[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 52 (Thursday, March 29, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E507]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING THE LIFE OF REV. BONIFACE HARDIN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANDRE CARSON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 29, 2012

  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, today, I am proud to honor the 
life of Reverend Boniface Hardin, a luminary of the civil rights 
movement and a pioneer in higher education from Indiana's Seventh 
Congressional District who passed away this past Saturday.
  Reverend Hardin became a Benedictine monk in 1953 at the young age of 
twenty, was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1959, and received a 
master of divinity degree in 1960. While serving as an associate pastor 
at the Holy Angels Catholic Church in Indianapolis, he became a vocal 
advocate for racial and socio-economic equality during the Civil Rights 
Movement of the 1960s.
  His spiritual commitment and dedication to self-improvement led him 
to found the Martin Center in 1969 and later the Indianapolis Sickle 
Cell Center in 1977. Under his leadership, the Martin Center College 
became Martin University, a fully accredited institution offering 
undergraduate and graduate degrees to low-income and minority adult 
learners.
  Recognizing his limitless compassion and unceasing commitment to 
education, Reverend Hardin was named a ``Living Legend'' in 2002 by the 
Indiana Historical Society for the indelible mark he made on the City 
of Indianapolis and the State of Indiana.
  It is with a heavy heart and profound sense of sadness that I express 
my condolences to the family and friends of Reverend Hardin. But it is 
with gratitude and admiration that I remember his life and 
contributions to our community. We were all truly lucky to have had 
such a caring, giving servant in our midst.

                          ____________________