[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 78 (Thursday, May 27, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H3698]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      WELCOME TO FATHER JOHN PUTKA

  (Mr. BOEHNER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, we are very glad this morning to have 
Father John Putka as our guest chaplain.
  President Andrew Jackson is famous for saying, and I will quote, 
``One man with courage makes a majority.'' That description I think is 
particularly suited to Father Putka.
  As a priest of the Society of Mary, and as a professor at the 
University of Dayton, Father Putka has had a dramatic and positive 
impact on the lives of tens of thousands of students over the years. I 
know of few professors who take such a personal interest in the 
academic and spiritual growth of their students.
  Before going to the University of Dayton in 1989, though, Father 
Putka taught at my alma mater and the alma mater of our colleague, the 
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Bob Schaffer), Moeller High School in 
Cincinnati.
  Although I was gone, Father Putka did teach most of my eight younger 
brothers, and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Schaffer) as well.
  He is truly one of a kind, and not just because there are not many 
Marianist priests out there sporting a flat top haircut. He is a dear 
friend to many, and through his service to his church, his community, 
and his country, I think he is a unique leader for all of us.
  I might also add that as a professor at the University of Dayton, he 
has done a marvelous job in attracting many of us to come speak to his 
class, Members from both sides of the political aisle.
  I might also mention that Father Putka is currently a professor for 
the student, the daughter of our colleague, the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Ray LaHood), who is in the Chair.
  We are glad that Father Putka is with us, and hope that he will 
return soon.

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