Congratulating Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin on his tenth year of service as Chaplain of the House of Representatives.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join others in expressing our support for House Resolution 1216, congratulating our Chaplain, the Reverend Daniel Coughlin, on his 10th year of distinguished service to the United States House of Representatives. I think the only thing Father Coughlin is going to be upset about is that we're going to reveal his age here on the floor today.

Since the very first Congress, Members of the House have benefited from the services of chaplains and ministers. Throughout history, they have helped all of us, the individuals serving in the Congress. They have helped us navigate our responsibilities to the American people, and they have aided us in our quest to integrate faith and reason in our execution of the law.

As has been mentioned, Father Coughlin is the first Roman Catholic House Chaplain. Following after the Reverend James Ford, Father Coughlin has diligently, humbly, compassionately, and intelligently served this House, its Members, our families, and this Nation.

Born during the Great Depression, Father Coughlin has a prestigious record, one that demonstrates his deep desire to heal a broken society. A graduate of St. Mary of the Lake University in Illinois, he was ordained for the Archdiocese of Chicago in the spring of 1960. In addition to serving as a pastor and as a director in various offices within the Chicago diocese, Father Coughlin has studied world religions, has lived with Trappist monks, has

worked with the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, and has served as scholar-in-residence at the North American College in Rome.

We wouldn't ask him which of those he enjoyed the most and whether it was more difficult working among the Members of Congress or living with the Trappist monks. As a matter of fact, I recall that no one has ever compared us to the Trappist monks.

In March 2000, he was sworn in during the 106th Congress as the 59th Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, as you can see, Father Coughlin has brought a wealth of experience, education, and discernment to this House. We have all benefited from his wisdom, from his patience, and from his kindness. We are right to honor the 10 years of service that Father Coughlin has given us thus far, and I believe that we all wish him many more days with us as we deliberate in the people's body of this soft-governing Republic. There is no doubt we need his help.

I thank the sponsor of the resolution, Congressman Lipinski, and I thank the chairman of our subcommittee for bringing this resolution to the floor.

I would urge my colleagues to vote in support of this resolution. Hopefully, we will get a unanimous vote.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, now it is my pleasure to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), a distinguished Episcopalian Member of this House who is also a heartfelt friend and admirer of Father Coughlin.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry).

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, it is somewhat ironic that we are recognizing Father Coughlin's service to our Nation and to this House as the Chaplain of the House of Representatives in the same week that a Federal judge has instructed us that the National Day of Prayer is somehow unconstitutional.

I look and I see, Mr. Speaker, over your head the words ``In God we trust,'' the national motto, which indicates that one does not have to be a person of faith to be an American citizen. But the idea of the worth of the individual and the idea that the rights of the individual came from God and not from some monarch is essential to the understanding of the beginnings of this Republic. And from the beginnings of this Republic we have had a Chaplain ministering to the needs of the Members. It is not a new idea or novel idea. It is an idea that is firmly entrenched in the tradition of this institution and this country. Father Coughlin has been a great example of that tradition. And we hope he continues.

I might say that he ministers to all of us no matter what party of which we are a member, but I sort of enjoy the fact that he ministers to those of us on

this side since I found myself in the minority on most of the years I have served here, and therefore by definition the underdog. So when I met Father Coughlin's great mother, who is dedicated to the great underdog of all time, the Chicago Cubs, I felt some kinship.

And I thought it interesting just a couple of years ago when Father told me that his mother, in her nineties, still serves as an usher at Wrigley Field. But to show you the ability that Father has to take a situation that may be fraught with some peril and give guidance, he told me that he finally convinced his mother that she should not be ushering both ends of a doubleheader. So that we do understand that she now goes home after the first game of a doubleheader at Wrigley Field.

It is that type of pragmatic guidance, combined with the great spiritual principles, that makes him such a great friend to all of us here in the House of Representatives, and allows us to do our job with a little more civility than we otherwise would, understanding that what we do is important, maybe we're not that important, even though we might be from time to time in our minds.

He reminds us of transcendent values and helps us through very difficult days with an objective of helping us to do the people's business here in the House of Representatives.

It is a pleasure and a privilege for me to serve in the House of Representatives. It is a privilege and a pleasure for me to have the friendship of Father Coughlin and the assistance of Father Coughlin as he gives that to all of us who serve here.

