[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 57 (Wednesday, May 4, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E865]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO BISHOP WALTER H. RICHARDSON

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. KENDRICK B. MEEK

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 4, 2005

  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise 
to pay tribute to Bishop Walter H. Richardson, one of Miami-Dade 
County's quintessential religious leaders. During the Annual Unity Day 
Celebration held at the Allen Chapel AME Church in Miami last April 24, 
2005, Bishop Richardson was honored, along with other distinguished 
members of our church community. The theme: ``United in Christ, 
Reaching out to Touch Others with God's Love,'' saliently symbolizes 
the ministry of this humble Man of God.
  It was in the mid 1940s when he came down to Miami from his native 
Ansonville, North Carolina after accepting the Lord as his personal 
Savior. Indeed, it was a unique calling that evoked God's choice: ``. . 
. for many are called, but few are chosen.'' As a young man, he 
supported himself by getting a job at the old Miami Sears & Roebuck 
Store. He got engaged to his sweetheart, Poseline McLaughlin, whom he 
left behind in North Carolina, and she later joined him in Miami after 
she also accepted the Lord. They got married and were soon blessed with 
two sons. Their marriage lasted for 49 years until her untimely demise 
in 1996.
  This tribute to Bishop Richardson comes at a time when his ministry 
is defined by the primacy of his consecration to God's covenant of love 
and compassion to all those hungering for the good news emanating from 
the Lord's Gospel. His calling is symbolic of his readiness to reach 
out to those who seek refuge and solace in the sanctuary of his Church, 
and bespeaks of God's preeminence in the conduct of their lives.
  The longevity of his commitment to the less fortunate has become 
legendary. When I think of his early work with the civil rights 
movement, his untiring efforts paralleled much of our nation's history 
as we struggled through the harrowing challenges of racial equality and 
simple justice for all. I came to admire him for his understanding and 
empathy for the ``little people and poor folks'' of our community. 
Blessed with a lucid common sense and a quick grasp of the issues at 
hand, Bishop Richardson's influence continues to be felt at a time when 
our community needs to put in perspective the agony and dissatisfaction 
of marginalized blacks and other minorities yearning to belong and 
pursue the American spirit of optimism.
  This is the magnificent legacy of Bishop Walter H. Richardson. My 
pride in honoring him today and my privilege in sharing his friendship 
are only exceeded by my gratitude for everything he has sacrificed on 
our behalf. 

                          ____________________