Bishop Robert Barron
Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Santa Barbara, CA
Sponsor: Rep. Tom Suozzi, (D-NY)
Date of Prayer: 10/30/2019
One Minute Speech Given in Recognition of the Guest Chaplain:
Mr. SUOZZI. Madam Speaker, I rise to welcome Bishop Robert Barron, who gave the opening prayer today, here to the Chamber.
Bishop Barron is the second–most followed Catholic on social media
after the Pope. He is a remarkable man who has inspired me and my wife and my family for many years, and I am honored to have brought him here to the Nation's Capital where, yesterday, he addressed several dozen Members of Congress, as well as their staff members.
Bishop Barron was ordained as a priest in the Archdiocese of Chicago 33 years ago. In July 2015, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Barron to be the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He is the
founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, an innovative new hub for
spiritual and intellectual formation, where he produces daily
meditations, weekly homilies, movies on pivotal players in Catholic history, reviews of movies, and debates with sometimes–controversial thought leaders of today's culture.
Bishop Barron, as I said, is the second–most followed Catholic on
social media, second only to the Pope. His regular YouTube videos have been viewed over 40 million times, and he has over 1.7 million
followers on Facebook.
He is a number one Amazon bestselling author and has published 16 books. He has created the groundbreaking documentary "Catholicism,"
which aired on PBS. He has eight other films and study programs.
He is a religious correspondent for NBC and has appeared on FOX News and CNN, as well as other stations. He has been invited to speak about religion at the headquarters of Facebook, Google, and Amazon, and, now,
the United States Congress.
Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain:
O God, source of all justice, You have summoned everyone who works in this Chamber to walk the path of righteousness, to foster life and liberty, to care especially for the poorest and most vulnerable in our society. Free these servants of Yours, O Lord, of all those attachments to wealth or power or privilege or fame that would prevent them from following the course You have set out for them. Make them mindful of the time when they first heard Your voice and followed it with idealism and enthusiasm.
Illumine their minds, direct their wills, stir up in them a holy passion for doing what is right, despite the cost. Give them the knowledge that whenever they strive for justice, they are pleasing to You. And shower, O Lord, Your choicest blessings upon our country. Amen.
To learn more about Members who have sponsored a Guest Chaplain, please visit the Congressional Biographical Directory