Pink Mass Celebrated At St. Michael's Cathedral In Springfield
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (CBS/AP) — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield has celebrated its third annual Pink Mass for people fighting cancer and those who died of complications from the illness.
Springfield Bishop Timothy McDonnell celebrated the Pink Mass on Saturday afternoon at St. Michael's Cathedral in the western Massachusetts city.
The Mass was to be followed by a "Celebration of Hope" gala dinner, an event that will raise funds for four local cancer support charities.
About 1,660,290 new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2013, and in 2013 about 580,350 Americans are projected to die of cancer, almost 1,600 people a day, according to the American Cancer Society. Cancer remains the second most common cause of death in the United States, accounting for nearly one of every four deaths.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
