[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 81 (Tuesday, June 2, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1285]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 IN REMEMBRANCE OF BISHOP ROGER KAFFER

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. DEBORAH L. HALVORSON

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 2, 2009

  Mrs. HALVORSON. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor the life of 
Bishop Roger Kaffer, auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Joliet. The 
Most Reverend Bishop Kaffer passed away at Our Lady of Angels 
Retirement Home in his hometown of Joliet on Thursday, May 28, 2009. He 
was 81 years old.
  Bishop Kaffer was ordained to the priesthood in 1954 at the Cathedral 
of St. Raymond in Joliet, the same Cathedral in which he was baptized 
and confirmed and from which he eventually retired as auxiliary bishop.
  He was the kind of person that inspired everyone he encountered. As 
principal for Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox, Illinois, 
he made a point to visit every family with a child enrolled in the 
school. Bishop Kaffer believed that young people are not the future of 
the church but the now of the church. For this reason, he attended each 
annual international World Youth Day, his last being in August of 2008 
in Australia. Though his health was not good, it did not overshadow his 
commitment to the youth.
  Bishop Kaffer led a spiritually rich life with a deep dedication to 
prayer and public service. Even in retirement, he continued to mentor 
priests and bishops and offer spiritual direction through retreats.
  Not only has the Joliet community lost a devoted son in the passing 
of Bishop Kaffer, so has the world faith community. It is with reverent 
honor that I remember the life and legacy of Bishop Roger Kaffer of the 
Diocese of Joliet.