Daniel Coughlin
Encyclopedia
Fr. Daniel P. Coughlin STL
(born November 8, 1934) served as the 59th Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives
from March 23, 2000, to April 14, 2011. He was the first Roman Catholic priest
to serve in that position, and the process that led to his selection included some controversy. However, as a Washington Post article pointed out in 2010, on the occasion of Coughlin's tenth anniversary in the House Chaplain position, "there is ample evidence that the rancor that accompanied his selection has disappeared: Last week, lawmakers from both parties streamed onto the House floor to honor his decade of service."
with a degree in Theology
. Coughlin was ordained for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
on May 3, 1960. In 1968 he received a degree in Pastoral Studies
from Loyola University
, Chicago
.
From 1985 to 1990 Coughlin was pastor at St. Francis Xavier Parish in La Grange, Illinois
. He then became Director of the Cardinal Strich Retreat House in Mundelein, Illinois. In 1995 he began working as Vicar for Priests of the Archdiocese of Chicago under Joseph Bernardin and later Francis George. His work both at the retreat house and in his role as Vicar for Priests -- a position that included offering pastoral care to priests, including those involved in sexual abuse cases -- would later lead to accusations of impropriety (that he was somehow involved with the overall problem of covering up sex crimes within the Catholic Church) later in his career. However, Coughlin's role was, in his words, a "pastor for priests," helping priests "comply with whatever protocols the archdiocese mandated," rather than making decisions about how accused priests should be managed. The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights
called any allegations of wrong-doing on Coughlin's part a "witch hunt." Coughlin held the position of Vicar for Priests until he was sworn in as House Chaplain.
During the mid-80s, during a sabbatical from his work in Illinois, he lived and worked with Trappist monks
in Kentucky
's Gethsemani Abbey, and worked in India
with Calcutta's Missionaries of Charity
. He has also served on numerous national and international committees focusing on the subjects of spirituality and renewal in prayer, and served as a scholar-in-residence at the North American College
in Rome. He is also a contributor to "The Spiritual Renewal of the American Priesthood," a publication of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.
appointed a bipartisan search committee made up of 18 congressional members to recommend a new chaplain to him, but when that committee reportedly recommended Catholic priest Timothy O'Brien (selected by secret ballot after consideration of more than 50 applicants and nominees for the position), Hastert chose Presbyterian minister Charles Parker Wright instead. In a "personal privilege" address to Congress on March 20, 2009, Hastert denied that O'Brien's name was given to him as the first choice of the committee, instead saying that O'Brien's name was the first of the final three names submitted to him because the names were in alphabetical order, not numerical ranking.
Hastert's decision not to select Fr. O'Brien led to accusations of anti-Catholic bias, and ultimately resulted in the Reverend Wright's decision to withdraw his name from consideration. Press reports of Hastert's "surprise compromise selection of a Chicago Catholic priest" covered the story of the Speaker's decision as a way of diffusing the controversy. Hastert, a native of and representative from Illinois, had his staff reach out to Chicago's Archbishop, Francis Cardinal George, for a recommendation of a priest to fill the role of House Chaplain.
Hastert formally interviewed Coughlin on March 13, 2000, and Coughlin was sworn in as the fifty-ninth Chaplain of the House of Representatives on March 23, beginning his service with the 106th Congress. Because he was named while congress was in session, he served as Acting Chaplain throughout the remainder of the 106th Congress, formally elected to a full term as House Chaplain on January 3, 2001, when the 107th Congress convened.
As House Chaplain, he also offered and coordinated pastoral counseling to the House community, and his office coordinated a website with information about worship services and upcoming special events in the areas of religion and faith in the Capitol Hill and Washington, D.C.
area.
Coughlin has noted that he "sensed how deeply lawmakers value prayer and the presence of the chaplain in the halls of Congress" after the September 11 attacks. He has noted that his understanding of this need brought "a further gravity to his duties."
