[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 110 (Thursday, June 24, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4761-S4762]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     REMEMBERING FATHER RAY DOHERTY

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, there are some people who leave an 
indelible mark on your life, from the moment you meet them. On June 7, 
the Saint Michael's College community lost one such person with the 
passing of Father Raymond Doherty. As an alumnus of Saint Michael's 
College, I was shaped by the academic experience and lasting tight-knit 
community that a small college provides and will always feel a deep 
connection to the school. As a fellow alumnus, Father Doherty was a

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pillar of the Saint Michael's community and played a fundamental role 
in guiding and molding not only the College but its students for 
decades.
  Raymond J. Doherty was born and raised in Newton, MA, and in 1948 he 
enrolled as a student at Saint Michael's College in Colchester, VT, a 
journalism student and skilled pitcher on the varsity baseball team. 
Upon his graduation in 1951, Father Doherty served his country as a 
staff sergeant and combat correspondent in the U.S. Marine Corps during 
the Korean war.
  In 1953, Father Doherty returned to Vermont and joined the Society of 
Saint Edmund at the Edmundite Novitiate in Putney, where he took his 
first vows in 1954. Father Doherty was ordained into the priesthood in 
1958 at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception in Burlington, VT. As an 
Edmundite priest, Father Doherty spent the subsequent decades working 
throughout Vermont, New England, and across the South during the civil 
rights era, where he preached, served the community, and worked to 
further the cause of social justice.
  Although his assignments pulled him to different corners of the 
globe, his home was always Saint Michael's. After many terms as a 
member of the staff and Campus Ministry at Saint Michael's throughout 
the 1960s and 1970s, Father Doherty returned permanently to Saint 
Michael's in 1985. His career at Saint Michael's spanned a variety of 
roles in the admissions office, athletics department, and as campus 
chaplain. Until his passing, Father Ray, as he was affectionately 
known, remained deeply involved on the Saint Michael's campus and in 
the surrounding community.
  He leaves behind a life and legacy that should be an inspiration to 
many. Father Ray, through his compassion, humility, and commitment to 
serving his community, exemplifies what it means to be a Vermonter and 
a true leader. He led by example and inspired his students and those 
around him to strive to understand and address the needs and 
circumstances of all, to lead with grace, and to tirelessly work to 
improve the lives of others.
  Father Ray once told me that when the time came for him to be called 
home, he hoped to fall asleep here and wake up there. That stuck with 
me. It is a comfort to know that wish came true. Like the extended 
Saint Michael's College community, I will miss Father Doherty. His 
legacy will live on in the students he taught, the lives he impacted, 
and the words he preached. Father Ray will be deeply missed.

                          ____________________