Cardinal Timothy Dolan welcomed attendees to Calvary Hospital‘s 42nd Annual Awards Gala at The Plaza Hotel in Manhattan on Wednesday, saying, “What a magnificent room; this is almost as nice as the Sistine Chapel.”

“How blessed we are to have you as patrons, as leaders. Thank you all; thanks, folks. Remember, Jesus told us he came so that we could have life – life to the fullest,” Cardinal Dolan said in his remarks.

Vivian Chiu and Edwin Lin received the Calvary Medal for their years of philanthropic work associated with Calvary’s mission and development, and other important community causes. Lin works in finance and on hedge fund projects. Chiu was formerly in finance. They have two sons, 13 and 16. Organizers noted that “Calvary Hospital was privileged to have cared for Vivian’s mother, Eva Tung Chiu, and Edwin’s mother, Shu-Nuan Lin.”

“Be the best at what you do, but you can always improve,” a grateful Lin said in acceptance remarks from himself and his wife, citing the strong work ethic on which he was raised. “Calvary is the premier institution for palliative care. They have the best doctors, the best nurses, social workers, dieticians, clergy, and administrators. I’ve seen it all.”

He added that Calvary patrons must ensure that Calvary Hospital staff “can continue to perform at that extraordinary level, with the best facilities and equipment. It would be an unstoppable force…Thank you, everyone, for coming tonight and celebrating Calvary Hospital. We wish you a very wonderful night.”

Lin, in a brief interview later with The Good Newsroom, said, “This is one of the most important nights of our lives. This is about our parents, people who raised us, and led us to achieve the American Dream…They marshaled us through everything.” Lin was born in Taiwan, and Chiu is New York-born of Chinese ancestry.

ArchCare CEO reflects on mission

“This is truly a blessed night; thank you for your presence, your compassion, and your companionship on this journey,” Scott LaRue, president and CEO of ArchCare, told the audience. “For those of us privileged to work in this field, we know how rapidly the healthcare landscape in New York is shifting…But one truth remains constant: the sacred obligation to provide compassionate and specialized care is not diminishing…We’re called to see the face of God in every person we serve.”

The evening event drew about 275 people.

Words of praise for Calvary Hospital and the Calvary Medal recipients also came from Carlos M. Hernandez, chairman of the Calvary Fund Board; Michael Fosina, president of Calvary Hospital; and Eileen T. Nugent, vice chair of the Calvary Fund Board. Sister Mary Headley, OP, gave the invocation. Ryan P. Field, television sports anchor, served as emcee.

Calvary Hospital, headquartered in the Bronx, is the country’s only hospital dedicated to providing hospice and palliative care to adult patients with advanced cancer and other life-limiting illnesses. CalvaryCare is available at four locations: in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens – and throughout the greater New York area.

The hospital was founded in 1899 by a small group of widows in New York, led by Annie Blount Storrs. Inspired by the work of a group in France called Women of Calvary, it began caring for destitute women with terminal diseases. The widows took care of the women first in their own homes, then in two brownstone houses on Perry Street in Greenwich Village.