Washington D.C., May 26, 2011 / 23:03 pm
The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously voted on May 25 to approve Fr. Patrick J. Conroy, S.J., as the next House chaplain.
“Father Pat Conroy comes with a healthy respect for what we do,” said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D – Calif.), The Hill reports. “It is a beautiful honor steeped in history — deeply personal, free of politics — and we wish him every success in that job.”
He will be the 60th House chaplain, but only the second Catholic priest to serve in that role.
Fr. Conroy told Religion News Service that a chaplain’s role is more like “a counselor” than a pastor.