[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 174 (Monday, December 5, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S6706]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO CARDINAL JOSEPH WILLIAM TOBIN

  Mr. DONNELLY. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize Archbishop 
Joseph William Tobin of Indianapolis on his recent elevation to 
cardinal by Pope Francis and for his extraordinary service to Indiana. 
As a leader in our State, Cardinal Tobin has demonstrated his lifelong, 
faith-filled commitment to serving others and giving a voice to the 
voiceless.
  Born in Detroit, MI, Cardinal Tobin is the eldest of Joseph W. Tobin 
and Marie Terese Kerwin's 13 children. From an early age, it was 
apparent to his family that he was intellectually and spiritually 
gifted and wanted to use those talents by becoming a priest. Cardinal 
Tobin's family instilled in him the importance of faith and family, and 
he pursued the priesthood with purpose and determination. He received a 
bachelor of arts in philosophy from Holy Redeemer College in Waterford, 
WI, and a masters in religious education, as well as a masters in 
divinity from Mount Saint Alphonsus Seminary in Esopus, NY.
  Cardinal Tobin professed first vows as a Redemptorist missionary on 
August 5, 1973, and he was ordained to the priesthood on June 1, 1978. 
Over the next 12 years, Cardinal Tobin served communities in the 
Midwest, including in his hometown of Detroit and in Chicago. He then 
was elected general consultor to the Superior General of the 
Redemptorists and moved to Rome, Italy. During his 21 years in Italy, 
he was recognized for his efforts to promote dialogue and resolve 
tensions between the Vatican and U.S. nuns. He was elected and 
reelected as superior general and later named archbishop by Pope 
Benedict XVI, as well as secretary of the Congregation for Institutes 
of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life on August 2, 2010. 
Soon thereafter, he was ordained to the episcopacy on October 9, 2010, 
and approximately 2 years later, he was named Metropolitan Archbishop 
of Indianapolis.
  For 4 years, the Indianapolis archdiocese benefited greatly from 
Cardinal Tobin's leadership. His commitment to serving those in the 
greatest need and his tireless dedication to sharing the teachings of 
the Catholic Church with the people of central and southern Indiana 
have benefited countless Hoosiers.
  Pope Francis announced Archbishop Tobin's selection as cardinal on 
October 9, 2016, from the steps of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. 
Less than a month later, the Pope selected him to lead the archdiocese 
of Newark, NJ, which serves 1.5 million Catholics and is among the 10 
largest dioceses in the country.
  Outside of the church, Cardinal Tobin has dedicated himself to 
various organizations including the Canon Law Society of America and 
the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation. He also 
is a member of United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, 
subcommittee on the Church in Africa and a consultant to the committee 
on ecumenical and interreligious affairs.
  On behalf of Hoosiers, I congratulate Cardinal Tobin and thank him 
for blessing us with his leadership. Let us honor Cardinal Tobin for 
his selfless commitment to serving his fellow citizens of the world and 
steadfast efforts to make Indiana and the world a better place.

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