Honor Bishop Hubbard Award

Senate Resolution No. 3085 BY: Senator BRESLIN COMMENDING The Honorable Howard J. Hubbard, Bishop Emeritus upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of the Circle of Hope Award by Hope House, Inc. on September 16, 2017 WHEREAS, From time to time this Legislative Body takes note of certain extraordinary individuals it wishes to recognize for their valued contributions to the success and progress of society and publicly acknowledge their endeavors which have enhanced the basic humanity among us all; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend The Honorable Howard J. Hubbard, Bishop Emeritus upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of the Circle of Hope Award by Hope House, Inc. to be celebrated at its Golden Anniversary Gala on Saturday, September 16, 2017, at 90 State Street in Albany, New York; and WHEREAS, Founded by a group of volunteers led by then Father Howard J. Hubbard in 1967, Hope House, Inc. of Albany, New York, has responded to needs in the community by providing education, intervention and treatment to persons whose lives have been affected by any form of chemical dependency or family dysfunction; and WHEREAS, Hope House, Inc. is dedicated to providing an array of high-quality residential, outpatient and community-based services developmentally focused to both adult and youth populations; these services are provided irrespective of color, creed, age, national origin, marital status, disability, arrest/conviction record or ability to pay; all services truly hope to empower each individual and family to achieve their highest level of functioning; and WHEREAS, Howard J. Hubbard was born in Troy, New York, and attended St. Patrick's School and LaSalle Institute before entering the Seminary in 1956; he was ordained in Rome, Italy, on December 18, 1963; and WHEREAS, Father Howard J. Hubbard served as Associate Pastor of both St. Joseph's Church in Schenectady, New York, and Cathedral of The Immaculate Conception in Albany, New York; he also served as Chaplain at The Convent of The Sacred Heart in Albany, New York; and WHEREAS, At the age of 38, Father Howard J. Hubbard was consecrated the ninth Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany on March 27,

1977, making him the youngest bishop in the nation; and WHEREAS, Throughout his service as a Bishop and a Priest, Howard J. Hubbard not only established Hope House, but also, Providence House, a referral and crisis intervention center, and Livcorp, an organization whose mission is to assist those with developmental disabilities; and WHEREAS, Bishop Howard J. Hubbard found great fulfillment in his efforts to renew Catholics' faith; early in his distinguished career, he led a primetime television retreat which was intended to bring wayward Catholics back to the fold, and reinvigorate the faithful; and WHEREAS, This steadfast effort was followed, years later, with "Renew," a series of programs aimed at reaching out to the Catholics who had stopped practicing the faith; more recently, the diocese completed "Our Amazing God," an evangelization effort aimed to teach faithful Catholics how to respectfully encourage their family, friends, and co-workers to join the faith; and WHEREAS, On April 10, 2014, after almost four decades of service, Bishop Howard J. Hubbard officially retired as the longest serving bishop in the country, serving more than 400,000 faithful Catholics; and WHEREAS, Singular in distinction is Bishop Emeritus Howard J. Hubbard; throughout the course of his 37 years of devoted service to God, the Catholic Church, and the Capital Region, he has experienced profound joys and triumphs, as well as unfortunate trials; and WHEREAS, Bishop Emeritus Howard J. Hubbard's involvement in his community mirrors a commitment of compelling dimension; he has always strived to live his life with dignity, peace and love, asking his followers to remember and rejoice in the knowledge that we are God's people; 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 individual for the edification of others; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commend The Honorable Howard J. Hubbard, Bishop Emeritus upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of the Circle of Hope Award by Hope House, Inc. on September 16, 2017; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to The Honorable Howard J. Hubbard, Bishop Emeritus.