[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 45 (Friday, April 2, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E531]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   SPIRITUAL LEADER, BLESSED PRESENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DALE E. KILDEE

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 2, 2004

  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, one of Michigan's finest citizens recently 
passed away. I have been searching for the right words to express my 
high esteem for Bishop Kenneth E. Untener. Having just read the 
editorial in the Saginaw News of Saginaw, Michigan, I feel that they 
have expressed well the love in which the Bishop was held by those 
whose lives he had touched.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that the Saginaw News editorial be reprinted in 
the Congressional Record.

                 [From the Saginaw News, Mar. 31, 2004]

                   Spiritual Leader, Blessed Presence

       For the better part of a quarter century, Bishop Kenneth E. 
     Untener served the Saginaw Diocese with humility, humor and 
     unflinching devotion. His faith and commitment to God are 
     unquestioned. Yet Untener's fidelity to the welfare of the 
     region's people--people of all faiths, creeds and colors--was 
     an equally profound reflection of his humanity and ability to 
     lead.
       His death this weekend of leukemia leaves a deep void in 
     the Saginaw Valley, and not just among Catholics. The 
     bishop's work to improve the community, to unite its 
     interconnected and diverse components, was tireless. He was 
     an inspiring presence within the region's religious and civic 
     communities.
       As former Saginaw Mayor Henry Marsh, his friend and 
     compatriot in community affairs put it, Saginaw cannot 
     replace him. His outreach brought hundreds of the region's 
     leaders together via his monthly ``bishop's breakfast'' 
     meetings. He was active in Saginaw County Vision 2020, 
     Habitat for Humanity and myriad youth initiatives. He 
     abolished perceived barriers among individuals and between 
     groups.
       There is no doubt Bishop Untener was taken, in the 
     transitory, earthly way, too soon. It was only a few weeks 
     ago that he announced his battle with cancer. He was 66.
       The church, of course, will name a successor to lead the 
     140,000-member, 11-county Saginaw Diocese. The community will 
     welcome the next bishop, and Untener's successor will embark 
     on a path to leave his own mark.
       Yet Untener's legacy will survive through his civic example 
     and in his acclaimed religious writings. His ``Little Books'' 
     are inspirational guides used by Catholics and non-Catholics 
     alike. The level of praise from within the religious 
     community, from clergy of all faiths, is a testament to 
     Untener's bridge-building skills. His outreach sometimes 
     rankled members of his own faith, as in his support for 
     female priests, as contradictory to traditional church 
     doctrine.
       As a man living among us, however, Bishop Untener's humble 
     march toward unity serves as an example we all would wisely 
     strive to follow.
       The community was blessed by Bishop Untener's presence for 
     nearly a quarter century. The people he touched are forever 
     changed; the community he served was changed for the better, 
     too.

                          ____________________