LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Maryknoll, the Catholic Foreign Mission
Society of America upon the occasion of celebrating its Centennial

WHEREAS, Religious institutions, and the many spiritual, social and
educational benefits they confer, play a vital role in the development
of the moral fabric of a responsible citizenry; and
WHEREAS, It is the tradition of this State and this Nation to pay
tribute to those institutions and individuals who have contributed to
the ethical and spiritual values of their communities; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body takes pleasure in honoring Maryknoll,
the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America upon the occasion of
celebrating its Centennial to be observed with a special Mass at St.
Patrick's Cathedral on October 30, 2011; and
WHEREAS, During 100 years, more than 2,000 Maryknoll priests and
hundreds of brothers have spread out to almost 50 countries, serving the
poor and the oppressed while sharing their Catholic faith by word and
example; and
WHEREAS, Maryknoll was founded by the Reverend James Walsh of Boston,
Massachusetts, and the Reverend Thomas Price of Wilmington, North Caro-
lina, who met in 1910 at a conference in Montreal, Canada; the following
year they traveled together to Rome, Italy, and on June 29, 1911,
received Pope Pius X's blessing for the formation of The Catholic
Foreign Mission Society of America, now better known as the Maryknoll
Fathers and Brothers; and
WHEREAS, After a short stay in their original headquarters in Hawt-
horne, New York, Father Walsh and Father Price set up the training
ground for their young missioners seminary on a hilltop farm in nearby
Ossining, New York; they called their location "Mary's knoll" in honor
of the blessed mother, which in time became "Maryknoll"; in 1920,
construction of the Maryknoll seminary began and was finally completed
in the 1950s; and
WHEREAS, Thomas McCann became the first Maryknoll Brother in 1912, and
by 1918, three young priests Frs. James E. Walsh, Francis X. Ford, and
Bernard F. Meyer were ready for the foreign missions in China, just
after the first world war; and
WHEREAS, The mission soon expanded to include northern China and
Korea; as war or unrest made mission impossible in one area, Maryknoll
went to other regions: Latin America in 1942, and Africa in 1946, just
as these continents entered eras of military conflict and social
upheaval; today there are over 475 Maryknoll Priests and Brothers serv-
ing in countries around the world, principally in Africa, Asia and Latin
America; and
WHEREAS, Over 10 decades, more than 2,000 men have been ordained to
the missionary priesthood and several hundred have taken oaths as Broth-
ers; the areas in which Maryknollers serve have been affected by World
War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and other conflicts around the
globe; and
WHEREAS, Maryknoll stands on the threshold of tomorrow, prepared to
meet the challenges of the coming decades while retaining that spiritual
resolve which characterizes its past; and
WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to take note of
enduring religious institutions and to bring such institutions to the
attention of the people of this Empire State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Maryknoll, the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America upon
the occasion of celebrating its Centennial, fully confident that this

commemoration reflects the belief in those values which enhance the
dignity and purpose of life; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Maryknoll.