[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 38 (Monday, March 14, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E473-E474]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            RECOGNIZING THE RETIREMENT OF BISHOP JOHN RICARD

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 14, 2011

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
retirement of Bishop John Ricard after 14 years of serving as Bishop of 
the Roman-Catholic Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee.
  Bishop Ricard entered the priesthood in 1968. He served in the 
Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. until 1984, when he was named auxiliary 
Bishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. In 1997, Bishop Ricard was 
named Bishop of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, holding that post 
until his recent retirement. The Pensacola-Tallahassee Diocese is home 
to 64,000 Catholics in 18 North Florida counties. As head of the 
Pensacola-Tallahassee diocese, Bishop Ricard led an impressive 
expansion of services, including a $2.8 million Pastoral Center. These 
expansions increased the ability of the Catholic Church to provide 
outreach and charitable work throughout North Florida.
  Increasing the accessibility of the Catholic Church in North Florida 
is a lasting achievement; however, Bishop Ricard's lasting legacy as a 
servant of the Lord is a result of his tireless work fighting poverty 
around the globe. Bishop Ricard encouraged his local parishes to 
increase their efforts combating hunger and poverty. Bishop Ricard, 
however, is not simply a man of words. He practiced what he preached. 
After Hurricane Ivan devastated the Northwest Florida area in 2004, 
Bishop Ricard helped to rebuild homes destroyed during the hurricane. 
Bishop Ricard also worked to ensure that working class families had the 
support necessary to avoid becoming victims of homelessness. He led the 
effort to create the Interfaith Housing Coalition, which provided 
affordable homes for working class families.
  Bishop Ricard was also a leader in the global community. He served as 
president of Catholic Relief Services, an international charitable 
organization that delivers food, water and other essential items to the 
developing world. Additionally, Bishop Ricard served as head of the 
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Office of International 
Justice and Peace. In these capacities, he traveled around the globe, 
frequently to famished and war-torn countries, to preach the gospel and 
help the local community build a better future.
  Spiritual leaders impact their communities in numerous ways, 
providing spiritual and emotional guidance, as well as charitable work. 
Bishop Ricard's dedication to the Lord ensured that his outreach 
expanded far beyond the confines of his local parishes and diocese, and 
his legacy will endure far beyond the diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I congratulate 
Bishop Ricard on his retirement. My wife Vicki and I wish him all the 
best as he continues to walk in the light of the Lord.

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