Coughlin has sometimes referred to the "House family," to which he offers pastoral care, regardless of the religions of its members and staffers, or whether individuals identify with a religious faith at all. For example, during the 110th Congress, when six House members passed away, Coughlin sensed the pain of Congress, even while he worked with families and ceremonies linked to this unusually high number of deaths.
He also sensed a special pain on the part of Catholic members during debates within the Catholic Church over withholding Holy communion from public officials whose votes (especially votes that could be interpreted as "pro-choice
") were interpreted as being antithetical to church teaching. Referring to such debates as "very upsetting," Coughlin said that he "talked to members of the hierarchy on that as well as members of the House,"
telling Church leaders that he would "...stay with my people whatever you do. I will be with my people whatever you do. I will hear them out. I will be with them." Coughlin has called this situation -- the threat of using the liturgy "as a threat"-- "one of the saddest stories I heard."
When challenged by those who question whether a priest with his own theological beliefs can minister to the spiritual needs of men and women of all faiths, Coughlin answers with complete honesty, admitting that he cannot, because he has his own "limitations." Therefore, he says he meets with ministers, rabbis, and other religious leaders so that he can "refer members of Congress to people who speak their spiritual language." On the other hand, he contends that "We have many more common concerns than differences," and many conversations are not linked to any one religion's theological beliefs.
Coughlin's service to the members and staffs of the House have earned him praise from both sides of the aisle. In 2010, then-speaker Nancy Pelosi
described him by saying that "He has seen us through the dark and through the bright," and Representative F. James Sensenbrenner Jr.
(R-Wis.) confessed to being "a better person for having known Father Coughlin and having been counseled by him." Representative Daniel Lipinski (D-Ill.) called him "an inspiration."
in October 2006, the
Alumni Extraordinary Service Award from the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University
, and an Honorary Doctorate in Theology from Lewis University
. In addition, House Resolution 1216, introduced in 2010 by Congressman Dan Lipinski
to honor Coughlin's first ten years as House Chaplain, was passed by a vote of 412-0.
. In a 2011 audio interview with America magazine
conducted two weeks before his retirement, Coughlin asks that citizens not only pray for all congressional members "by name," but also pray for the new House Chaplain. Coughlin noted that "If the chaplain is not a man of prayer -- or a person of prayer -- and a person of peace, we're good for nobody." On May 6, 2011, an announcement was made that Fr. Patrick J. Conroy
was nominated to be the 60th Chaplain of the House of Representatives.
Licentiate of Sacred Theology
Licentiate of Sacred Theology is the title of the second cycle of studies of a Faculty of Theology offered by a pontifical universities or ecclesiastical faculties of sacred theology. An Ecclesiastical Faculty offers three cycles of study: Baccalaureate or fundamentals, Licentiate or specialized,...
(born November 8, 1934) served as the 59th Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives
Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives
The election of William Linn as Chaplain of the House on May 1, 1789, continued the tradition established by the Continental Congresses of each day's proceedings opening with a prayer by a chaplain. The early Chaplains alternated duties with their Senate counterparts on a weekly basis, covering the...
from March 23, 2000, to April 14, 2011. He was the first Roman Catholic priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
to serve in that position, and the process that led to his selection included some controversy. However, as a Washington Post article pointed out in 2010, on the occasion of Coughlin's tenth anniversary in the House Chaplain position, "there is ample evidence that the rancor that accompanied his selection has disappeared: Last week, lawmakers from both parties streamed onto the House floor to honor his decade of service."
