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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A life made rich through meaningful service drew to |
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a close with the passing of the Most Reverend Raymundo J. Peña, |
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bishop emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville, on |
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September 24, 2021, at the age of 87; and |
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WHEREAS, The son of Cosme and Elisa Peña, Raymundo Peña was |
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born in Corpus Christi on February 19, 1934, and he grew up in |
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Robstown; answering his call to the priesthood, he entered the |
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St. John's and Assumption Seminaries in San Antonio and was |
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ordained on May 25, 1957, at the Corpus Christi Cathedral; he served |
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in parish posts as a diocesan youth director and as editor of the |
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Texas Gulf Coast Catholic; and |
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WHEREAS, Ordained as a bishop in 1976, this esteemed |
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clergyman was named the auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of San |
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Antonio that same year and also served as administrator; in 1980, he |
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embarked on a 15-year tenure as bishop for the Catholic Diocese of |
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El Paso; among his many accomplishments, he founded the Progress: |
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Catholic Ministry Appeal and the Rio Grande Catholic, the official |
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newspaper of the El Paso diocese; he also helped develop the Tepeyac |
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Institute, which offers training for church ministry; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1995, the Most Reverend Peña was appointed bishop |
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of the Brownsville diocese; nearly a decade and a half later, in |
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2009, he retired as the longest-serving active Hispanic bishop in |
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the U.S.; an admired leader in the Catholic church, he chaired |
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committees that focused on the concerns of Hispanics in the United |
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States and Latin America, and he was a synod father for the Special |
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Assembly for America of the Synod of Bishops; he also tirelessly |
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advocated for the rights of immigrants and strove to promote unity |
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along the border between Mexico and the U.S.; during his years in |
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the ministry, he faithfully practiced his motto of "Haz todo con |
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amor," which means "Let all that you do be done in love"; and |
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WHEREAS, Though it is impossible to gauge the full effect of |
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one person's life, some individuals leave their unmistakable mark |
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on the world as they move through it, and Raymundo Peña's record of |
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good works will continue to resonate for years to come; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the memory |
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of the Most Reverend Raymundo J. Peña and extend heartfelt sympathy |
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to his loved ones and friends; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the Catholic Archives of Texas and that when the Texas |
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House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of |
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the Most Reverend Raymundo Peña. |