[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 26394-26395]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  THE TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MOST REVEREND ANTHONY M. PILLA AS 
                          BISHOP OF CLEVELAND

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 6, 2000

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, today I honor Reverend Anthony Michael 
Pilla. He will be celebrating the twentieth anniversary of his position 
as Bishop of Cleveland on January 7, 2001.
  Born in Cleveland, Reverend Pilla was educated in a combination of 
both public and private schools. He was ordained into the priesthood on 
May 23, 1959. Throughout his life he has shown commendable dedication 
to the promotion of religion and harmony within the Cleveland 
community. Bishop Pilla began his

[[Page 26395]]

life in the priesthood as Associate Pastor of St. Bartholomew Parish, 
Middleburg Heights. Pope John Paul II announced his choice of Father 
Pilla as Auxiliary Bishop of Cleveland on June 30, 1979. The following 
year he was named the Ninth Bishop of Cleveland.
  The Reverend Pilla was well schooled in Philosophy and History. He 
has also taken a wide variety of positions of responsibility. He was 
appointed a member of the United States Catholic Conference 1985-1987. 
His appointment as Vice President of the National Conference of 
Catholic Bishops in 1992 is a testament to the respect he has earned as 
a religious leader.
  Bishop Pilla has always demonstrated the importance of using faith to 
transcend religious division, and to address the needs of the whole 
community. As a result, his work has a universal appeal. His pastorals, 
such as ``World Peace'' and ``A Call for One Another'' demonstrate 
this. Bishop Pilla has been outstanding as a unifying force in the 
Cleveland community.
  I feel blessed to consider Bishop Pilla as one of my personal 
friends. I have had the opportunity to work with him on a variety of 
issues for the benefit of the people of Cleveland. Both as a community 
leader and as a friend, Bishop Pilla has always shown the utmost 
integrity and honesty. In his work and his life he has shown the 
highest order of caring for others.
  My fellow colleagues, today I speak in recognition of the twentieth 
anniversary of The Most Reverend Anthony M. Pilla as Bishop of 
Cleveland.

                          ____________________