And so I would hope that all Members would join us in supporting House Resolution 1216.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and thank him and Mr. Lungren for bringing this important resolution to the floor. It is indeed a joy for us to salute our friend, our Chaplain, but our friend, Father Coughlin.

I am rarely in awe of anybody's opportunity. As the Speaker of the House, I am afforded many. But when Mr. Sensenbrenner said that he and his wife Cheryl were present at the 50th anniversary of Father's ordination as a priest, I was frankly jealous. What a great honor for you to be there. What a great honor for Father Coughlin that you were there. And Mr. Lipinski, the maker of this motion, he was there as well. So we were proud to be represented in a bipartisan way at that celebration. And it was a reflection of the esteem that we all have for Father Coughlin in this House.

Father Coughlin has told me with great pride--now, not usually a proud man, usually a humble man--with great pride that 35 priests concelebrated the Mass that celebrated Father Coughlin's 50th anniversary of his celebration. How proud we all are of you.

But the proudest person in the world is Father's mother Lucille, 95 years old. To see her precious son 50 years a priest of the church, for 10 years the Chaplain of this House of Representatives, the first Catholic. It's really a remarkable achievement.

Every day of those 10 years when Father has opened the House with a prayer we have all listened attentively because we know that we will be guided well, that he will be our anchor, he will inspire us with words that reflect the values of faith and country.

His particular strength I believe springs from a sense of humility that he conveys. After his ordination, he spent time at a Trappist monastery in Kentucky, building strength and his religion and his faith. He spent time working among the poor in Calcutta, India, again living his faith.

St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of my City of San Francisco, has said, ``Preach the Gospel. Sometimes use words.'' While using words or deeds, Father Coughlin has been preaching the Gospel for these many decades. And we have been blessed that his path has crossed ours in this Congress.

Every Sunday in Catholic churches, and I know in other Christian churches as well, we hear the words ``Do this in memory of me,'' the words of Christ at the Last Supper. But I view it as not just about doing what happened at that Last Supper, but doing the good works that Christ performed here and set as an example for us.

And every day in saying the Mass, Father Coughlin does this in memory of Christ. But beyond the Mass, in his personal guidance to us and his work among the poor in India and his prayerfulness in the Trappist monastery in Kentucky, in his stint--is that the word, stint, Father, in Vatican City?--his stay in Vatican City, his enrichment, the enrichment of his faith and religiosity became more intense.

So we are all grateful to Dennis Hastert as Speaker of the House and the committee that worked with him to make the choice of what would be a new Chaplain for us 10 years ago. We were blessed that Father Coughlin had worked with Cardinal Bernardin in Chicago and Cardinal George after that, and he was recommended to our former Speaker, who was from Illinois and was well known to the people in Chicago. That connection is a connection that has blessed all of our lives.

So as we honor his 10 years of service to the Congress, that is a small number of years--I mean it is a long time to be in Congress and to serve as Chaplain--he has seen us through the dark and through the bright. He has helped us personally, and he has helped us understand our responsibilities to God's creation. And he has always understood. His generosity of spirit has given him an understanding so that when he speaks to any of us we know that we are hearing words of wisdom, words of values, words that are faith-based, but words that recognize our responsibilities to this great Nation as elected officials. He knows to render unto Caesar and to render unto God. We could not be better served.

And so it is with great joy that I join our colleagues, some little regret that fate had not placed me in a situation where I could be where Mr. Sensenbrenner and his wife Cheryl were last weekend, and Mr. Lipinski and 35 concelebrants of the Mass of Holy Eucharist to celebrate the 50th anniversary of--how could it be 50 years, Father?

Congresswoman Eshoo and I were just talking about when we all went together in a bipartisanship delegation to Rome for the funeral of Pope John Paul, and what a moving experience that was. And what a force you were for all of us. To have us see the role that His Holiness played in history of course is well known to us. And I just want to mention Paula Nowakowski here, former staff person to John Boehner, for whom John Paul II was a hero, as he was a personal hero to many of us. But the guide that you were to us to that funeral, to that liturgy, to that transition is something that we will never forget.

So for this and for every reason every single day that we serve, we thank you. Anyone who cares about the success of our Nation and our ability to work together is deeply indebted to you. Thank you, Father Coughlin. God has certainly blessed America with your service to this House and to our country. We love you. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1216) congratulating Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin on his 10th year of service as Chaplain of the House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous matter on House Resolution 1216.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution recognizes the Reverend Daniel Coughlin. Where is he?

