[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 17383]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                IN MEMORY OF MONSIGNOR HENRY J. DZIADOSZ

 Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
late Monsignor Henry J. Dziadosz, J.C.D., a beloved friend and 
respected clergyman. Monsignor Henry was a priest for fifty-one years, 
including twenty-nine years as pastor at St. Bridget of Kildare Parish, 
my home church in Moodus, Connecticut. He made numerous sacrifices for 
his community and strove throughout his clerical live to instill a 
spirit of caring in the lives of his parishioners. At Monsignor Henry's 
retirement party several years ago, he stated, ``When I first came 
here, I told them that the family spirit was my goal. No one should 
have to cry alone and no one should ever laugh alone. In all the 
accomplishments, it is the creation of this spirit that I am most proud 
of.'' Everyone who know this remarkable man would agree that his 
devotion to his parishioners has made a lasting impact on the lives he 
has touched.
  Monsignor Henry was destined to the priesthood from his early years. 
He attended St. Stanislaus School as a young boy, graduated from 
Meriden High School, and enrolled in the St. Thomas Seminary, where he 
earned his associate's degree in philosophy. He continued his 
theological studies at Catholic University of America in Washington, 
D.C., and was awarded the Basselin Scholarship. On May 26, 1949, then 
Father-Henry was ordained to the Priesthood in St. Joseph Cathedral in 
Hartford and accepted an assignment as Assistant Pastor of the St. 
Joseph Parish in Norwich. Father Henry then moved to New London's Our 
Lady of Perpetual Help Parish before returning to continue his studies 
at the Catholic University of America. It was his profoundly 
inquisitive nature and genuine thirst for knowledge that caused Father 
Henry to pursue a doctoral degree in 1955. He earned his degree in 
Canon Law, and was subsequently assigned to the Diocesan Chancery in 
Norwich, where he served as assistant to the chief judge of the 
Diocesan Tribunal and as the assistant chancellor. Always a bright 
student and quick study, Father Henry was soon appointed Officialis, or 
Chief Judge, of the tribunal, and administrator of St. John's Mission 
in Fitchville. Father's Henry energy, compassion and achievement drew 
notice from the highest levels of the Church and in 1965 Pope Paul VI 
named him a prelate of honor and awarded him the title of Monsignor.
  Monsignor Henry first arrived at St. Bridget in 1969, and dedicated 
the next twenty-nine years of his life to the service of the parish. 
St. Bridget's landscape bears witness to the many tangible 
accomplishments Monsignor Henry has achieved, including the Lady of 
Lourdes Grotto, the Religious Education Center, the Bicentennial 
Pavilion, the Stained Glass Doors, the Skylights, the beautification of 
the church grounds, and numerous other improvements. In honor of his 
dedication and commitment to St. Bridget, the education center, which 
he was instrumental in founding, will henceforth be called the 
Monsignor Henry J. Dziadosz Religious Education Center.
  At the Parish Mass for Monsignor Henry, Father Marek Masnicki 
described a priest's duties, and expressed how Monsignor Henry was the 
epitome of what every priest strives to be. ``A priest is called to 
respond to the poor and the broken and in this he touches the face of 
Jesus Christ. We expect a great deal from our priests, and priests 
expect a great deal from themselves. The priest makes sacrifices on 
behalf of the community. He offers his humanity and that of the 
community to Christ until he comes again. Priests take their cue from 
Jesus Christ each day. All this can apply to the fifty-one years of the 
priestly ministry of Monsignor Dziadosz.''
  Monsignor Henry was my pastor for a number of years. And while he was 
an accomplished man, a man whose priestly accomplishments were 
recognized by the Pope, it was his compassion and humanity that made 
him a truly remarkable shepherd for his flock, a flock of which I feel 
deeply fortunate to have been a part.
  There isn't a doctorate for ministering day in and day out to the 
spiritual needs of a community. There isn't a grand award for caring 
deeply about one's neighbors. But you will find that we often have a 
name for people who conduct themselves in these ways: priest, rabbi, 
sheik or monk. These people dedicate themselves to the service of God, 
and in doing so provide an example for the rest of us to follow. 
Monsignor Henry was a wonderful priest and he took joy in the simple 
daily rituals of that life. He was dearly loved by the people of his 
parish and he will be deeply missed.

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