[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 7110]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         WELCOMING FATHER BOES

  Mr. NELSON of Nebraska. Mr. President, I rise to thank Father Steven 
Boes for delivering the opening prayer this morning.
  Father Boes has been a priest of the Archdiocese of Omaha since 1985. 
He has more than 20 years experience as a counselor and youth advocate 
in Nebraska.
  Father Boes served 8 years as director of the St. Augustine Indian 
Mission and School in Winnebago, NE. He established programs to help 
Winnebago and Omaha children preserve their traditional language, 
spirituality, and culture while preparing them for higher education.
  In 2005, Father Boes was named the executive director of Boys Town, 
one of the largest childcare organizations in America. Boys Town 
provides compassionate, research-proven treatment for children with 
behavioral, emotional, and physical problems. Father Boes is the fourth 
priest to succeed Father Edward Flanagan, the founder of Boys Town.
  As a young priest in Omaha, Father Flanagan had grown discouraged in 
his work with transient men. His frustration led him to borrow $90 to 
rent a drafty downtown boarding house and open his first home for boys 
in 1917. Youngsters from all over Omaha soon began showing up at the 
doorstep of Father Flanagan's Home for Boys. Father Flanagan said:

       When the idea of a boys' home grew in my mind, I never 
     thought anything remarkable about taking in all of the races 
     and all of the creeds. To me, they are all God's children. 
     They are my brothers. They are children of God. I must 
     protect them to the best of my ability.

  In 1921, Father Flanagan moved his boys home to a farm just outside 
of Omaha, and it soon became known as the Village of Boys Town. By the 
1930s, hundreds of boys lived there. The world learned of Father 
Flanagan's success in 1938 when he was played by Spencer Tracy in the 
``Boys Town'' Hollywood movie.
  Boys Town began admitting girls in 1979 and established programs at 
more than one dozen sites across the country in the mid-1980s.
  Under the leadership of Father Boes, Boys Town has focused on 
implementing its unique integrated continuum of care to strengthen a 
child's mind, body, and spirit. Father Boes is also expanding Boys 
Town's role in advocating for changes to our childcare system, which is 
often fragmented, expensive, and ineffective. He has called for smarter 
investments and earlier interventions for at-risk children, which can 
prevent much more expensive problems for society if those children fall 
through the cracks. For instance, keeping a 14-year-old from dropping 
out of high school will end up saving taxpayers about $500,000 over 
that child's lifetime. Keeping him from becoming a career criminal will 
save as much as $5 million.
  Almost a century ago, Father Flanagan said:

       There is nothing the matter with our growing boys that 
     love, proper training, and guidance will not remedy.

  Father Boes continues to carry out that mission of healing today.
  I thank Father Boes--I know we all do--for his devotion to building 
healthy, positive lives for children, and I thank Father Boes for his 
words here this morning. May they indeed guide us to do what is right 
for America and the world.
  Thank you, Mr. President.

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