Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York raised a record-breaking $3.6 million to support programs and services for more than 400,000 New Yorkers in need.

Joined by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, nearly 800 guests gathered to support Catholic Charities at its 16th annual gala on Wednesday, June 4 at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan.

Emceed by NBC 4 New York consumer reporter Lynda Baquero, Cardinal Dolan presented the Deus Caritas Est Award to Marcos A. Rodriguez, founder, CEO, and partner of Palladium Equity Partners LLC; Susan L. Camerata; and Michael T. Rooney Sr. of RDC Development, a professional affordable housing partnership between MDG Design and Construction and Wavecrest Management, for their outstanding leadership and charitable works.

“That flight from Madrid to JFK in 1967 was my first glimpse of the mission of Catholic Charities,” said Rodriguez, accepting his award. “To uphold the dignity of each person as made in the image of God, by serving the basic needs of the poor and oppressed of all religions.”

This year’s gala also honored the legacy of Catholic Charities New York Executive Director Monsignor Kevin Sullivan. He received a lifetime achievement award named in his honor. Monsignor Sullivan was appointed executive director in 2001, with his first major task being to coordinate the human services response to the families and victims as chairman of the September 11 United Services Group. Since then, he has helped lead Catholic Charities through countless critical health and weather-related emergencies and celebrated the 2015 visit of Pope Francis to the New York City area. Before this, he served as chief operating officer and held other leadership positions at the organization.

“Catholic Charities is not just about providing help,” said Monsignor Sullivan, upon receiving the award. “It’s about asserting the dignity of every person as made in the image of God,”

“[Tonight’s awardees] are so special because they all are part of the Catholic Charities story. Marco Rodriguez was part of the Catholic Charities story because Catholic Charities helped his family migrate to the United States. Susan Camarata and Michael Rooney are part of the Catholic Charities story because they collaborate with us in building and managing decent, affordable housing for New Yorkers. So, tonight is about just wonderful, incredibly generous people who are part of the Catholic Charities story,” Monsignor said of his fellow awardees in an interview with The Good Newsroom before the event.

In a surprise act of generosity, Monsignor Sullivan donated a baseball autographed by New York Yankee legend Babe Ruth to Catholic Charities and asked the organization to monetize the ball as it sees fit. Monsignor Sullivan said that his father had given him the ball as a boy, and that he had kept it ever since, until Wednesday evening’s event.

Standing beneath the museum’s blue whale replica in The Milstein Family Hall of Ocean Life, Cardinal Dolan offered closing remarks. “The whale reminds us of Jonah, rescued after three days in darkness — just as Christ rose from the tomb. And his resurrection still goes on, as death and despair are conquered by life, light, and the hope of Catholic Charities,” he said. “We couldn’t do it without you. And most of all — thanks be to God, without whom nothing is possible, and with whom nothing is impossible.”

Gala co-chairs were Corinne Ball, John S. Castle, Martina Cheung, Mary Lou and Vijay D’Silva, Joy and Chris Foskett, Michelle Moosally, the Mullin Rosiello Family, William Pruellage, Ann and Barry Ridings, Susan and Thomas Salice, Patricia and Brian Shea, Virginia Wilson and Michael Crabbe, and Mary Ann and David Wyshner, Catholic Charities confirmed.