[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 44 (Wednesday, March 19, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E511-E512]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     IN MEMORY OF SISTER PEG HYNES

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ROBERT E. ANDREWS

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 19, 2003

  Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today in memory of a very 
special woman, Sister Peg Hynes.
  A friend remembers Sister Peg as ``an extraordinary, vibrant, and 
unforgettable person. With a constant smile she lit up every place she 
was in with her good nature and good humor. She represented everything 
good about humanity--an abundance of generosity, selflessness and an 
abiding love for people of all backgrounds and walks of life. The world 
is a sadder and emptier place without her.''
  Margaret Mary ``Peg'' Hynes was born on June 7, 1933 in Philadelphia, 
PA, the second of five daughters of Nellie (Burke) and Tom Hynes, who 
had emigrated from Co. Galway, Ireland. Growing up in North 
Philadelphia, Peg graduated from St. Columba Elementary School, and 
John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls' High School, where she was an All-
Catholic basketball player and a distinguished honor student.
  Peg worked for three years before entering the Sisters of St. Joseph, 
a religious community in Chestnut Hill, PA in 1954. In the convent she 
was given the name Sister Francis de Sales. Peg received degrees from 
Chestnut Hill College and Boston College, then embarked on a 31-year 
career in education. She was a teacher or principal at various schools, 
including St. John's in Hillsdale, NJ, Epiphany in Plymouth Meeting, 
PA, as well as St. Stephen, St. Athanasius, Christ the King, and 
Norwood-Fontbonne Academy, all in Philadelphia. Her last teaching 
assignment was Holy Trinity in Washington, DC.
  In 1986, Sister Peg Hynes became Executive Director of the Heart of 
Camden Housing Corporation, a non-profit organization. The Heart of 
Camden had been established in 1984 by Father Michael Doyle, pastor of 
Sacred Heart Church in South Camden, to rehabilitate abandoned homes 
and sell them at cost to poor families in the neighborhood. Camden is 
one of the poorest cities in the United States, and Father Doyle has 
described the Heart of Camden's work as ``the most difficult housing 
assignment in the country''.
  In testimony before the New Jersey State Assembly in 1996, Sister Peg 
described her mission: ``We are attempting to make ours a stable 
neighborhood by making home ownership available to families who would 
never qualify for a conventional mortgage. We have a dream, not a dream 
merely to renovate houses, but to renovate humanity. The goal is to 
continue to expand our efforts until every ugly eyesore of abandonment 
in our area has a light in the windows and life within the walls.'' 
Under Sister Peg's leadership, the Heart of Camden has helped more than 
125 families to achieve the dream of home ownership. She also enlarged 
the scope of the Heart of Camden to include a counseling center, a food 
distribution program, a medical clinic, a youth center, and a family 
resource center.
  Sister Peg successfully battled breast cancer twice--in 1982 and in 
November 2000. Because of health problems, Sister Peg stepped down as 
Executive Director of the Heart of Camden in October, 2001, and became 
Development Director, raising funds for the work to be done.
  Over the years Sister Peg received many awards and accolades for her 
work, including the World Habitat Day Award from the United Nations, 
and the Fannie Mae Award of Excellence. None of these awards pleased 
her more than the one she received from her Alma Mater, Hallahan High 
School. Since its opening in 1901, Hallahan has graduated more than 
37,000 girls. To celebrate the school's 100th Anniversary, Hallahan 
established a Hall of Fame, and selected Sister Peg as one of its first 
inductees.
  Sister Peg was proud of her Irish roots. She loved traditional Irish 
music and enthusiastically participated in ceili dancing. In 1997, she 
was chosen for the Ring of Honor by the Philadelphia St. Patrick's Day 
Committee, and proudly helped to lead the annual parade. An athlete in 
her youth, Peg was an avid sports fan, and enjoyed watching 
Philadelphia's college and professional basketball and football teams. 
Having grown up in the shadow of Connie Mack Stadium, however, Sister 
Peg had a particular fondness for the Philadelphia Phillies baseball 
team.
  Sister Peg was killed in an automobile accident on December 21, 2002. 
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of the Diocese of Camden stated, ``Sister 
Peg's untimely and tragic death is an irreparable loss to the work of 
the church and the city of Camden. She was known for her work with the 
heart of Camden, but it was her own heart that she will be remembered 
for--a heart that made a place for Christ and all those she served in 
His name.''
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring the memory of Sister Peg 
Hynes. Her dedication

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to assisting others was unparalleled, and she will be sorely missed.

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