[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 19094-19096]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                   THE PASSING OF FATHER PETER LAPPIN

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, August 2, 1999

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I deeply regret informing our colleagues of 
the passing of one of the most remarkable and accomplished residents of 
my 20th Congressional District of New York.
  Father Peter Lappin, the author of 17 books on Christian theology, 
has been considered the spiritual leader of the Irish community in my 
congressional district. He long served as chaplain to the Rockland 
County Ancient Order of Hibernians and was a longtime supporter of the 
peace process in Ireland.
  Father Peter Lappin devoted his life to the Salesian Fathers of which 
he was a member. He resided at the Marian Shrine and Don Bosco Retreat 
in Rockland County for over 25 years. He had first taken his vows as a 
Salesian of Don Bosco back in 1933, and lived in our Hudson Valley 
region of New York since 1961.
  Father Lappin, who was 88 years young when a heart attack claimed him 
suddenly yesterday, was born in Belfast. He attended the Belfast School 
of Technology, the

[[Page 19095]]

Pallakenry College, and the Salesian College, Cowley, Oxford. Father 
Lappin then traveled to China where he continued his studies at the 
International School of Theology in Shanghai and the Salesian Studenate 
in Hong Kong. Father Lappin was finally ordained as a Salesian Priest 
in Shanghai, and subsequently he spent 16 years in Shanghai as a 
teacher and a parish priest.
  Father Lappin also studied at Fordham University and the Columbia 
School Writing, both in New York City.
  Father Lappin gained fame in many ways. In addition to his noted best 
selling books, including ``Stories of Don Bosco'' and biographies of 
contemporary Christian heroes, he was author of the ``Salesian 
Bulletin''. He was an editorial board member of ``The Biographical 
Memoirs of Saint John Bosco'' and was a lecturer on South America and 
the Far East. Father Lappin was active in the Knights of Columbus and 
in the Cambridge Society of Biographers.
  Father Lappin was widely regarded for his talent at writing 
children's books which expressed the Catholic faith in a manner that 
youngsters could readily understand. He has a tremendous impact on 
countless generations of young readers.
  Father Lapin's writings earned for him the Venice Festival awards, 
the Catholic Family Club award, and two Catholic Literacy Foundation 
awards.
  Mrs. Gilman and I came to know Father Peter Lappin over many years, 
as a result of his deeply felt passion for a permanent peace in 
Ireland. Father Lappin traveled to the emerald isle extensively in his 
quest for a lasting peace in his homeland. He devoted much of his life 
to a resolution of the troubles in the north, and closely followed--and 
supported--the recent peace initiatives for Ireland.
  In losing Father Lappin, Georgia and I have lost not only a fond 
friend but an outstanding advocate of peace throughout the world.
  Danny Withers, one of the more prominent of Irish-American leaders in 
my district, stated:

       Father Lappin was a great supporter of independence for 
     Ireland, and he used his God-given gift of the written word 
     to help garner support for this worthy cause.

  Father Lappin came to our Nation in 1961. He worked out of the New 
Rochelle headquarters of the Salesians for 11 years, traveling 
throughout our Nation and continuing his writings. He became a 
household word in Rockland Country for the past quarter century, due to 
his compassion, his love of all people but most especially children, 
and his dynamic personality.
  Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join with me in extending our 
condolences to Father Lappin's half brother, Father James Brawley of 
Australia, and to all of his fellow Salesian fathers. His were huge 
footsteps that will be difficult to fill.

                       SENATE COMMITTEE MEETINGS

  Title IV of Senate Resolution 4, agreed to by the Senate on February 
4, 1977, calls for establishment of a system for a computerized 
schedule of all meetings and hearings of Senate committees, 
subcommittees, joint committees, and committees of conference. This 
title requires all such committees to notify the Office of the Senate 
Daily Digest--designated by the Rules committee--of the time, place, 
and purpose of the meetings, when scheduled, and any cancellations or 
changes in the meetings as they occur.
  As an additional procedure along with the computerization of this 
information, the Office of the Senate Daily Digest will prepare this 
information for printing in the Extensions of Remarks section of the 
Congressional Record on Monday and Wednesday of each week.
  Meetings scheduled for Tuesday, August 3, 1999 may be found in the 
Daily Digest of today's Record.

