[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 160 (Thursday, November 13, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S12662]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FRANCISCAN FRIARS AND SISTERS OF THE ATONEMENT

 Mr. MOYNIHAN. Mr. President, December 15, 1997 will mark the 
100th anniversary of the Order of the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of 
the Atonement. The Order was founded by Father Lewis T. Watson and 
Mother Lurana White in Garrison, New York with the goal of promoting 
Christian unity. The Friars and Sisters continue their mission work 
through the promotion of the Week of Christian Unity and the operation 
of ecumenical centers and libraries.
  Through the years, the Friars and Sisters of the Atonement have 
remained in Garrison where they now operate the Graymoor Ecumenical and 
Religious Institute. At Graymoor they publish a monthly magazine, 
Ecumenical Trends, and operate St. Christopher's Inn, a temporary 
shelter for homeless men, whom they refer to as ``Brothers 
Christopher'' or Christ Bearers.
  The influence and the good work of the Friars and Sisters extends 
well beyond the Hudson Highlands region of New York, reaching 
throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. They operate day 
care centers, Retreat Houses, Head Start programs, and shelters for 
battered wives and children. They minister to the poor, feed the 
hungry, and embrace the marginalized worldwide. Not only do they seek 
unity of the Christian community, but also unity of the human spirit 
and unity of the human community.
  True to their cause of Christian unity, they have dedicated their 
lives to the hope ``that all may be one. . .that the world may 
believe.'' I commend their single-heartedness and congratulate them on 
the occasion of their 100th anniversary.

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