[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 79 (Wednesday, May 18, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E738]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE OF MONSIGNOR JAMES EDWIN PETERSEN

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 18, 2016

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Monsignor 
James Edwin Petersen of Madera, California who passed away on May 3, 
2016 at the age of 82. Monsignor Petersen will be missed greatly by his 
family, friends, and the entire community.
  Msgr. Petersen was born in Los Angeles, California on November 8, 
1933. His family moved to Randsburg, California in the Mojave Desert, 
where his parents operated a general store. Monsignor Petersen realized 
his calling to become a priest at an early age. He attended seminary 
school in Columbus, Ohio at the Josephinum Seminary, where he completed 
high school, college, and post-graduate theology.
  Msgr. Petersen was ordained into priesthood in 1959, and he took his 
first assignment at the Shrine of St. Therese in Fresno, California. 
For over 40 years, he served throughout California's Central Valley in 
various roles, serving as a pastor for numerous churches including Our 
Lady of Sorrows in Parlier, California, Our Lady of Mercy, in Merced 
California, St. Anthony of Padua in Fresno, and as the Executive 
Director for the California Catholic Conference in Sacramento 
California. Msgr. Petersen served as a priest at the Shrine of St. 
Therese until his retirement.
  Throughout his priesthood and well into retirement, Msgr. Petersen 
served on numerous committees and boards and gave mass at the Nazareth 
House in Fresno on a weekly basis. Furthermore, he served the people of 
the San Joaquin Valley with grace, humility, and integrity. His 
commitment to faith and making a difference in the community truly made 
him a beloved individual.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering a true 
community servant and man who put God above all else. Msgr. Petersen's 
memory will live on through his family and will be remembered by many 
in our community.

                          ____________________