PRINTER'S NO. 1786
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
345
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY RYAN, BARRAR, BIZZARRO, CAUSER, D. COSTA, DAVIS,
DeLUCA, DIAMOND, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, DRISCOLL, DUSH,
FRITZ, GREINER, HEFFLEY, HENNESSEY, HICKERNELL, JAMES,
KAVULICH, KNOWLES, MARKOSEK, MARSICO, MILLARD, NEILSON,
PASHINSKI, QUIGLEY, READSHAW, REESE, SAINATO, SANKEY, SAYLOR,
SCHEMEL, SNYDER, SONNEY, STAATS, TOOHIL, WHEELAND AND WARD,
MAY 22, 2017
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
MAY 22, 2017
A RESOLUTION
Celebrating the life of Cardinal William H. Keeler in
Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, William H. Keeler was born in San Antonio, Texas, on
March 4, 1931, to Thomas L. Keeler and Margaret T. (Conway)
Keeler; and
WHEREAS, William H. Keeler was raised in Lebanon, where he
attended Lebanon Catholic High School; and
WHEREAS, William H. Keeler attended St. Mary School in
Schwenksville, St. Charles Seminary in Philadelphia and the
Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome; and
WHEREAS, On July 17, 1955, Father William H. Keeler was
ordained to the Catholic priesthood in the Church of the Holy
Apostles, Rome; and
WHEREAS, As a young priest, Father Keeler accompanied Bishop
George Leech of Harrisburg to Rome for the Second Vatican
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Council; and
WHEREAS, During the years 1962-1965, Father Keeler, a doctor
of canon law and defender of the bond in the diocesan tribunal,
was appointed one of more than 400 "periti" (experts) of the
Second Vatican Council participating in discussions, reviewing
documents and providing briefings for the English-speaking
media; and
WHEREAS, On September 21, 1979, Auxiliary Bishop Keeler was
ordained for the Diocese of Harrisburg; and
WHEREAS, On January 4, 1984, Bishop Keeler was ordained for
the Diocese of Harrisburg; and
WHEREAS, As part of his work with the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Keeler was instrumental
in arranging Pope John Paul II's historic 1987 meetings with
Jewish leaders in Miami, Florida, and with Protestant leaders in
Columbia, South Carolina; and
WHEREAS, In 1989, Bishop Keeler was appointed 14th Archbishop
of Baltimore, our nation's oldest diocese; and
WHEREAS, Cardinal Keeler is particularly recognized for his
work in furthering Catholic-Jewish dialogue, a distinction that
earned him the appointment of Moderator of Catholic-Jewish
Relations for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops;
and
WHEREAS, In 1992, Bishop Keeler was elected President of the
National Conference of Catholic Bishops, now the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops, after serving as the
organization's vice president the previous three years; and
WHEREAS, In 1994, Cardinal Keeler was appointed by the
Vatican to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
and to the Congregation for the Oriental Churches; and
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WHEREAS, Cardinal Keeler served as a member of the
International Catholic Orthodox Commission for Theological
Dialogue and as Chairman of the Bishops' Committee for
Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs; and
WHEREAS, An ardent promoter of the Catholic Church's teaching
on the sanctity of all human life, Cardinal Keeler twice served
as Chairman of the Committee for Pro-Life Activities of the
Nation Conference of Catholic Bishops; and
WHEREAS, One of Cardinal Keeler's priorities was the
strengthening of the Catholic school system and he initiated
several fundraising campaigns to support Catholic schools and
the families they serve including the Archbishop's Annual
Appeal, Heritage of Hope, and Partners in Excellence - The
Partners in Excellence scholarship program; and
WHEREAS, In November 1994, Pope John Paul II appointed
Archbishop Keeler to the College of Cardinals making him the
third Archbishop of Baltimore to receive the red hat; and
WHEREAS, In 1995, Cardinal Keeler, as Archbishop of
Baltimore, hosted the historic visit of Pope John Paul II to
Baltimore; and
WHEREAS, Cardinal Keeler's understanding of the significance
of America's First Cathedral, the Basilica of the National
Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in
Baltimore, led to the restoration of the Basilica's aging
infrastructure which was completed for its 200th anniversary in
November 2006; and
WHEREAS, In 2005, following the death of Pope John Paul II,
Cardinal Keeler participated in the Papal Conclave which
resulted in the election of Pope Benedict XVI; and
WHEREAS, In 2006, Cardinal Keeler suffered injuries in an
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automobile accident in Terni, Italy, in which the Cardinal's
friend, Friar Bernard Quinn of the Diocese of Harrisburg, was
killed; and
WHEREAS, In July, 2007, Cardinal Keeler's resignation was
accepted and Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien was appointed 15th
Archbishop of Baltimore; and
WHEREAS, Cardinal Keeler died March 23, 2017, at St. Martin's
Home for the Aged in Catonsville, Maryland at the age of 86, and
is survived by his sister, Julia Keeler Graham, of Toronto,
Canada; and
WHEREAS, Cardinal Keeler received honorary degrees from
Elizabethtown College, Gannon University, Gettysburg College,
Lebanon Valley College, Shippensburg University and Susquehanna
University; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives celebrate the
life of Cardinal William H. Keeler in Pennsylvania.
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