[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 24 (Monday, June 20, 2005)]
[Pages 1005-1006]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast

June 16, 2005

    Gracias, y sientese. [Laughter] Thank you for the warm welcome. It's 
an honor to be here at the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast. Thanks 
for inviting me back. I understand this, like you understand this: 
America is founded on los valores de fe y familia. These are the values 
at the heart of the Hispanic American community. These are the values 
that enrich our Nation, and I am grateful.
    Your good works and reverence bring compassion to our country and, 
more importantly, honor to the Almighty. This morning we come together 
to pray, to pray for God's help as we serve our fellow citizens.
    Danny, thank you very much for the invitation and the introduction. 
I'm proud to be with a lot of the faith leaders from around our country. 
I saw my friend Luis Cortes. It's good to see you again, Luis. I want to 
thank John von Seggern, who is the chairman of the Prayer Breakfast.
    I want to thank the Members of the Congress who are here, Nancy 
Pelosi, Chris Cannon, Hilda Solis, Rahm Emanuel, Luis Fortuno. I want to 
thank you all for serving our country, and thank you for setting aside 
politics to come and honor the Almighty through prayer.
    It's good to see my old buddy, former member of the Cabinet, Ridge. 
Tom Ridge is with us. Good to see Hector Barreto. He runs the SBA. Go 
ahead and pray, and then get back to work. It's good to see Don Powell, 
Gaddi--who runs the FDIC, by the way--Gaddi Vasquez is the Director of 
the Peace Corps.
    And finally, I want to pay homage to the First Lady of Panama. I 
want to welcome you here, Madam First Lady. Thank you for coming. We're 
really glad you're here. Your husband is kind of like me. We both 
married well. [Laughter]
    We come from many faiths. In America, every religion is welcome. 
That's the great

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thing about our country: Every faith is important. In America, people of 
faith have no corner on compassion, but people of faith need compassion 
to be true to the call to ``Ame al projimo como a si mismo,'' love your 
neighbor like you'd like to be loved yourself. That's a universal call.
    For Hispanic Americans, a love of neighbor is more than a Gospel 
command; it's a way of life. We see the love of neighbor in the strong 
commitment of Hispanic Americans to family and the culture of life. For 
Hispanic Americans, families are a source of joy and the foundation of a 
hopeful society. We're working to support and defend the sanctity of 
marriage and to ensure that the most vulnerable Americans are welcomed 
in life and protected in love.
    We see the love of neighbor in the tireless efforts of Hispanic 
American faith-based and community organizations that work daily to 
bring hope to harsh places. In Boston, the Leon de Judah congregation 
mentors inner-city teens so they have a chance to realize the great 
dreams of America. In St. Louis, Accion Social Comunitaria helps 
immigrants and their children adapt to American life. In the Archdiocese 
of Miami, Catholic Charities ministers to people with HIV/AIDS. Inner-
city Philadelphia, Cortes runs a fantastic program to help lift the 
spirits of every single child.
    Many in the Hispanic community understand that by serving the least 
of nuestros hermanos y hermanas, that we're serving a cause greater than 
ourselves. And by doing so, we're helping all citizens have an 
opportunity to realize their dreams here in America.
    Finally, we see the love of neighbor in tens of thousands of 
Hispanics who serve America in the cause of freedom. One of these was an 
immigrant from Mexico named Rafael Peralta. The day after Rafael got his 
green card, he enlisted in the Marine Corps. Think about that. While 
serving in Iraq, this good sergeant wrote a letter to his younger 
brother. He said, ``Be proud of being an American. Our father came to 
this country, became a citizen because it was the right place for our 
family to be.'' Shortly after writing that letter, Sergeant Peralta used 
his own body to cover a grenade an enemy soldier had rolled into a 
roomful of Marines. This prayer breakfast, we remember the sacrifices of 
honorable and good folks like Sergeant Peralta, who have shown their 
love of neighbor by giving their life for freedom.
    Hispanic Americans answer the call to service willingly, because you 
understand that freedom is a divine gift that carries with it serious 
responsibilities. And as you go about the work of repairing broken lives 
and bringing love into the pockets of hopelessness and despair, be 
strong, because you're sustained by prayer. Through prayer--[applause].
    One of the most powerful aspects of being the President is to know 
that millions of people pray for me and Laura, people that I'll never 
have a chance--think about a country where millions of people of all 
faiths, people whom I'll never have a chance to look face to face with 
and say, ``Thank you,'' take time to pray. It really is the strength of 
America, isn't it? Through prayer we ask that our hearts be aligned with 
God's. Through prayer we ask that we may be given the strength to do 
what's right and to help those in need.
    I want to thank you for the fine tradition you continue here today. 
This is an important tradition to continue right here in the heart of 
the Nation's Capital. I want to thank you for what you do for our 
Nation. Que Dios les bendiga, and may God continue to bless our country. 
Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 8:28 a.m. at the Andrew W. Mellon 
Auditorium. In his remarks, he referred to Rev. Danny Cortes, senior 
vice president, and Rev. Luis Cortes, Jr., president and chief executive 
officer, Esperanza USA; and Vivian Fernandez de Torrijos, wife of 
President Martin Torrijos Espino of Panama. The Office of the Press 
Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.