On the recordFebruary 10, 2011
As a Member who represents the area of Pittsburgh that is also part of the Pittsburgh diocese, I would also like to welcome Cardinal Wuerl to the House of Representatives. He is a great leader in the faith community and a friend, and certainly a friend to everybody in the Nation now as well as those in the Pittsburgh region. He began his career as an assistant pastor at Saint Rosalia Parish in Pittsburgh. There he became secretary to Pittsburgh Bishop John Wright. Then at Saint Paul's Seminary in Pittsburgh, he worked as a rector. In 1988, Bishop Wuerl was installed as the 11th Bishop of Pittsburgh, where he led 18 years. He led 800,000 Roman Catholics in 214 parishes throughout southwestern Pennsylvania. I should say we also knew him from his television series called 'The Teaching of Christ,' which was distributed throughout the Christian Associates cable channel, and his best-selling catechism of the same name, which is now I believe in its 30th year of publication, translated into over 10 languages. I echo the comments made by our Speaker in terms of the Cardinal's leadership and the esteem we all hold him in. We are most grateful that he came here today and led us in prayer.
