Sheldon Whitehouse: “Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you, Chairman Reed. We are joined on the Senate floor today in sorrow for a person…”

“Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you, Chairman Reed. We are joined on the Senate floor today in sorrow for a person who meant a lot to both of us. One of life's profound joys is when you encounter people who are unforgettable, and in the case of Brother Michael, he was unforgettably kind. He started out as a schoolteacher, always was interested in kids. He went to work in an incarcerative in-house juvenile facility and I think there developed his love for kids who were on the margins, kids who were involved with the justice system, kids who were facing difficulties in their lives, to try to make sure that he could help turn them to a more constructive path. It was with that spirit that he came to the ACI, the Adult Correctional Institute, in Rhode Island, a formidable building in which--this is when I first met him--in which he was a figure of unique kindliness. There was really almost nothing that you could do that could cause Brother Michael to turn his back on you, and that came through to people so well. When he started Ocean Tides, he went to the kids whom he could find who often didn't even have a home to go to, but they knew they were welcome at Ocean Tides. They could come through the door at any hour of the night. It was open. He would find them. He would look out for them. If they had needs, he would take care of them. If they needed a meal, he would give them a meal. If they needed a bed, he would give them a bed.…”