Life and early priesthood
Coughlin was born November 8, 1934, in Illinois. The son of Dan and Lucille Coughlin, he was raised on the North side of Chicago, and graduated from St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, IllinoisMundelein, Illinois
Mundelein is a village in Lake County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 31,064.-History:The community now known as Mundelein has been inhabited since at least 1650, when the Potowatami Indians were known to have been trading with French fur traders....
with a degree in Theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
. Coughlin was ordained for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
The Archdiocese of Chicago was established as a diocese in 1843 and as an Archdiocese in 1880. It serves more than 2.3 million Catholics in Cook and Lake counties in Northeastern Illinois, a geographic area of 1,411 square miles. The Archdiocese is divided into six vicariates and 31 deaneries...
on May 3, 1960. In 1968 he received a degree in Pastoral Studies
Pastoral care
Pastoral care is the ministry of care and counseling provided by pastors, chaplains and other religious leaders to members of their church or congregation, or to persons of all faiths and none within institutional settings. This can range anywhere from home visitation to formal counseling provided...
from Loyola University
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
From 1985 to 1990 Coughlin was pastor at St. Francis Xavier Parish in La Grange, Illinois
La Grange, Illinois
La Grange, a suburb of Chicago, is a village in Cook County, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 15,608 at the 2000 census.-History:...
. He then became Director of the Cardinal Strich Retreat House in Mundelein, Illinois. In 1995 he began working as Vicar for Priests of the Archdiocese of Chicago under Joseph Bernardin and later Francis George. His work both at the retreat house and in his role as Vicar for Priests -- a position that included offering pastoral care to priests, including those involved in sexual abuse cases -- would later lead to accusations of impropriety (that he was somehow involved with the overall problem of covering up sex crimes within the Catholic Church) later in his career. However, Coughlin's role was, in his words, a "pastor for priests," helping priests "comply with whatever protocols the archdiocese mandated," rather than making decisions about how accused priests should be managed. The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights
Catholic League (U.S.)
The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, often shortened to the Catholic League, is an American Catholic anti-defamation and civil rights organization...
called any allegations of wrong-doing on Coughlin's part a "witch hunt." Coughlin held the position of Vicar for Priests until he was sworn in as House Chaplain.
During the mid-80s, during a sabbatical from his work in Illinois, he lived and worked with Trappist monks
Trappists
The Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance , or Trappists, is a Roman Catholic religious order of cloistered contemplative monks who follow the Rule of St. Benedict...
in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
's Gethsemani Abbey, and worked in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
with Calcutta's Missionaries of Charity
Missionaries of Charity
Missionaries of Charity is a Roman Catholic religious congregation established in 1950 by Mother Teresa of Calcutta, which consists of over 4,500 sisters and is active in 133 countries...
. He has also served on numerous national and international committees focusing on the subjects of spirituality and renewal in prayer, and served as a scholar-in-residence at the North American College
Pontifical North American College
The Pontifical North American College is a Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy educating seminarians for the dioceses in the United States and providing a residence for American priests studying in Rome. It was founded in 1859 by Blessed Pope Pius IX and was granted pontifical...
in Rome. He is also a contributor to "The Spiritual Renewal of the American Priesthood," a publication of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Selection process controversy
The selection of the 59th Chaplain of the House of Representatives was a controversial process prior to Coughlin's eventual selection. Then House Speaker Dennis HastertDennis Hastert
John Dennis "Denny" Hastert was the 59th Speaker of the House serving from 1999 to 2007. He represented as a Republican for twenty years, 1987 to 2007.He is the longest-serving Republican Speaker in history...
appointed a bipartisan search committee made up of 18 congressional members to recommend a new chaplain to him, but when that committee reportedly recommended Catholic priest Timothy O'Brien (selected by secret ballot after consideration of more than 50 applicants and nominees for the position), Hastert chose Presbyterian minister Charles Parker Wright instead. In a "personal privilege" address to Congress on March 20, 2009, Hastert denied that O'Brien's name was given to him as the first choice of the committee, instead saying that O'Brien's name was the first of the final three names submitted to him because the names were in alphabetical order, not numerical ranking.