Come on, Father. Come on up if you're watching. We want to see you.

This resolution recognizes the service of Rev. Daniel P. Coughlin as the Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Rev. Coughlin was sworn in as the 59th Chaplain of the House of Representatives on March 23 of the year 2000. The passing of that date this year marked a decade of providing spiritual counseling and prayer to both Members and staff. Rev. Coughlin follows in a tradition that has served this House since May 1, 1789, when Rev. William Linn was elected Chaplain of the House.

I urge all Members to support this resolution and to support Father Coughlin.

I would like to mention that Father Coughlin is the first Roman Catholic to serve this House, and as not necessarily the best Roman Catholic in the world, I will tell you that I have the deepest appreciation for what Father Coughlin has done for this House as our Chaplain, as a friend and also in service to this country. I've had many personal discussions with him, and I will tell you, in my opinion, if more of our religious leaders had the same demeanor, the same personality, the same openheartedness, the same attempt to understand the differences between us, and the same obvious willingness to forgive our differences and our difficulties, I think this world would be a much better place.

I will tell you that I not only want to congratulate him on his 10 years, but I also want to personally thank him for the many services rendered to so many Members of this House and for his ability to stand in such an esteemed position and to earn the respect of the Members here.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to my friend, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Stupak).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the author of the resolution, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski).

I yield 1 more minute to the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 1 minute to the Speaker of the House, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi).

I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo).

Mr. Speaker, we've heard lots of goods things about Father Coughlin, but there are still a few mysteries left that he has to help us unravel. I will tell you, Father, with good faith, with a lot of prayer sometime, and a good team, the Cubs will actually win a World Series. As a Red Sox fan, I can tell you it works.

Father, the other great mystery, as a good Irishman myself, you're going to have to explain to me Coughlin versus Coughlin. That will come later.

I wanted to do this today because of my respect for Father Coughlin as a human being and as a priest. But I think to be a good priest you have to be a good human being first. I don't think it's the other way around.

And I will tell that in the 10 years he's been here I've come to consider him a friend. I've come to see him as somebody in my mind who is one of the best representatives of the Catholic faith that I have ever known.

And I will tell you, Father, from my perspective I want to thank you, not just for your service to this House, but for being such a good person. From somebody who's gone from the streets of Calcutta to the Vatican to the House of Representatives, you have maintained your modesty, you have maintained your dignity. And as far as I'm concerned, you're a fine and wonderful human being that I am proud to call both the Chaplain of this House, but also my friend and someone I look up to.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I would urge passage of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

I thank the gentleman for yielding as it is an honor for me to join my colleagues in honoring Father Daniel Coughlin on his 50th year in the priesthood and 10 years as our House Chaplain.

Father Daniel Coughlin was honored last weekend by the Archdiocese of Chicago marking 50 years since his ordination, the last 10 years of which he has served as Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives. I am pleased to join as a cosponsor with Mr. Lipinski and the rest of my colleagues in the House to recognize Father Coughlin on this achievement.

Father Daniel Coughlin is the first Roman Catholic House Chaplain since the position was created in 1774. He was ordained for the Archdiocese of Chicago on May 3, 1960, and for the next 5 years served as an associate pastor for St. Raymond Parish in Mount Prospect, Illinois, before becoming an associate pastor at Chicago's Holy Name Cathedral. In 1969, he was appointed as the first director of the Archdiocese's Office for Divine Worship.

In 1984, Father Coughlin took a year-long sabbatical, as my colleagues have noted, which sent him to serve with the Trappist monks in Kentucky, counsel the poor in Calcutta, and serve as a scholar-in- residence at North American College in Vatican City in Rome.

Following his sabbatical, Father Coughlin served as pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish in La Grange, Illinois, and became Director of the Cardinal Stritch Retreat House in Mundelein, Illinois. Father Coughlin worked as Vicar for Priests of the Archdiocese of Chicago under both Cardinal Bernardin and Cardinal George, a position he held until he became House Chaplain.

When former Speaker Dennis Hastert looked to Cardinal George as he searched for the next House Chaplain, one of the names that Cardinal George kept mentioning was Father Coughlin. First interviewed on March 13, 2000, Father Coughlin was sworn in just 10 days later.

