H.R. No. 777
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, The calling to the priesthood is perhaps one of the
    1-2  most blessed and rewarding experiences in a young man's life; much
    1-3  dedication, strength of character, wisdom, and gentleness of heart
    1-4  are needed to embrace this challenging vocation; and
    1-5        WHEREAS, For four wonderful years, the parishioners of St.
    1-6  Austin's Catholic Church were privileged to walk with Paulist
    1-7  Broderick Matthew (Rick) Walsh as he made his transformation from
    1-8  seminarian to ordained Roman Catholic priest; and
    1-9        WHEREAS, The youngest of seven children, Father Walsh was
   1-10  born on July 7, 1961, to Michael and Ellen M. Walsh in Weymouth,
   1-11  Massachusetts, and spent most of his young life in the Bay State
   1-12  until, upon completion of his undergraduate studies at St.  John's
   1-13  Diocesan Seminary in Boston, where he earned a bachelor of arts
   1-14  degree in philosophy, he took the first steps in answering that
   1-15  unique and special calling to the priesthood; and
   1-16        WHEREAS, In the early 1980s, he entered the novitiate of the
   1-17  Congregation of St. Paul, better known as the Paulist Fathers, an
   1-18  American Roman Catholic order of priests whose chief mission of
   1-19  evangelization, reconciliation, and ecumenism attracted his
   1-20  energetic spirit; and
   1-21        WHEREAS, During his formative years with the Paulists, this
   1-22  fine young man prospered in his preparation, having spent his time
   1-23  in the Paulist centers of New York, Los Angeles and New Jersey
   1-24  studying, growing, and discerning; and
    2-1        WHEREAS, In May 1991, this dedicated seminarian came to the
    2-2  Paulist Center of St.  Austin's Catholic Church in Austin, Texas,
    2-3  to complete his journey to the priesthood; and
    2-4        WHEREAS, The young Paulist's willingness to serve others, his
    2-5  wisdom, and his pleasant, cheerful demeanor quickly won the esteem
    2-6  and love of parishioners and staff alike; and
    2-7        WHEREAS, On February 16, 1992, several months after he
    2-8  arrived, seminarian Rick Walsh, CSP, was ordained Deacon Rick
    2-9  Walsh, CSP, by the Most Reverend John McCarthy, Bishop of the
   2-10  Diocese of Austin, in the presence of the St. Austin's community;
   2-11  and
   2-12        WHEREAS, Now as Deacon Rick, he took a more active role in
   2-13  his ministry, giving close care to those who are most vulnerable in
   2-14  our society, the infirm, the poor, the homeless, and the young;
   2-15  during his diaconate, he revived the parish's Hospital Communion
   2-16  Ministry, a program designed to provide outreach and spiritual care
   2-17  to parishioners and other Catholics who were confined to hospital
   2-18  care; he devoted much time and effort to the St. Vincent De Paul
   2-19  Society, an arm of the Church that takes care of the needs of the
   2-20  poor and the homeless, and he was named chaplain of St. Austin's
   2-21  School, where he gave spiritual guidance to the children; and
   2-22        WHEREAS, After nearly three months as a deacon, on May 9,
   2-23  1992, in the presence of his mother, siblings, fellow Paulists, and
   2-24  friends, he was ordained a priest by the Most Reverend John Roach,
   2-25  DD, Archbishop of St. Paul-Minneapolis, in the Paulist mother
   2-26  church of St. Paul the Apostle in New York City; Father Rick
   2-27  Walsh's first assignment upon being ordained to the Order of
    3-1  Presbyter was to return to St. Austin's Catholic Church as
    3-2  associate pastor; and
    3-3        WHEREAS, Since his ordination, Father Walsh has been an
    3-4  indefatigable source of energy and spiritual guidance for his
    3-5  community, being active in nearly every facet of the parish, from
    3-6  spending time with the small children who constantly run up to him
    3-7  after Mass to ministering to the needy; and
    3-8        WHEREAS, On top of his primary ministerial duties as a
    3-9  priest, this generous individual also gives of his time at
   3-10  Christopher House, being an enormous resource to its staff by
   3-11  conducting courses for them on death and dying and lending them a
   3-12  willing ear when one is needed; he can often be seen visiting
   3-13  patients and consoling families, and his obvious skill in relating
   3-14  to others has helped support many individuals so they could die
   3-15  with peace and dignity; he has taken his work one step further at
   3-16  St. Austin's by founding the parish's AIDS Care Teams Ministry; and
   3-17        WHEREAS, He remains faithful to his primary calling, to
   3-18  spread the Good News of the Gospel; through his carefully crafted
   3-19  and inspirational homilies, his informative catechetical classes,
   3-20  his patient manner with those needing spiritual guidance, and his
   3-21  prayerful presence at Mass, Father Walsh has touched the lives of
   3-22  many of the people who have come in contact with him; and
   3-23        WHEREAS, It was with great sadness that the parishioners of
   3-24  St. Austin's Catholic Church learned that this fine young priest,
   3-25  having completed his tenure at their parish, would soon be
   3-26  transferred to another area of the country where the Good News
   3-27  needed to be heard and lived; and
    4-1        WHEREAS, Although it is with sorrow that St. Austin's watches
    4-2  Father Rick Walsh leave, it is grateful that, even for a short
    4-3  time, they were blessed with his presence and his gifts; now,
    4-4  therefore, be it
    4-5        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
    4-6  Legislature hereby commend the Reverend Broderick Matthew (Rick)
    4-7  Walsh, CSP, for his outstanding four years of service to the
    4-8  parishioners and staff of St. Austin's Catholic Church and wish him
    4-9  many blessings and much success as he ventures forth to his new
   4-10  assignment; and, be it further
   4-11        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
   4-12  prepared for Father Walsh as a token of the highest esteem by the
   4-13  Texas House of Representatives.