Reverend Thomas Koys
St. James at Sag Bridge Catholic Church
Lemont, IL
Sponsor: Rep. Dan Lipinski, (D-IL)
Date of Prayer: 07/24/2014
One Minute Speech Given in Recognition of the Guest Chaplain:
Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce our guest chaplain this morning, Father Thomas Koys , pastor of St. James at Sag Bridge Catholic Church in Lemont, Illinois. Fitting for a pastor who loves American history, St. James was founded in 1833 and has a historic church building completed in 1858.
A longtime Chicagoland resident, Father Koys attended St. Mary Elementary in Riverside, Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary, and Niles College Seminary at Loyola University. He went on to receive two master's degrees from Catholic University of America and from University of St. Mary of the Lake.
Father Koys was ordained in 1985 and has become an important voice in the Catholic community. In 2002, he authored ‘‘The Ashes That Still Remain'' and also hosts a radio show on Winds of Change Radio in Chicago.
He learned to speak Spanish while on a 4–month mission in Guerrero, Mexico. Father Koys' Spanish is very much welcomed in ministering to the large Spanish–speaking population in the Chicago Archdiocese.
In the Archdiocese, he is also very active in advocating for life and for family issues, and is involved in leading the Catholic Professionals of Illinois.
An avid cyclist, Father Koys has participated in numerous cycling fundraisers to fight multiple sclerosis, which has affected his brother, John.
This afternoon, I ask my colleagues to join me in welcoming Father Koys to the House of Representatives, and thank him for serving today as our guest chaplain.
Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain:
Heavenly Father, I give You thanks and I ask Your blessing upon all gathered here. Lord, I beg You to enlighten us, and I ask You to be merciful to our country, as we strive to win that kind of peace that You desire.
As these people debate the best ways to order our society, give them humble hearts to seek that order that flows from Your supreme intelligence.
Help them to learn the lesson that You tried to teach Your chosen people in the time of Samuel, the prophet; that to be the most favored nation in Your eyes, that nation must be unlike other nations.
Lord, I pray for ministers of all faiths that they may be protected from the penalties assigned to lawbreakers who find it their duty to follow their conscience, save those who think it their duty to destroy America.
Put in our hearts a desire to build a nation unafraid to follow Your commands.
Amen.
To learn more about Members who have sponsored a Guest Chaplain, please visit the Congressional Biographical Directory