[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 26 (Thursday, March 12, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E370]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E370]]
                 IN HONOR OF MONSIGNOR WILLIAM F. BURKE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CHARLES E. SCHUMER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 12, 1998

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today as I 
commend Monsignor William F. Burke, Ph.D, on his fifty years of devoted 
service to the Knights of Columbus Rockaway Council.
  A Bronx native, he is one of eight children born to Anthony B. Burke 
and Anna M. Wash. The product of a fine, traditional Catholic 
upbringing and education, Monsignor Burke attended such institutions as 
St. Joachim's School in Cedarhurst, Long Island and St. Augustine's 
Diocesan High School in Brooklyn. He went on to study at St. John's 
College in Brooklyn, where he graduated Cum Laude, with a BA degree in 
June of 1939. Later, he received a M.A. from St. John's University in 
June 1948, and a Ph.D. from St. John's and Columbia Universities in 
1959. He taught at St. John's University Graduate School from 1948-
1952.
  As a priest, he has had the chance to share his faith and spread the 
message to benefit a number of parishes throughout the years. He has 
had the opportunity to leave his mark on the parishes of St. Patrick's 
Church, in Huntington, Long Island (1943-1945) before going to St. 
Francis de Sales in Belle Harbor. In June 1951, he joined St. Camillus 
Parish in Rockaway Beach, where he was appointed to office of Director 
of Institutional Services in 1963. He retained this position until his 
retirement from the post in January 1995. Monsignor Burke is presently 
a Sunday assistant at that parish.
  Among his many accomplishments at St. Camillus Parish, Msgr. Burke 
became Chaplain of Knights of Columbus in April 1948. He served on many 
Diocesan Committees as the Director of the Health Insurance and 
Employee Relations offices. Also during that time, he worked on a Papal 
committee for Pope Paul VI in 1965 and two for Pope John Paul II in 
1979 and later again in 1995. In September of 1952, he established, 
organized, and directed the St. Camillus Band, which went on to win 
many competitions, medals and trophies. An octogenerian with a lot of 
spunk, he still manages to travel all over the United States as 
director of the band.
  I would like to take this opportunity to salute Monsignor William 
Burke. He has made it his life's work to improve the human spirit and 
we thank you for your many years of service to the Catholic faith. 
Congratulations on fifty years of service to Knights of Columbus, 
Rockaway Council and to the citizens of New York, many more to come.

                          ____________________