St. Anthony Shrine’s 10th Annual Franciscan Dinner, held on April 14 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, brought together nearly 400 friends and supporters for an evening of gratitude and shared mission. The event raised $1.5 million to sustain the Shrine’s ministries of prayer, outreach, and care.

At the heart of the evening was the presentation of the Pope Francis Award to Frederick J. “Jed” Dolan of Dolan Funeral Homes & Cremation Services. For more than three decades, Jed has quietly lived out a profound belief: that every person deserves dignity, especially at life’s end.

Through his support of the Shrine’s Lazarus Ministry, Jed and the Dolan family have provided funeral services for individuals who died while experiencing homelessness, ensuring they are honored, named, prayed for, and remembered. In a moving moment, students from Ursuline Academy and Boston College High School, who often serve as pallbearers in this ministry, escorted Jed to the stage, where he was met with a standing ovation.

In his remarks, Jed reflected on the witness of these young people: “In a world that often focuses on what is wrong, these young people remind me of what is right… Their kindness, compassion, and willingness to show up for someone they have never met give me tremendous hope.”

The evening also included a special recognition of Francis J. DiMento, whose generosity has had a lasting impact on the Shrine, particularly through the Rita A. DiMento Women’s Medical Clinic.

We are deeply grateful to all who made this evening possible and continue to support the Shrine’s mission. In his remarks, Jed reminded us that this work is not only for a few, but a call to all: “We do not need to do extraordinary things to change the world. We only need to treat one another with dignity, compassion, and love.” May his example inspire each of us to notice, to show up, and to offer even the smallest acts of kindness in our daily lives.

To view this album in Google Photos and share your photos from the evening, please click here.