Last night, more than 800 men and women attended the Acton Institute 26th Annual Dinner at the J.W. Marriot in downtown Grand Rapids. The evening was highlighted by the presentation of the 2016 Faith and Freedom Award to the late Justice Antonin G. Scalia, but one person in attendance took note of Father Sirico’s special remarks on the crisis of liberty and the despair it has created. David Bahnsen, a faculty member of Acton University and longtime friend of Acton, wrote about his perspective ofthe Annual Dinner in a blog post at On the Corner of National Review.Bahnsen described the experience as a “pivotal refresher for the hundreds upon hundreds of attendees.”

Rev. Robert Sirico. Photo courtesy of Alejandro Chafuen via Twitter

Quoting Father Sirico, Bahnsen went on to say this:

“Certainly despair is a reasonable response to the crisis we now face.But to e the crisis we must look into the eyes of human beings, and in doing so see men and women created in the image of God, worthy of dignity, one worthy of not being enslaved politically or otherwise.” To Sirico and the Acton Institute, the evils of nativism, class warfare, and totalitarianism do not have a chance against the message of a free society.

Father Sirico’s remarks were followed by the keynote speech from Father Paul Scalia, son of the late Justice Antonin Scalia, and then the singing of the Benediction led by recording artist Wayburn Dean.

Recordings of last night’s speeches and the presentation of the Faith and Freedom Award will be posted on the PowerBlog in ing days.

You can read Bahnsen’s full blog post at National Review here.