|
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
WHEREAS, Archbishop Emeritus Patricio Fernandez Flores of |
|
San Antonio passed away on January 9, 2017, at the age of 87, |
|
leaving behind an exceptional record as a pioneering leader in the |
|
church and as a champion for social justice; and |
|
WHEREAS, Born on July 26, 1929, in Ganado to Patricio Flores |
|
and Trinidad Fernandez de Flores, Archbishop Flores grew up in |
|
Pearland; in his teens, he joined the fight for education equality |
|
by organizing community fund-raisers, which eventually helped |
|
secure the legal victory that allowed Mexican American children to |
|
attend the local public school; and |
|
WHEREAS, Ordained to the priesthood on May 26, 1956, Patricio |
|
Flores spent the early years of his career in Houston, where he |
|
served as assistant pastor of Holy Name Parish, as pastor of |
|
Guardian Angel Parish, and as pastor of St. Joseph-St. Stephen |
|
Parish; in 1970, he was consecrated as the first Mexican American |
|
bishop in the United States; eight years later, he began a brief |
|
tenure as prelate of the Diocese of El Paso, and in 1979 he was |
|
appointed archbishop of San Antonio; and |
|
WHEREAS, Presiding over the Archdiocese of San Antonio for |
|
more than two decades, Archbishop Flores dedicated much of his |
|
energies to issues affecting indigent women and children, the |
|
elderly, and the infirm, and he remained a fervent advocate for the |
|
rights of farmworkers; in 1987, he had the honor of welcoming Pope |
|
John Paul II to the San Antonio Archdiocese, where the pontiff |
|
celebrated a mass that was attended by some 330,000 people; and |
|
WHEREAS, A member of the Migration and Refugee Services |
|
Department of the U.S. Catholic Conference, Archbishop Flores also |
|
chaired the Church in Latin America Committee of the National |
|
Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Texas Advisory Committee to |
|
the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights; he took pride in his heritage |
|
and encouraged other Latinos to become agents of change in their |
|
communities; in 1986, he received the Hispanic Heritage Award for |
|
leadership; and |
|
WHEREAS, Profoundly devoted to his faith and to the cause of |
|
social justice, Archbishop Patricio Flores touched the lives of |
|
countless individuals in ways beyond measure, and his |
|
compassionate, selfless service to the world will be remembered far |
|
and wide with deepest appreciation; now, therefore, be it |
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
|
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Archbishop Patricio |
|
Fernandez Flores and extend deepest sympathy to all those who mourn |
|
his passing; and, be it further |
|
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
|
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Archbishop |
|
Patricio Flores. |
|
|
Arévalo |
|
Bernal |
|
Cortez |
|
Gervin-Hawkins |
|
Larson |
|
Minjarez |
|
Uresti |
|
|
|
|
|
Allen |
Gonzales of Williamson |
Ortega |
|
|
Alonzo |
González of El Paso |
Paddie |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anderson of Dallas |
Guillen |
Perez |
|
|
Anderson of McLennan |
Gutierrez |
Phelan |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Biedermann |
Howard |
Reynolds |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bonnen of Brazoria |
Isaac |
Rodriguez of Bexar |
|
|
Bonnen of Galveston |
Israel |
Rodriguez of Travis |
|
|
Burkett |
Johnson of Dallas |
Romero, Jr. |
|
|
Burns |
Johnson of Harris |
Rose |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cain |
King of Hemphill |
Schofield |
|
|
Canales |
King of Parker |
Schubert |
|
|
Capriglione |
King of Uvalde |
Shaheen |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cosper |
Landgraf |
Stephenson |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Davis of Dallas |
Longoria |
Thompson of Brazoria |
|
|
Davis of Harris |
Lozano |
Thompson of Harris |
|
|
Dean |
Lucio III |
Tinderholt |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gervin-Hawkins |
Nevárez |
Zedler |
|
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
Speaker of the House |
|
|
I certify that H.R. No. 101 was unanimously adopted by a rising |
|
vote of the House on January 17, 2017. |
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
Chief Clerk of the House |
|