William Martini: “today I welcome to the House of Representatives a good friend of all of the people of the Eighth Congressional District…”

“today I welcome to the House of Representatives a good friend of all of the people of the Eighth Congressional District of New Jersey, Monsignor Mark J. Giordani. Monsignor Giordani is not only a spiritual leader but also a renowned civic activist in the finest sense of the word. He is a man whom I have come to admire and respect. As a young child, he lost his father to the anger of Italian fascists. Following this tragic incident, his mother turned to the strength of Christianity and instilled this faith in her son. This guiding force led the monsignor to a new and spiritual life in America. Upon immigrating to the United States, the monsignor received a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy from St. Bonaventure University and a master's of divinity from Christ the King Seminary in New York. During his seminary years, the monsignor dedicated endless hours to the poor, cultivating a passion to help the most unfortunate in our community. This passion was fulfilled through his appointment as a copastor of St. Gerard's parish in New Jersey. He was responsible for the founding of several local charitable organizations. On November 1, 1987, Monsignor Giordani was appointed rector of St. John's Cathedral, and serves as spiritual leader day in and day out, offering his overwhelming kindness. No person is ever considered too big or too small to receive the attention of Monsignor Giordani. Mr. Speaker, Monsignor Giordani is a spiritual pillar in our community.”