[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 101 (Wednesday, July 16, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H5303-H5304]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   WELCOME TO THE REVEREND JOE CLARK

  (Mr. MORAN of Virginia asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, while Father Clark's church is 
actually in the district of the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Davis], it 
is I who will introduce him.
  Father Clark is the pastor of Holy Spirit Catholic Church in 
Annandale, VA. It may be of some interest that Father Joe Clark is the 
grandson of the campaign manager and the speech writer for James 
Michael Curley, the former mayor of Boston. But I am sure that Father 
Clark is making amends for that by serving his parish very well. 
Actually, I only say that in jest. I know his grandfather would be very 
proud of him today as he is rightfully proud of his grandfather. And 
every Irishman should be proud of all that Mayor Curley did for the 
Boston Irish.
  Father Clark is a modest man of the cloth, but I would like to 
address a few remarks about someone who is neither, but is in the 
audience today, Mr. Patrick Troy, who is a guest with Father Clark. Pat 
Troy deserves to be recognized today.
  For the last 35 years he has done a great deal for this country, 
particularly for the Irish-American community, and on the 150th 
anniversary of the great potato famine that brought so many Irish into 
the United States, Mr. Troy should be recognized as one of the most 
effective representatives of the Irish-Americans in this country.
  Twenty-five years ago he started his own radio show in the Washington 
metropolitan area, and broadcasts the glory and beauty of Irish music 
to everyone, particularly Irish-Americans, and keeps people posted on 
Irish-American cultural developments. Fifteen years ago he started a 
restaurant called Ireland's Own, and the annual St. Patrick's Day 
parade in Alexandria, VA.
  Pat Troy is an indispensable member of the Washington metropolitan 
area's community. For many, many years he has been absolutely dedicated 
to the pursuit of peace in Northern Ireland and to the Project Children 
Program, which brings Irish and Protestant children alike over to the 
United States. They live together, they work together, they get to know 
and appreciate each other. They are doing a tremendous amount of good 
in terms of

[[Page H5304]]

finding reconciliation in Northern Ireland.
  He is also the founder of the John F. Kennedy Division of the Ancient 
Order of Hibernians in the Washington area, so I do want to recognize 
Pat Troy for all that he has done for our community and for this 
country.

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