In recognition of outstanding service to the Church and the greater community, Assumption College for Sisters (ACS) in Denville, N.J., will honor Msgr. Raymond J. Kupke, Ph.D., James M. Porfido, and Timothy and Antoinette (Nina) Donohue at the Annual Caring Basket Gala on March 19 at the Sheraton Parsippany in Parsippany-Troy Hills, N.J .at 6:30 p.m.
The Education Award will be presented to Msgr. Kupke for his outstanding contributions to Catholic education. Born in Jersey City, N.J. and raised in Parsippany, he felt called to the priesthood in grammar school. After attending Seton Hall College (now Seton Hall University) in South Orange, N.J. and Immaculate Conception Seminary at Darlington in Mahwah, N.J., he was ordained for the Paterson Diocese in May 1973.
“I have been blessed to be assigned to wonderful parish communities in Clifton, Montville, Lincoln Park, Parsippany, Ogdensburg, Florham Park, and Hawthorne. Having retired as pastor of St. Anthony’s Parish in Hawthorne, I now reside at Christ the King Parish in the New Vernon neighborhood of Harding Township,” said Msgr. Kupke.
A significant portion of Monsignor Kupke’s life and work has been devoted to Church history. In 1976, Bishop Lawrence Casey appointed him as the first diocesan archivist.
“Bishop Frank Rodimer later ‘forced’ me to earn a master’s degree and eventually a Ph.D. in Church history at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., to prepare me to write ‘Living Stones, a history of the Diocese of Paterson,’” said Msgr. Kupke.
For nearly 40 years, Msgr. Kupke has taught Church history at Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University while producing historically focused talks, articles, and presentations.
Msgr. Kupke credits the Sisters of Christian Charity at Morris Catholic High School in Denville, N.J., for providing him with a solid education and inspiring his interest in Church history.
“I am happy to assist Assumption College for Sisters for two reasons — to help sisters receive the same fine education I was given by the Sisters of Christian Charity and so they can take that education and make new Church history in the counties to which they return,” Msgr. Kupke said.
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James M. Porfido, recipient of the Servant Leader Award, was raised in Dover, N.J., and attended Sacred Heart Elementary School and Morris Catholic High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Seton Hall University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Bridgeport School of Law (now Quinnipiac University School of Law) in Hamden, Conn.
Porfido served as an assistant prosecutor and later as chief of the Vehicular Homicide, Sex Crimes, and Child Abuse Unit with the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office. He later joined his family’s law firm, Fullerton & Porfido, P.A., in the Succasunna neighborhood of Roxbury, N.J., as a junior partner. In 2002, he established his own practice in Morristown. He currently serves as of counsel in the Criminal Defense Section at Einhorn, Barbarito, Frost, Botwinick, Nunn & Musmanno, P.C., in Parsippany and teaches advocacy and persuasion at Seton Hall Law School.
Porfido has been a Certified Criminal Trial Attorney since 1995 and has been named a Super Lawyer in Criminal Defense annually since 2003. He is also a nationally recognized legal analyst, providing expert commentary on high-profile criminal cases for major television networks.
With a deep commitment to philanthropy and community service, Porfido serves on the board of the Goryeb Philanthropic Foundation at Morristown Medical Center and is vice president of the Bernardsville Law Enforcement Foundation. He wrote “Unequal Justice: The Search for Truth to Balance the Scales,” a book chronicling his career and notable cases he has both prosecuted and defended.
Porfido credits Catholic education with instilling Christ-centered values that have guided his life, family, and career. He has supported the mission of the Sisters of Christian Charity through participation in events such as the Run for a Nun, the Annual Golf Outing, and ACS, a sponsored work of the Sisters of Christian Charity.
Timothy and Antoinette (Nina) Donohue, recipients of the Family Life Award, have long demonstrated a commitment to faith, family, and service. Timothy grew up in the Vailsburg neighborhood of Newark, N.J., and was a student and parishioner of the former Sacred Heart Church and School there. Nina grew up in West Orange, N.J., and was a student and parishioner at Our Lady of Lourdes Church and School. They met in 1979 while attending Seton Hall University. The couple lived in Westfield, N.J., for 40 years before moving to Manasquan, NJ. They have two adult daughters, Alison and Mary-Juliet.
Tim is a partner with the firm Anselmi & Carvelli in Morristown. He is a past president of the Seton Hall Law School Alumni Association and the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey. He has been honored as a trial attorney by the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Essex County Bar Association, and Seton Hall Law School.
Nina is a retired paraprofessional who worked with autistic and special needs children for the Westfield Board of Education. Since retiring, she has volunteered with the Home Care & Hospice Association, providing companionship to terminally ill patients and respite for family caregivers. She also volunteers as a “cuddler” at RWJ University Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J., offering comfort to newborns with special needs.
Both Tim and Nina have supported ACS over the years, reflecting their strong belief in the mission of the College. Their Catholic education instilled in them a love for the Church, Catholic education, and a desire to serve others
Now in its 25th year, the Caring Basket Gala raises funds to provide about 20 full scholarships for Catholic Sisters from Vietnam and African nations, equipping them with professional skills necessary for ministries in healthcare, education, pastoral care, religious formation, mental health services, orphanages, and care for the elderly. Upon graduation, the sisters return to their homelands to build up their communities. More than 400 ACS alumnae are currently serve throughout the United States and the world.
Director of Institutional Advancement Louis Scarpa stated, “The gala is a fun and memorable evening. The Sisters may even break out in song! Placing a congratulatory message in the gala journal is a great way to recognize the honorees and support the sisters.”
Sister of Christian Charity Marie Pauline Demek, ACS president, said, “When we educate one sister, it is like tossing a pebble into a pond. That one Sister’s impact circles outward, enhancing the lives of thousands. Our motto, ‘Teach a Sister… Touch the World,’ rings true.”
For tickets and journal information, contact gala@acs350.org or visit www.acs350.org.
