair that heard Congressman Peter King deliver the keynote address and that honored Sean Crowley of Forest Hills for his community involvement.

Bishop DiMarzio told the audience that while the education tax credit proposal has failed in the past, it has gained new momentum since it has been included in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s budget.

“Saints pick themselves up and they’re not afraid to start over again,” said Bishop DiMarzio.

“We want our politicians to make us proud of them. We’re here tonight to thank them for what they do for us.”

The bishop thanked the work of the New York State Catholic Conference, the governor, and local politicians such as State Sen. Martin Golden for supporting the tax credit bill.

Bishop DiMarzio also praised the work of the Cathedral Club in keeping the Catholic voice in the public arena.

“We need to educate our Catholic people to their responsibility as citizens and as Catholics to make sure that our values are made important in the public forum,” he said.

“Because sometimes the values of religious people seem to be denigrated, they don’t seem to be important or they don’t think there’s any place for them. But there are other values that are competing values. There’s no reason why our values are of any less value than anyone else’s. And may the best man win!”

Crowley, who grew up in St. Mary’s, Winfield, and now resides in Our Lady of Mercy, Forest Hills, explained that he is the product of a “good, strong Catholic education.” A graduate of St. Mary’s School, Power Memorial H.S., and Fordham University, he said it was Catholic schools that instilled the values that he brings to his career in government affairs and lobbying efforts.

He pointed out that his three sons are currently enrolled in Catholic schools and he praised his parents for the sacrifices they made to pay tuition.

Expressing his support for the education tax credit bill, he proposed further creative ways to alleviate the cost of education. For example, he proposed a tuition break for students from Catholic schools who attend a Catholic institution of higher learning.

Congressman King, who attended St. Teresa’s School, Woodside; Brooklyn Prep, and St. Francis College, said the values learned in Catholics schools must influence the public debate.

“We can get so caught up in modern life and contemporary life, get caught up just spinning in circles and losing sight of why we’re here. And that’s to do good, to help our fellow man, and to stand up for what’s right,” said the 12-term congressman whose district is in southern Nassau County.

As a member of the Homeland Security Committee in the House of Representatives, Congressman King also issued stern words of warning about the threats of terrorism to American society.

“It’s so important that we defend the NYPD, that we defend institutions that are standing up for us,” reminded King. “Because we have an enemy – we’re at a great dinner here tonight, people go to weddings and baptisms and bar mitzvahs, birthday parties – our enemy doesn’t do that. They spend 24/7 with one goal, and that’s how to kill us. And we have to keep that in mind.

“And it’s based on a really very hideous ideology, a distortion of religion, but they have motivation that – we somehow think that these are normal people, that if we give them certain territory or give them concessions they will back off – they won’t. Anyone that would take a human being and throw him in a cage and burn them death, that shows what they’re really like.”

During the president’s report, Christopher Hannan, graduate of Holy Name School Windsor Terrace, who is an attorney and a former assistant district attorney in Brooklyn, praised his Catholic upbringing that centered around parish.

He said that members of the Cathedral Club enjoy giving back to the communities in which they were raised because they appreciate the sacrifices that were made on their behalf.

Some of the proceeds from the dinner support the Club’s scholarship grants. This year, a contribution also was made to Concern, an international charity agency supported by the late Kevin Kearney, past president, who died last month.

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