Hastert's decision not to select Fr. O'Brien led to accusations of anti-Catholic bias, and ultimately resulted in the Reverend Wright's decision to withdraw his name from consideration. Press reports of Hastert's "surprise compromise selection of a Chicago Catholic priest" covered the story of the Speaker's decision as a way of diffusing the controversy. Hastert, a native of and representative from Illinois, had his staff reach out to Chicago's Archbishop, Francis Cardinal George, for a recommendation of a priest to fill the role of House Chaplain.
Selection
Daniel Coughlin, Cardinal George's recommendation and Hastert's ultimate selection, was described as a 65-year-old "gentle, soft-spoken priest," who said he was "blown away" by the news that he had been "plucked out of obscurity for the job and thrust into the middle of a political maelstrom." Responding to a reporter's comment that he was being thrown into a "lion's den," Coughlin noted that perhaps it was fitting that his name was "Daniel."Hastert formally interviewed Coughlin on March 13, 2000, and Coughlin was sworn in as the fifty-ninth Chaplain of the House of Representatives on March 23, beginning his service with the 106th Congress. Because he was named while congress was in session, he served as Acting Chaplain throughout the remainder of the 106th Congress, formally elected to a full term as House Chaplain on January 3, 2001, when the 107th Congress convened.
Service
As House Chaplain, Coughlin opened every session with a prayer, either delivering it himself or coordinating the service of a guest chaplain (often nominated by members of the House, representing their home districts). Coughlin has noted that "Welcoming guest chaplains is one of the very rewarding things I do. It shows the breadth and depth of the religious experience in the U.S., and is a shining beacon of religious liberty." He has also shared his belief in "prayer and the power of prayer," and its power to "bring about change in the nation's capital."As House Chaplain, he also offered and coordinated pastoral counseling to the House community, and his office coordinated a website with information about worship services and upcoming special events in the areas of religion and faith in the Capitol Hill and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
area.
Coughlin has noted that he "sensed how deeply lawmakers value prayer and the presence of the chaplain in the halls of Congress" after the September 11 attacks. He has noted that his understanding of this need brought "a further gravity to his duties."
Coughlin has sometimes referred to the "House family," to which he offers pastoral care, regardless of the religions of its members and staffers, or whether individuals identify with a religious faith at all. For example, during the 110th Congress, when six House members passed away, Coughlin sensed the pain of Congress, even while he worked with families and ceremonies linked to this unusually high number of deaths.
He also sensed a special pain on the part of Catholic members during debates within the Catholic Church over withholding Holy communion from public officials whose votes (especially votes that could be interpreted as "pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
") were interpreted as being antithetical to church teaching. Referring to such debates as "very upsetting," Coughlin said that he "talked to members of the hierarchy on that as well as members of the House,"
telling Church leaders that he would "...stay with my people whatever you do. I will be with my people whatever you do. I will hear them out. I will be with them." Coughlin has called this situation -- the threat of using the liturgy "as a threat"-- "one of the saddest stories I heard."
When challenged by those who question whether a priest with his own theological beliefs can minister to the spiritual needs of men and women of all faiths, Coughlin answers with complete honesty, admitting that he cannot, because he has his own "limitations." Therefore, he says he meets with ministers, rabbis, and other religious leaders so that he can "refer members of Congress to people who speak their spiritual language." On the other hand, he contends that "We have many more common concerns than differences," and many conversations are not linked to any one religion's theological beliefs.
Coughlin's service to the members and staffs of the House have earned him praise from both sides of the aisle. In 2010, then-speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
described him by saying that "He has seen us through the dark and through the bright," and Representative F. James Sensenbrenner Jr.
Jim Sensenbrenner
Frank James Sensenbrenner, Jr. is an American politician who has been a member of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives since 1979, representing . The district, the state's richest, includes many of Milwaukee's northern and western suburbs, and extends into rural...
(R-Wis.) confessed to being "a better person for having known Father Coughlin and having been counseled by him." Representative Daniel Lipinski (D-Ill.) called him "an inspiration."
