[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9231]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



       HONORING FATHER PHILIP J. CASCIA OF PROSPECT, CONNECTICUT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES H. MALONEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 23, 2000

  Mr. MALONEY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, today I honor the remarkable 
contributions made by Father Philip J. Cascia of Prospect, CT, in the 
important cause of world peace. In setting up Intersport USA, a non-
profit sports exchange program, he has for over a decade played a 
prominent role in promoting friendly relations between the people of 
the United States and those of other nations around the globe.

  Father Philip J. Cascia was born in Springfield, MA, in 1951, later 
moving to Connecticut where he graduated from St. Thomas High School in 
Bloomfield. After his college education and theological training in 
Maryland, Father Cascia returned to Connecticut where in 1977, he was 
ordained as a Catholic priest for the Archdiocese of Hartford. His 
early assignments took him to Waterbury and Prospect, and in 1985 
Father Cascia became the spiritual director at Sacred Heart High School 
in Waterbury. During this period Father Cascia's dedication to his 
local communities led to the establishment of a soup kitchen, a 
homeless shelter, a thrift store, and an affordable housing program. It 
is a mark of his leadership that all of these community services remain 
active to this day.

  It was during his time at Sacred Heart that Father Cascia took the 
wrestling team that he had established for inner-city children at the 
school to the former Soviet Union. As the first trip of its kind, the 
initiative earned national recognition in both America and the USSR, as 
well as the attention of President Reagan, whose encouragement inspired 
Father Cascia to establish Intersport USA. Expanding the program, 
Father Cascia has taken his youth athlete exchange programs to China, 
Vietnam, South Africa, and Cuba, and is now working to organize 
programs with Libya, North Korea, and Japan. Many of Intersport's 
programs have evolved into regular exchange visits.

  Intersport USA has profoundly shaped the experiences of young 
athletes, allowing them to mingle freely with their counterparts from 
other countries, both competitively and socially. Father Cascia 
continues to be at the forefront of this work, fostering mutual respect 
among all participants, and allowing goodwill to replace ignorance and 
hostility.

  Through this sports-based diplomacy, Father Cascia has acted as a 
tireless ambassador for peace, laying the foundations for friendlier 
relations between America and the countries in which he has visited. 
One example was his visit in 1990 to Hanoi, where at the entrance to 
the sports arena, the Vietnamese Government raised the American flag 
for the first time ever in that city. He has not only met his stated 
goal of ``plant(ing) the seed of peace and understanding in the minds 
and hearts of young athletes,'' but has also helped secure a more 
peaceful future for America's citizens. Mr. Speaker, I welcome you and 
the House of Representatives joining with me today in commending Father 
Cascia on his work and on his success in promoting greater 
understanding between nations around the world.




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