[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 134 (Thursday, October 20, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2148]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION AND REMEMBRANCE OF LIFE OF REVEREND MONSIGNOR ROBERT D. 
                                GOODILL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. PHIL ENGLISH

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 20, 2005

  Mr. ENGLISH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition and remembrance 
of the life of Reverend Monsignor Robert D. Goodill, who tragically 
died on April 1, 2005 from injuries sustained in a car accident while 
in Mexico. For nearly seven decades, Reverend Monsignor Goodill 
selflessly served the citizens of northwestern Pennsylvania, acting as 
both a community leader and spiritual counselor for countless 
individuals. He was a man deeply devoted to his church and his 
community, dedicating the entirety of his life to the betterment of 
both.
  Reverend Monsignor Robert D. Goodill was born in Erie, Pennsylvania 
on October 23, 1912. He attended St. Patrick grade school and later 
attended Cathedral Preparatory School. In 1935, Reverend Monsignor 
graduated from Catholic University of America with an M.A. in 
Philosophy. Following his ordainment as a priest at Our Lady of 
Humility Church in Rome, Goodill was assigned as a parochial vicar at 
St. Brigid Parish in Meadville, PA. Rev. Monsignor Goodill entered 
military service in 1943. He served as a chaplain in the U.S. Navy 
during World War II and again from 1952 to 1954 during the Korean 
Conflict, being named Naval Chaplain of the year in 1953. In 1954, 
Goodill was appointed as the founding pastor of Erie, Pennsylvania's 
St. Luke Church, a position he held until his retirement in 1985. In 
1994, after five decades of loyal service to the church, Pope John Paul 
II named him a prelate of Honor with the title of Monsignor.
  The dedication Reverend Monsignor continually demonstrated for his 
church, community, and nation warrant this body's recognition. As a 
community leader, spiritual counselor, and war veteran, Reverend 
Monsignor Goodill's life embodied the American ideals of service, 
commitment, and sacrifice. With his unfortunate passing, the people of 
my district, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the nation have lost 
a truly exceptional and beloved man.

                          ____________________