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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E710]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING DEACON WILLIAM FRANCIS XAVIER KANE
______
HON. SETH MOULTON
of massachusetts
in the house of representatives
Thursday, July 30, 2020
Mr. MOULTON. Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate the life and
service of an American patriot and decorated Army veteran, Deacon
William Francis Xavier Kane. Kane was an Army intelligence officer
during the Vietnam War, serving in small communities alongside a South
Vietnamese battalion. Kane was seriously injured in the line of duty,
leaving him hospitalized. Due to Kane's valor during the war, he was
presented with a Bronze Star and Soldier's Medal for Heroism. In the
years following his brave service in the Army, Kane went on to have a
long career as a special agent in the FBI.
Kane's service to our country did not stop with his astounding career
in the military and FBI. After four years studying at St. John's
Seminary located in Brighton, Massachusetts, Kane was ordained a
Permanent Deacon for the Archdiocese of Boston. After devoting himself
to a life of spirituality, he then found his true vocation. Serving as
the director of prison ministry for the Archdiocese of Boston, Kane
provided spiritual support and comfort to those in need during their
incarceration. Kane also took up Spanish to have better communication
with the many Spanish-speaking inmates he assisted. Kane was once asked
what led him to this type of work, and he responded with a quote by
Irish poet Bobby Sands: ``There is no place more lonely than the prison
cell.''
In 2001, Kane founded the Holy Family Parish Mission after a trip to
the Dominican Republic. Kane believed that mission work could help
individuals empathize with those who are impoverished, and in turn,
deepen their capacity for compassion and love. In 2016, Kane received
the John C. DeDeyn Jr. Achievement Award from his alma mater, Niagara
University, in recognition of his service to others.
Madam Speaker, Deacon William Kane lived a life of service for the
United States government and its citizens. The Coronavirus pandemic has
claimed the lives of more than 150,000 Americans. Deacon Kane is one of
the 2,083 veterans counted among that total. Kane was a dementia
patient under the care of the VA at the time of the Coronavirus
breakout. He passed away May 10th. The vision of the VA is ``to provide
veterans the world-class benefits and services they have earned--and to
do so by adhering to the highest standards of compassion, commitment,
excellence, professionalism, integrity, accountability, and
stewardship.'' I believe it is evident that they have fallen short in
their duties. In a VA where all but one of the patients in a specific
unit have contracted this generation's most contagious virus, it is
clear that adequate protections were not provided to Deacon Kane as
well as the other patients in the unit.
As a member of the Armed Services Committee and an advocate for
veteran's rights, I call upon the House to investigate this occurrence
further and remain committed to using all of the powers this office
affords me to protect veterans, and all Americans, from this virus and
the leaders in this country who have failed to accept the
responsibility to fight it.