Fr. JC Maximilian

Here is a link to watch what nice things Congressman Christopher Smith had to say about me in his 1-minute address welcoming me to the House of Representatives as the guest chaplain, [clip is from C-SPAN]

Yesterday I had a great honor.  I was invited, at the request of Rep. Christopher Smith, NJ-4, to be the guest chaplain for the U.S. House of Representatives.  While I had “floor privileges” for the entire day, my only real duty was to say the opening prayer at the start of the session, which follows:

Opening Prayer
U.S. House of Representatives
July 16, 2008
Fr. John C. Garrett

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” (Declaration of Independence)

God, Creator of Heaven and Earth,
The Founders of this Great Nation, recognized the basic principle that You are our Creator and we are Your noble, yet humble, creatures.  As such, all men and women are loved and treasured by You.  Send your blessings on the women and men of this honorable House, so that they will be guided by your Divine Law in their deliberations.  Grant them the wisdom to seek the common good for all people.  May all their actions demonstrate respect and reverence for all people; each made in Your Divine image and likeness.  Let all this be done for Your greater glory.  We ask this in Your Divine Name.
Amen.

How did I get selected for this honor?  Well, it is a long story.  I first met Chris Smith back in 1976.  He was the Executive Director for New Jersey Right to Life, and was the campaign manager for a Pro-Life Democrat, Steve Foley, who was running in the primary for the U.S. Senate.  My father was the Mercer County campaign manager for Mr. Foley.  I was 12 at the time, and spent many an evening stuffing envelops and other campaign type activities with Chris and his then girlfriend, Marie, whom he married.  The Smiths became friends of my family.  In 1978 Chris decided to switch parties and run for Congress, so my family was back into stuffing envelops.  He lost that election, but he ran again in 1980, and won.  By that time I was a junior in high school, with an interest in politics and law.  My father told me that when he went to Washington, D.C. on his HS Senior trip he met a Congressional Page.  When Congressman Smith was first elected, in 1980, during my junior year, I asked him about applying to become a Congressional Page.  Right at the end of my junior year I found out that I had been selected, so I spent my senior year of high school as a Congressional Page in the U.S. House of Representatives.  I was Congressman Smith’s first Page.  It was a wonderful year, and I learned so much about the legislative process, and had an unique vantage point on moments of history.

My family continued to be friends with the Congressman and his family.  My mother worked in his district office for nearly 20 years.  Now my sister Jennifer works in his district office.

Yesterday actually started on Tuesday.  After having a funeral here in the parish, I drove down to DC.  A friend of my sister, Ann, from medical school is now a Jesuit priest teaching at Georgetown, and he was good enough to allow me to stay there.  We had a great visit.

Yesterday morning I was to report to Congressman Smith’s office at 9:15 a.m.  Not sure of Washington traffic, I left a little after 8 a.m.  Parking was arranged for me at the Capitol.  Of course there was a lot of security to go through.  There was a pleasant surprise for me at Congressman Smith’s office — my sister Jennifer came down to work that day in the DC office.  We were escorted to the Speaker’s Lobby (a room just off the House Floor), and I was told where I would stand and the procedure that would be followed.  Mr. Oliver, the man in charge of the Pages on the Republican side when I was a Page, was there as were two of my other supervisors.  Mr. Oliver retired a few months ago, and we had dinner later last evening with one of my Page School classmates.  My sister was escorted to the gallery, and I waited on the dais for the Speaker to call the House to order.  She then introduced me, and I said the prayer.  After the Pledge of Allegiance, Speaker Pelosi invited me back to her office for pictures.  My sister joined us.  While I do not agree with the Speaker’s position on Life Issues (e.g., abortion, embryonic stem cell research, etc.), she was very pleasant to speak with.  She asked me about what it was like to be back after 26 years, the parish I am assigne to, my friendship with Congressman Smith.  After pictures Congressman Smith took me back to the House Floor where he gave a 1-minute speech about, well, me.  Then it was back to his office for a nice visit.  Eventually he, and my sister, need to get to work.

I spent the afternoon at the Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, said Mass there for Deacon Joseph Malloy, and visited with a friend from the seminary.  I met my Page School classmate and Mr. Oliver at “Chef Geoff’s Downtown” for a most delightful dinner.  Then it was the long drive back to NJ.

It was a very nice day.