Archdiocese of San Francisco photo
The third annual “Beloved” dinner in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, a formal event young men organize to honor women, drew a record crowd this year, with more than 220 participants, the Archdiocese of San Francisco reported.
The evening began with Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone celebrating Mass at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, and a candlelit dinner reception in the cathedral’s events center followed.
Young adult men host the event on behalf of the local women and volunteer as cooks, waiters, bartenders, and DJs. The missionary music group Floriani also performed at the dinner.
“Aimed at honoring and celebrating the dignity of women, the dinner included talks reinforcing the unique and valuable role women hold in the Church and the world,” the archdiocese stated. “The event also sought to re-establish timeless social etiquette and entertainment.”
According to a 2023 article in the National Catholic Register, the first “Beloved” dinner was held on March 25, the feast of the Annunciation, in Santa Clara, in 2023. The event was put on by 30 young Catholic laymen and was not sponsored by a church or organization at the time but is now supported by the archdiocese.
Tasha Torney, who attended that year, wrote in her guest piece in the Register at the time that the evening was “on par with a wedding reception,” complete with dancing and black-tie optional attire.
“Throughout my 10 years of involvement in various young adult groups (both Catholic and Protestant), I have never seen anything done quite like this — especially by men with no formal training in event planning,” Torney wrote. “In the month leading up to the dinner, Catholic women were all abuzz about what they were going to wear to the formal event. It truly felt as though we were invited to a Catholic ball!”
Josh Harmon, who was 24 when he co-created Beloved, explained to Torney that his friend Joshua Jeremiah had participated in a similar event when attending college at the University of California, Santa Barbara, which served as inspiration for the dinner.
“The dinner would be an act of service for us men to show in an elevated and tangible way the selfless love we are called to exemplify by Jesus and the saints,” Harmon said. “I was intrigued by the magnitude of the idea and decided to sign on at that moment. Through many prayers during the planning, we were truly blessed with the logistical ability and motivation to bring such a massive idea to fruition.”
In a statement to Torney, attendee Holly Hill praised the men’s initiative and remarked on the beauty of the event.
“In a culture where expectations are increasingly shifting with regard to how women deserve to be loved and honored, these men set an example,” Hill said at the time. “Their effort, engagement and intentionality represent Christ. They restored hope for many women and were obedient to God’s calling. Their love spilled into the hearts of all of us attendees.”
