One evening
Friday, November 28, 2025. John Michael’s Banquet Hall, Thorold, Ontario. 340 guests. A live auction. Clergy, community leaders, and first-time donors united around youth ministry, evangelization, and young adult outreach.
Light the Way: The new Bishop’s Gala at the Diocese of St. Catharines
Across Niagara Region and Haldimand County, more people than ever search for meaning, belonging, and hope. Led by the Reverend Bishop Bergie, the Diocese of St. Catharines collaborates with 52 Pick-up to reach and serve more of those people. Light the Way, the new bishop’s new gala, raises funds to pay for this vital work — and its inaugural year proved an extraordinary success, raising $140,000 with every table sold out. Plans are already underway for a 2026 expansion to grow the event’s reach and impact even further.
- Appeal
- Brand
- Fundraising
- Event planning
One evening to create a new tradition
The Diocese of St. Catharines had never held a bishop’s gala. With a multi-year fundraising appeal on the horizon, they needed a flagship event created from nothing — name, identity, and strategy included.
Light the Way
Spiritual, immediate, and direct, Light the Way was designed to be more than an event name. It introduced the narrative that would evolve into the Bishop’s Fundraising Appeal, Hearts on Fire. The gala laid the foundation for a movement that would continue well beyond a single evening.
Identity built for a ballroom
We developed a visual identity elegant enough for a cathedral and dramatic enough to command a room. Staging, posters, a printed program, branded merchandise, email campaigns, and a full social content programme — every touchpoint carried the same weight and intention.
Video Produced by Dominik Kielbasa of Emmaus Media
A fundraising event is a brand opportunity
A fundraising event is a brand problem. Get the name right and people feel something. Feel something and they give — and come back the year after.
“Like a breath of fresh air, 52 Pick-up acts as a passionate voice of our brand and a source of marketing best practices and outcomes. They have empowered us to reach more people, which is the most vital part of our mission, setting hearts on fire God’s love. The Diocese of St. Catharines is blessed to have a marketing partner that shares our values and our determination to make the church and the world a better place.”
Fr. Stephen Bruzzese
Pastor of St. Denis Parish,
Chair of the Bishop’s Annual Appeal and Gala Committee
Chair of the Bishop’s Annual Appeal and Gala Committee