                           MEETINGS SCHEDULED

                                AUGUST 4
     8:30 a.m.
       Judiciary
         To hold hearings on the nomination of David W. Ogden, of 
           Virginia, to be an Assistant Attorney General; and the 
           nomination of Robert Raben, of Florida, to be an 
           Assistant Attorney General.
                                                            SD-628
     9 a.m.
       Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
         To continue hearings on farm crisis issues.
                                                           SR-328A
       Environment and Public Works
         Business meeting to resume markup of S. 1090, to 
           reauthorize and amend the Comprehensive Environmental 
           Response, Liability, and Compensation Act of 1980.
                                                            SD-406
     9:15 a.m.
       Rules and Administration
         To hold hearings on certain propsoed committee 
           resolutions requesting funds for operating expenses.
                                                            SR-301
     9:30 a.m.
       Indian Affairs
         To hold hearings on S. 299, to elevate the position of 
           Director of the Indian Health Service within the 
           Department of Health and Human Services to Assistant 
           Secretary for Indian Health; and S. 406, to amend the 
           Indian Health Care Improvement Act to make permanent 
           the demonstration program that allows for direct 
           billing of medicare, medicaid, and other third party 
           payors, and to expand the eligibility under such 
           program to other tribes and tribal organizations; 
           followed by a business meeting to consider pending 
           calendar business.
                                                            SR-485
     10 a.m.
       Judiciary
         To hold hearings on S. 1172, to provide a patent term 
           restoration review procedure for certain drug products, 
           focusing on proposed remedies for relief, relating to 
           pipeline drugs.
                                                            SD-628
     10:30 a.m.
       Foreign Relations
         To hold hearings on S. 693, to assist in the enhancement 
           of the security of Taiwan.
                                                            SD-419
       Governmental Affairs
       Oversight of Government Management, Restructuring and the 
           District of Columbia
       Subcommittee
         To hold hearings on overlap and duplication in the 
           Federal Food Safety System.
                                                            SD-342
     2 p.m.
       Judiciary
       Immigration Subcommittee
         To hold hearings on annual refugee consultation.
                                                            SD-628
       Intelligence
         To hold closed hearings on pending intelligence matters.
                                                            SH-219
     2:15 p.m.
       Energy and Natural Resources
       National Parks, Historic Preservation, and Recreation 
           Subcommittee
         To hold oversight hearings to review the performance 
           management process under the requirements of the 
           Government Performance and Results Act, by the National 
           Park Service.
                                                            SD-366
       Commerce, Science, and Transportation
         To hold hearings to examine fraud against seniors.
                                                            SR-253
     2:30 p.m.
       Foreign Relations
       International Economic Policy, Export and Trade Promotion 
           Subcommittee
         To hold hearings on economic reform and trade 
           opportunities in Vietnam.
                                                            SD-419

                                AUGUST 5
     9 a.m.
       Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
         To continue hearings on farm crisis issues.
                                                           SR-328A
     9:30 a.m.
       Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
       Housing and Transportation Subcommittee
         To hold oversight hearings on activities of the Office of 
           Multifamily Housing Assistance Restructuring of the 
           Department of Housing and Urban Development.
                                                            SD-538
     10 a.m.
       Foreign Relations
       Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs Subcommittee
         To hold hearings on United States strategic interests in 
           India.
                                                            SD-419
       Judiciary
         Business meeting to markup S. 486, to provide for the 
           punishment of methoamphetamine laboratory operators, 
           provide additional resources to combat methamphetamine 
           production, trafficking, and abuse in the United 
           States; and S. 620, to grant a Federal charter to 
           Korean War Veterans Association, Incorporated.
                                                            SD-628
     2:15 p.m.
       Foreign Relations
         To hold hearings on pending nominations.
                                                            SD-419


[[Page 19096]]

                                AUGUST 6
     9:30 a.m.
       Joint Economic Committee
         To hold hearings on the employment and unemployment 
           situation for July.
                                              Room to be announced

                              SEPTEMBER 28
     9:30 a.m.
       Veterans' Affairs
         To hold joint hearings with the House Committee on 
           Veterans Affairs to review the legislative 
           recommendations of the American Legion.
                                               345 Cannon Building

                             POSTPONEMENTS

                                AUGUST 4
     9:30 a.m.
       Veterans' Affairs
         To hold hearings on the maintenance of unneeded medical 
           facilities of the Department of Veteran Affairs.
                                                            SD-106