LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien upon the
occasion of his elevation to Cardinal by the Vatican on January 6, 2012

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to applaud the just
recognition of men of the cloth who distinguish themselves and the
ministry through their unremitting commitment and long-standing preemi-
nence of service; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, this Legislative Body is proud to
honor and recognize Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien upon the occasion of his
elevation to Cardinal by the Vatican on Friday, January 6, 2012; and
WHEREAS, Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien was born April 8, 1939, to an
Irish Catholic family, living in a two-bedroom apartment in the Van Nest
neighborhood; he attended Our Lady of Solace Church and graduated from
its elementary school; and
WHEREAS, When his father died, Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien was just 14
years old, he and his two brothers were fortunate enough to have Jewish
families in their building look after them, making sure their homework
was done while their mother worked as a secretary and delivered newspa-
pers; and
WHEREAS, His mother soon remarried, and the family moved to Westches-
ter County; Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien went to high school at St.
Mary's in Katonah; and
WHEREAS, Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien cannot remember when he did not
want to be a priest; it was the priests he saw that were his true inspi-
ration; and
WHEREAS, In 1965, Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien was ordained by Cardinal
Francis Spellman and assigned to West Point; and
WHEREAS, Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien exercises regularly, roots enthu-
siastically for the New York Yankees and is so devoted to doing what he
asks others to do that he learned how to parachute before serving as a
military chaplain in Vietnam; he completed 15 jumps before reaching
Vietnam because he wanted to be closer to the kinds of soldiers he met
while working at West Point; and
WHEREAS, For the six months prior to his elevation to Cardinal, Arch-
bishop Edwin F. O'Brien held the title of pro-grand master of the
Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, a largely lay order
dating to the Crusades of the 11th Century; serving in this capacity, he
was the Pope's Representative to Catholics in the Holy Land; and
WHEREAS, Receiving the cardinal's crimson hat crowns a distinguished
career which has taken Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien from the parish of
Our Lady of Solace in the northeast Bronx to West Point to Vietnam,
where he traveled by helicopter into jungle outposts to minister to
troops, to Rome for doctoral studies in moral theology, and back to New
York where he served as Secretary or Communications Director for Cardi-
nal Terence Cooke and Cardinal John J. O'Connor; and
WHEREAS, Furthermore, Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien ably completed two
tours as Rector of St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, and was ultimately
appointed to the esteemed position of Auxiliary Bishop; and
WHEREAS, In 1997, he was named Archbishop for the military services,
making him the spiritual shepherd for 1.4 million Catholics; in 2007, he
was installed as Archbishop of Baltimore, an archdiocese he has contin-
ued to administer until a successor is named; and
WHEREAS, Devoted to the Bronx community and never forgetting his
roots, this distinguished man of God returned to Our Lady of Solace
after his promotion to Archbishop and has made an annual trip ever
since; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when a person
of such noble aims and accomplishments is brought to our attention it is
appropriate to publicly and jubilantly proclaim and commend that indi-
vidual for the edification of others; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
congratulate and commend Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien upon the occasion
of his elevation to Cardinal, noting his unremitting and compassionate
faith and his exemplary service to God, man, and his community, and
extending to him the heartfelt best wishes of this Legislative Body for
a future of continued purposeful success and well-being; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien and the parish of Our Lady of
Solace, Bronx, New York.