[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 18]
[House]
[Page 25522]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING FATHER ROBERT BOND ON HIS 75TH BIRTHDAY

  (Ms. FOXX asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the 75th birthday of 
my friend and family's former priest, Father Robert Bond. Father Bob, 
as his parishioners call him, is a retired priest of the Glenmary Home 
Missioners with a legacy of loving compassion not only for his church 
but for the unchurched and the less fortunate.
  Father Bond currently lives in Micaville, North Carolina, but he 
previously served in many places including Boone, North Carolina, where 
he served the flock at St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church for 4 years. 
During his time at St. Elizabeth's, Father Bond typified the church's 
call to reach out to those in need and share the love of Christ. He was 
truly ahead of his time in his faithful efforts to bring the power of 
God's love to those who might never darken the door of a church.
  Perhaps the most significant contribution he made to the community of 
Boone was his vision for Camp Dogwood in Valle Crucis, North Carolina. 
Camp Dogwood was a ministry that Father Bond ran for disadvantaged 
youth. On the power of his vision and the work of many volunteers, Camp 
Dogwood brightened the days and brought hope to the lives of many 
underprivileged children in North Carolina. He practiced the ``No Child 
Left Behind'' concept long before it was a national slogan.
  Father Bond's 75th birthday provides a reason to celebrate a life 
marked by compassion and Christian witness. I wish him many more years 
of faithful service.

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