[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 167 (Thursday, October 26, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2035]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO MOTHER MARTHA OVERALL

                                 ______


                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 25, 1995

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mother 
Martha Overall, who was honored for her tireless contributions in the 
service of the community on October 6 at the 1995 St. Benedict the Moor 
Neighborhood Center's dinner dance, in the South Bronx.
  Mother Overall is one of eight individuals who were recognized for 
their remarkable success in helping rehabilitate individuals who had 
been struggling with substance abuse. The rehabilitation program is 
being implemented at St. Benedict the Moor Neighborhood Center.
  A native New Yorker, Mother Overall finished law school at New York 
University. Soon she was helping tenants and providing volunteer legal 
services for the improvement of residential buildings.
  While taking care of an ailing brother who died from AIDS, she was 
called to the priesthood. She received a master's in divinity from 
Union Theological Seminary. Mother Overall was ordained at the 
Cathedral of St. John The Divine and began working at St. Ann's 
Episcopal Church, next door to St. Benedict the Moor.
  In her public and private life, she has never given up the commitment 
to help those who need her. Mother Overall became the mother of her 
godson Joey Daniel Spearman II, after his biological mother died from 
breast cancer. Her dedication to the community has gained her the 
admiration and respect of all of us in the South Bronx.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mother 
Overall for her immense love and devotion in helping those who are the 
least fortunate among us.

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