Just as there were those who questioned whether President Kennedy, as the Nation's first Catholic President, could govern without forcing his Catholicism on the Nation, there were those who questioned whether a Catholic Chaplain could appropriately serve the House. Father Coughlin has proven through his counsel of Members and the staff of many different faiths and varying degrees of spirituality that those concerns were and are unfounded. Many have benefited from his ecumenical approach as House Chaplain. Father Coughlin goes beyond the requirements of House Chaplain to make sure the spiritual needs of all Members, regardless of their faith, are met.

In addition to the Members of this Chamber, Father Coughlin has provided support to countless House Members, their staffs, and families during their time of need. In fact, right after Father Coughlin was sworn in as the House Chaplain, unfortunately, I lost my son, and Father Coughlin, who really didn't know me or my son that well, certainly provided great comfort to us in a great time of distress for us. And a few years ago, my Chief of Staff's mother was battling cancer, which took a toll on him and their family. Father Coughlin not only kept Scott and his mother, Pat, in his prayers but went above and beyond that, often writing heartfelt notes to both of them. Neither of them Catholic, the gesture from Father Coughlin meant a great deal to Pat in her final days and still means a great deal to Scott to this day.

Father Coughlin has offered insightful counsel to Members of this Chamber through some of the most difficult events in our recent history. He has provided spiritual guidance to those who sought it as they grappled with some of the biggest issues facing our country.

Therefore, I am pleased to join my colleagues today in supporting this resolution to honor the contributions and service of Father Daniel Coughlin as House Chaplain, as a spiritual leader, and congratulate him on his 50 years of service to the church and to the members who make up the church.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this resolution congratulating and thanking the Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin for his 10 years of service as Chaplain of the House of Representatives.

For the past decade, Father Coughlin has admirably fulfilled his duties as Chaplain, blessing this Chamber with his thoughtful, eloquent prayers, conducting prayer meetings and spiritual exercises, and, most importantly, fortifying Members, their families, and congressional staff with his wise and generous counsel.

March 23 marked the 10th anniversary of Father Coughlin's swearing in as the 59th Chaplain of the House of Representatives and, most importantly, as some of my colleagues have mentioned, the first Catholic to hold this position. If you look back to the day that Father Coughlin assumed office, Pope John Paul II was visiting Israel for the first time. Gas was under $2 a gallon. And a certain attorney from the South Side of Chicago, the newspapers were just reporting on his bid, unsuccessfully, to join this body. It was indeed a long time ago and a lot has changed in those 10 years, but through it all Father Coughlin has responded to the demands of history, tradition, and faith with great devotion.

As many residents of my district in the Chicago region know, Father Coughlin's service dates back far beyond what he has rendered here over the past decade. In fact, just this past Saturday, as Representative Sensenbrenner was just mentioning, I also had the opportunity, with my wife, Judy, to be a part of the celebration of Father Coughlin's 50th anniversary as a Catholic priest.

Father Coughlin grew up on the North Side of Chicago and knew from a young age he would become a priest. He received degrees from St. Mary of the Lake University and Loyola University.

He was a parish priest before he was named the first Director of the Office of Divine Worship in the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1969. His time during his year-long sabbatical, spending 5 months at a Trappist monastery in Kentucky, serving the poor in India, and serving as scholar-in-residence at North American College in Vatican City really shows the breadth and the depth of Father Coughlin's abilities. Upon his return, he spent 5 years as pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish in La Grange in my district. I know that he is much beloved at his parish at St. Francis. I hear about it very often from many of my constituents and friends. Following this, he became Vicar for Priests in the Archdiocese of Chicago.

After 4 decades of service, Father Coughlin was appointed House Chaplain by Illinois' own former Speaker, Dennis Hastert, on the recommendation of Cardinal Francis George. In announcing his choice, former Speaker Hastert predicted that ``Daniel Coughlin will bring to the House a caring and healing heart.'' The past 10 years has shown that he was undoubtedly correct. I know this from my own time in the House, having seen and experienced this. My own experiences with Father Coughlin range from the opportunity I had with him 5 years ago this week in Rome to be a part of the inauguration of Pope Benedict XVI and also the many conversations I have had with Father Coughlin on what is currently happening in Chicago, including how his ageless mother and her Chicago Cubs are doing. I think this connection, being a Catholic from Chicago, has really especially made our relationship close over these 5-plus years I have been in the House.

Mr. Speaker, Father Coughlin's devotion to his faith and spiritual welfare of his fellow men and women is an inspiration. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.