[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 122 (Wednesday, September 12, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1503]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN MEMORY OF FATHER BEITING

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HAROLD ROGERS

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 12, 2012

  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Reverend Monsignor Ralph Beiting, a compassionate, self-sacrificing 
man, who devoted his life to bettering the lives of those in eastern 
Kentucky. On August 9, 2012, Father Beiting joined his generous God in 
heaven at the age of 88 following a brief illness. His heart for the 
impoverished and his sincere generosity to those in need has touched 
the lives of others and he will be forever remembered in Appalachia and 
the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
  After World War II, Father Beiting began serving the people of 
eastern Kentucky with countless social service programs. Born and 
raised in northern Kentucky, Father Beiting first traveled to 
Appalachia in 1946, encountering a new kind of poverty, one not seen 
even during the Great Depression. His compassion and sympathy for rural 
families developed then as he made it his mission to help the 
impoverished and needy of my region. In 1950, Beiting returned to 
eastern Kentucky to help launch a church, and although this committed 
Catholic Priest was not always welcomed with open arms, Beiting 
continued his work of never letting the poor go untended.
  In 1957, Beiting launched a fully-integrated summer camp for boys 
from poor families in the counties where he ministered. By 1964, his 
ministry had developed into the Christian Appalachian Project, CAP, an 
interdenominational, non-profit organization that serves Kentucky's 
mountain residents. Today CAP stands as the 15th largest human services 
charity in the nation. A warehouse and thrift store in Louisa also 
bears Beiting's name. The Father Beiting Appalachian Mission Center 
distributes food, clothing, furniture, and provides four local thrift 
stores with low-cost merchandise, in keeping with Beiting's spirit of 
meeting physical and human needs. In fact, Beiting spent much of his 
time personally delivering food, clothing and household goods to help 
the needy in eastern Kentucky.
  Father Beiting's legacy of charity, love of Kentuckians, and 
volunteer efforts is an inspiration all across our region. Always 
sharing God's love with everyone he met, Beiting served as a bright 
light for thousands of Appalachian families in need. On behalf of my 
wife Cynthia and myself, I want to extend our deepest heartfelt 
sympathies to his family, friends, and those he served with in 
Appalachia. Our region will miss this great man.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the late 
Father Beiting, a true man of God, who dedicated a lifetime of service 
to bettering the lives of those in eastern Kentucky.

                          ____________________