Boehner taps Catholic priest to be next House chaplain
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The Rev. Patrick Conroy, a Jesuit priest and former chaplain at Georgetown University, is Speaker John Boehner's choice to be the next chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives.
If formally elected, Conroy would become the second
Roman Catholic priest to tend to the House flock. He would succeed the Rev. Daniel Coughlin, whose own appointment in 2000 was marked by an unusual level of partisan acrimony and charges of bias.
Boehner said he consulted with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi about Conroy's appointment, which will be formally submitted to the House for consideration later this month.
The speaker said in a statement that Conroy, 60, has shown a "dedication to God's work, commitment to serving others and experience working with people of faith from all traditions."
Conroy, a Jesuit ordained in 1983, has done stints as a parish priest in his native Washington state, where his parishoners included the people of the Colville Indian Reservation and the Spokane Indian Reservation.
From 1990 to 1994 and again from 1997 to 2003, he was chaplain at Georgetown University. In between, Conroy was chaplain at Seattle University. Currently, he is teaching at Jesuit High School in Portland, Ore.
Coughlin retired last month to widespread praise from members of Congress.
Pelosi said Conroy "will provide guidance and comfort, ministering to the needs of the Capitol Hill community in an interfaith way."
The House chaplain's post dates back to 1789, when a tradition began during the Continental Congress that the day's proceedings open with a prayer.
Today, in addition to leading the daily prayer, the House chaplain provides counseling and pastoral services, coordinates the scheduling of guest chaplains and helps to arrange memorial services for House members and staff.
See photos of: Nancy Pelosi
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