Honors and awards
His awards and recognitions include the Distinguished Service Award from the Washington Theological UnionWashington Theological Union
Washington Theological Union is a Roman Catholic graduate school of theology and ministry in Washington, D.C., with a mission of educating and forming candidates for the priesthood and other church ministries. WTU is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada...
in October 2006, the
Alumni Extraordinary Service Award from the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St...
, and an Honorary Doctorate in Theology from Lewis University
Lewis University
Lewis University is a private Roman Catholic and Lasallian university located in Romeoville, Illinois, United States . The enrollment is currently around 6,800 students...
. In addition, House Resolution 1216, introduced in 2010 by Congressman Dan Lipinski
Dan Lipinski
Daniel William Lipinski is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes much of the southwest side of Chicago, along with such suburbs as Oak Lawn and Brookfield....
to honor Coughlin's first ten years as House Chaplain, was passed by a vote of 412-0.
Successor
A search for Coughlin's successor as House Chaplain was begun shortly before his retirement, with final approval in the hands of House Speaker John BoehnerJohn Boehner
John Andrew Boehner is the 61st and current Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, he is the U.S. Representative from , serving since 1991...
. In a 2011 audio interview with America magazine
America (magazine)
America is a national weekly magazine published by the American Jesuits that contains news and opinion about Catholicism and how it relates to American politics and cultural life....
conducted two weeks before his retirement, Coughlin asks that citizens not only pray for all congressional members "by name," but also pray for the new House Chaplain. Coughlin noted that "If the chaplain is not a man of prayer -- or a person of prayer -- and a person of peace, we're good for nobody." On May 6, 2011, an announcement was made that Fr. Patrick J. Conroy
Patrick J. Conroy
Fr. Patrick J. Conroy, S.J., is a Jesuit Priest who is serving as the 60th Chaplain of the House of Representatives. His selection was announced by the office of John Boehner, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, on May 6, 2011, and he was sworn in as the new House Chaplain May...
was nominated to be the 60th Chaplain of the House of Representatives.
See also
- ChaplainChaplainTraditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
- Chaplain of the United States House of RepresentativesChaplain of the United States House of RepresentativesThe election of William Linn as Chaplain of the House on May 1, 1789, continued the tradition established by the Continental Congresses of each day's proceedings opening with a prayer by a chaplain. The early Chaplains alternated duties with their Senate counterparts on a weekly basis, covering the...
- Chaplain of the United States SenateChaplain of the United States SenateThe Chaplain of the United States Senate opens each session of the United States Senate with a prayer, and provides and coordinates religious programs and pastoral care support for Senators, their staffs, and their families. The Chaplain is appointed by a majority vote of the members of the Senate...
External links
- C-span video and transcript:Then-speaker Dennis Hasbert speaks to House about his decision to appoint Coughlin after controversial search process.
- YouTube video:Faith on the Hill -- Interview with Coughlin and Barry Black, Senate Chaplain, Georgetown University, March 29, 2009.
- April 2011 audio interview: America MagazineAmerica (magazine)America is a national weekly magazine published by the American Jesuits that contains news and opinion about Catholicism and how it relates to American politics and cultural life....
podcast, with Fr. Coughlin, looking back over 11 years of service. - Video: President Obama's Inauguration Day Luncheon, concluding with benediction by Fr. Coughlin.
- C-Span Video: Post 9/11 panel discussion on Race, Ethnicity, and Culture, sponsored by National Conference on Community and Justice, featuring Coughlin as one panelist/speaker, 2002.
- Official website of the Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives
- House resolution honoring Coughlin's tenth year of service as House Chaplain.
- Remarks of Nancy Pelosi in recognition of Coughlin's first ten years as chaplain.
- Coughlin's prayer at Congressional service commemorating 2011 shootings in Tucson, Arizona.
- Coughlin's invocation at funeral of former President Gerald Ford.
- C-span video: Fr Coughlin's final prayer as House Chaplain, followed by tributes by Speaker Boehner and Minority Leader Pelosi.
- CRS Report: House and Senate Chaplains