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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Archbishop Emeritus Patricio Fernandez Flores of |
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San Antonio passed away on January 9, 2017, at the age of 87, |
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leaving behind an exceptional record as a pioneering leader in the |
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church and as a champion for social justice; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on July 26, 1929, in Ganado to Patricio Flores |
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and Trinidad Fernandez de Flores, Archbishop Flores grew up in |
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Pearland; in his teens, he joined the fight for education equality |
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by organizing community fund-raisers, which eventually helped |
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secure the legal victory that allowed Mexican American children to |
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attend the local public school; and |
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WHEREAS, Ordained to the priesthood on May 26, 1956, Patricio |
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Flores spent the early years of his career in Houston, where he |
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served as assistant pastor of Holy Name Parish, as pastor of |
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Guardian Angel Parish, and as pastor of St. Joseph-St. Stephen |
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Parish; in 1970, he was consecrated as the first Mexican American |
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bishop in the United States; eight years later, he began a brief |
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tenure as prelate of the Diocese of El Paso, and in 1979 he was |
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appointed archbishop of San Antonio; and |
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WHEREAS, Presiding over the Archdiocese of San Antonio for |
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more than two decades, Archbishop Flores dedicated much of his |
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energies to issues affecting indigent women and children, the |
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elderly, and the infirm, and he remained a fervent advocate for the |
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rights of farmworkers; in 1987, he had the honor of welcoming Pope |
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John Paul II to the San Antonio Archdiocese, where the pontiff |
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celebrated a mass that was attended by some 330,000 people; and |
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WHEREAS, A member of the Migration and Refugee Services |
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Department of the U.S. Catholic Conference, Archbishop Flores also |
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chaired the Church in Latin America Committee of the National |
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Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Texas Advisory Committee to |
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the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights; he took pride in his heritage |
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and encouraged other Latinos to become agents of change in their |
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communities; in 1986, he received the Hispanic Heritage Award for |
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leadership; and |
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WHEREAS, Profoundly devoted to his faith and to the cause of |
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social justice, Archbishop Patricio Flores touched the lives of |
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countless individuals in ways beyond measure, and his |
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compassionate, selfless service to the world will be remembered far |
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and wide with deepest appreciation; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Archbishop Patricio |
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Fernandez Flores and extend deepest sympathy to all those who mourn |
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his passing; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Archbishop |
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Patricio Flores. |