BAKED ALASKA, CHAMPAGNE AND THE CHRISTOPHERS             Underwritten by The Stans Foundation, courtesy of Wally Helmick. Date: Friday, 24 April 2009 Time: 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM For a lot of inspiration and a lot of fun, join us at The Christopher's mini-program. Conceived, in part, by Maryknoll Missionary Father James Keller during a talk he gave to the "young lady students" at the CSH, Noroton, for 70 years The Christophers have lived the theme of this Conference, "Missionaries of the Heart: Here to Make a Difference." The presentation will address the Christophers' Mission, how we can be Christbearers in our every day lives, and include film clips from Christophers' programs in which celebrities have spoken about the part their faith has played in their careers and in their lives. Gather to the Christophers' theme song, "It is Better to Light Just One Little Candle", and be entertained by a "Hello Dolly" type parade of waiters to "There's No Business Like Show Business," as they serve our Baked Alaska desserts.         FATHER DENNIS CLEARY, MM   Fr. Dennis Cleary Father Dennis Cleary, MM, is our  guest speaker at the  dessert program entitled “Missionaries of the Heart: You Can Change the World,” to be held on Friday night at 9:00 p.m.,  the OMNI Ballroom.  He is the Director of The Christophers,  an organization which uses the media to promote the message that everyone can make a positive difference in the world.   He will also  con-celebrate the Cor Unum Awards Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.   Ordained for Maryknoll in 1977, he has served as a missionary in Venezuela and in China.  Living among the poor in barrios in Venezuela, he created a popular program, which included training, filming, editing and disseminating news among three barrios. He also launched a production studio in Caracas that prepared documentaries and barrio forums aimed at motivating faith-based Christian communities as well as resolving problems within them. For three years, he was Maryknoll’s regional superior in Venezuela. Father Cleary spent four years as Maryknoll Mission Promoter and Educator in Houston, Texas and as Regional Director of the Maryknoll House in Jacksonville, Florida.   In 1997  he was elected Maryknoll’s U.S. Regional Superior.   He has also served  as Maryknoll’s Director of Mission Education and Promotion. Father Cleary received a  B.A. degree from St. John Vianney Seminary, and holds both a Masters Degree in Divinity and a M.A. degree from the Maryknoll School of Theology. He has also studied at the University of Notre Dame, the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, Cal.; Gonzaga University and Canisius College. Check out The Christophers' Home Page at: http://www.christophers.org/Page.aspx?pid=192