On Thursday, Oct. 22, at Gotham Hall in Midtown Manhattan, ArchCare, the continuing care community for the Archdiocese of New York, held its annual fundraising gala to support its mission of compassionate care and support for the most vulnerable.  

The evening highlighted three members of the ArchCare community for exemplary assistance over the years. The event was hosted by FOX 5’s Rosanna Scotto, and Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Espaillat provided the invocation for the evening ahead of the award ceremony for the nearly 400 in attendance. This year’s honorees included retired Vicar General of the Archdiocese of New York, Msgr. Joseph P. LaMorte, who received the Florence Eisenberg Board Leadership Award for his eight years on the ArchCare Board of Trustees during his time as Vicar General. 

“It was at those meetings, those ArchCare meetings, when I was able to listen to the professionals on the board, doctors and lawyers and businesspeople. I knew about the firsthand, faith-based holistic care that ArchCare would provide to people who are unable to care for themselves, and that is very much a hallmark of the whole operation. How important it is, how they treat patients with dignity and compassion and respect every day, right from the beginning, and they continue to do it,” LaMorte said. 

The Good Newsroom had a chance to catch up with Msgr. LaMorte ahead of receiving this award to hear about his retirement at the St. John Vianney Priests’ Residence. “It’s a great place. It’s a safe place. Although I don’t need it, there are many medical services available and two nurses all day. The guys need that care. I will at some point, but not now. I’m pretty active, so I say Mass for ArchCare at the Wartburg home on Wednesdays, and I have my weekend parish assignments. So, it’s good!” 

After a relatively short time as an active volunteer, Jame Palazza was the recipient of the Ann Mara Community Service Award for his dedication. In his acceptance speech, he shared his joy in coordinating a trip for residents from Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center to enjoy the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular at Radio City. He said, “The most important, pure thrill and emotion on the faces of those who rarely get to leave the facility was priceless.”  

READ: Mother Cabrini Residents Celebrate Rockettes’ Centennial at Radio City Music Hall 

Scott LaRue, President and CEO of ArchCare, highlighted in his remarks how generosity on a night like this makes a positive impact for those living in the continued care communities. He recently visited ArchCare’s South Bronx PACE facility, which celebrated 1,000 participants on Oct. 20. He shared the story of a 104-year-old resident who received an award for being one of the program’s longest-serving members, and his astonishment in the energy she showed off in receiving this award. “She hopped out of her chair, ran up to the podium to get her award, and then sat back down and ate her lunch. I mean, it was absolutely beautiful,” he said. The ongoing mission of service and care for those most in need in our archdiocese, he continued, cannot be overstated. 

Dr. Peyman Younesi of Maximize Health was awarded the ArchCare Partnership Award for his company’s collaboration on patient care in the archdiocese. Accepting this award, Younesi said, “At Maximize Health, our job is much more than just treating patients. It is being present. It is building trust, and it’s about making sure that every single person receives the attention, dignity, and respect that they deserve. ArchCare shares the same values, and together we recognize that caring for our elderly and most vulnerable population is not just a job. It is a privilege. I’m incredibly proud of the work that we do with ArchCare, and grateful for the trust that they have placed in our team.” 

The evening brought ArchCare one step closer to its annual fundraising goal of $2 million, now standing at $1.85 million.