Patrick Leahy: “we have so many things going on in Washington these days, with just about everything from budgetary matters to wrapping…”

“we have so many things going on in Washington these days, with just about everything from budgetary matters to wrapping up this session of the Congress. I was delighted today to take a step back and, in my role as President pro tempore, introduce today's visiting Chaplain. I am always pleased to introduce the Chaplain, usually Dr. Barry Black, sometimes visiting ones, but this one is special. He is the bishop of Burlington, which, really, the diocese covers all the State of Vermont. His name is Christopher Coyne. He knows our part of New England. He was born in Woburn, MA, and graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a B.A. in business, St. John's Seminary in Boston as a Master of Divinity, ordained a priest in June 1989, but then has fulfilled significant roles, both in the diocese where he originated and with the Vatican in Rome. And I will talk more about that at another time. But he was elected chairman of the Committee of Communications of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. And when the bishops met, the voice you often heard was Bishop Coyne because of his credibility, his honesty, and the fact that he would give very direct answers. And then Pope Francis named him bishop of the Diocese of Burlington, and he was installed in that January 29, 2015, and brought a new, really, wave of enthusiasm into the Catholic diocese in Vermont. He made it a point to go around the State meeting with people. I would tell a personal story.…”