[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 55 (Thursday, March 29, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E689]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        STATEMENT ON THE RETIREMENT OF FATHER ROBERT F. LEAVITT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 29, 2007

  Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Father 
Robert F. Leavitt, S.S., commend him for his 27 years of service as 
President-Rector of St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore, 
Maryland, and wish him well in his retirement.
  In 1962, Father Leavitt began his philosophical and theological 
studies at St. Mary's and has since remained fully dedicated to the 
spirit of the seminary. In 1968, he was ordained a priest of the 
Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut and appointed to the faculty of 
St. Mary's.
  His ability to articulate a compelling vision for the seminary led to 
his being elected the fourteenth President and first President-Rector 
of St. Mary's, a position he has held longer than anyone in the 
seminary's proud 215-year history.
  Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of San Francisco, was once 
asked what a person had to do to lead a good life, to which he replied, 
``Preach the Gospel. Sometimes use words.'' Father Leavitt has done 
just that, preaching by example to generations of students.
  As President-Rector, Father Leavitt has presided over construction 
and rebeautification efforts of the seminary as well as successfully 
enlarged the endowment to ensure the long-term viability of the 
institution. He has worked to expand the spiritual, intellectual, and 
pastoral resources necessary to prepare students for the priesthood.
  As a philosopher, theologian, teacher, and preacher, he has re-
energized the St. Mary's community and instilled a sense of principle 
and potential to our nation's first Catholic seminary.
  It is an honor for me to congratulate Father Leavitt for his tireless 
commitment to education, faith, and leadership and recognize the truly 
exemplary impact he has made within our greater faith community. I wish 
him well in his retirement.

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