2005 -- H 6506 ======LC03352 ======STATE OF

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2005 ______

H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N

CONGRATULATING ROBERT E. MULVEE ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT AS BISHOP OF THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF PROVIDENCE

Introduced By: Representatives Murphy, Moura, Faria, Kilmartin, and Giannini

Date Introduced: May 19, 2005

Referred To: House read and passed

1 WHEREAS, On June 30, 1957, Robert E. Mulvee was ordained to the priesthood at the

2 American College in Louvain, . The following forty-eight years led Bishop Mulvee on a

3 wondrous and fulfilling journey; and

4 WHEREAS, Following his ordination, Bishop Mulvee began his service to God as

5 Chaplain at Saint Charles Orphanage in Rochester, and working at Saint Leo in Gonic and

6 Saint Peter's Parish in Farmington; and

7 WHEREAS, The subsequent years saw Bishop Mulvee gain knowledge and experience

8 through a myriad of parish positions. In addition, he furthered his education, completing his

9 doctorate in Canon Law at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome, and receiving a Master's

10 Degree in Religious Education from the University of Louvain; and

11 WHEREAS, In July of 1964, Bishop Mulvee was appointed as Assistant Chancellor of

12 the diocese. Over the course of the next few years, he served in several diocesan posts and as a

13 member and chairman of numerous commissions and councils. He accepted and embraced the

14 changes in his life through his surety in the knowledge that the Lord was always with him; and

15 WHEREAS, On February 7, 1995, Bishop Mulvee was appointed of

16 Providence. To the immeasurable good fortune of the citizens of Rhode Island, Pope John Paul II

17 appointed him as the seventh Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Providence on June 11, 1997.

18 Bishop Mulvee has carried out the requirements and responsibilities of this title with supreme

19 faith, absolute love, and compelling wisdom; and 1 WHEREAS, As an integral part of the solace and healing process for so many Rhode

2 Islanders, Bishop Mulvee gathered with family and friends during the tragedy of the Station

3 Nightclub fire in 2003. As a paradigm of the priesthood, he has been a role model that others

4 have chosen to emulate, with Providence seeing an increase in the number of vocations during his

5 tenure; and

6 WHEREAS, Bishop Mulvee was born in February of 1930, making him seventy-five

7 years old on his birthday this year. A provision in the 's cannons states that

8 diocesan must turn in their resignations upon completion of their 75th year; and

9 WHEREAS, On May 31, 2005, Bishop Mulvee will officially retire as spiritual leader of

10 the Providence Diocese, and it is fitting and just that this milestone be celebrated and

11 acknowledged. He will continue to reside in his third floor apartment in the Catholic Rectory and

12 will hold the title Bishop Emeritus. While he has no immediate plans for his future, there is no

13 doubt that Bishop Mulvee will continue to be a vibrant spiritual light, and the insight and

14 guidance he has so generously bestowed on Rhode Islanders will continue to shine in his post-

15 retirement years; now, therefore be it

16 RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

17 Providence Plantations hereby congratulates Bishop Robert E. Mulvee on the occasion of his

18 retirement as Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Providence. We wish him good health, spiritual

19 fulfillment and continued success in all his future endeavors; and be it further

20 RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to

21 transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Bishop Robert E. Mulvee.

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