2015 -- S 0967

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

HONORING AND THANKING REV. RAYMOND BANIGAN MALM FOR FORTY YEARS

OF FAITHFUL SERVICE TO GOD AND THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF RHODE

ISLAND

     Introduced By: Senators Paiva Weed, Pichardo, Metts, and Goodwin

     Date Introduced: June 03, 2015

     Referred To: Placed on the Senate Consent Calendar

     WHEREAS, On November 6th of 1976, Reverend Raymond Banigan Malm was

ordained to the Holy Priesthood and over the course of the next four decades, he has proven to be

an inspiration to all who have been blessed to know him; and

     WHEREAS, Born in Providence, Father Malm attended local parochial and diocesan

schools, and later entered Pope John XXIII Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts, to study for the

priesthood. Upon his ordination, he was assigned as an assistant pastor to Saint Joseph's Parish in

Newport. In September of 1983, he requested a transfer to Saint Michael the Archangel Parish in

Providence, where he had attended during his youth, and for the next twenty-five years, he served

St. Michael's as the administrator of the Team Ministry; and

     WHEREAS, During his time at Saint Michael, Father Malm was instrumental in

organizing the Office of Black Catholics for the Diocese of Providence and was a founding

president of Family AIDS Center for Treatment and Support, which is now AIDS Care Ocean

State, and where he remains a member of the Board of Directors; and

     WHEREAS, Over the years, Father Malm has embraced humanitarian efforts on many

levels. While studying Spanish in Guatemala, he became involved in Witness for Peace, a human

rights organization. Since his initial journey, he has returned to Guatemala several times with

New England delegations in an effort to better serve and understand the needs of the Guatemalan

people; and

     WHEREAS, In 1966, Father Malm was trained and became a certified trainer in

nonviolence. Witnessing firsthand his community's need to utilize nonviolent means to resolve

conflict and move forward, he and the late Sister Anne Keefe, SSJ, began to explore ways of

teaching nonviolence to young people in the community. From this aspiration, the Institute for the

Study and Practice of Nonviolence began. In the following years, the Institute not only became a

force for peace in Rhode Island, but extended its message across the world, with Father Malm

traveling to Northern Ireland to teach nonviolence to both sides of that conflict. Today, he

continues his work as a member of the board of directors of the Institute; and

     WHEREAS, On July 1st of 2008, Father Malm was assigned as pastor of Saint Joseph's

Parish in Newport, where he continued his work in nonviolence, bringing the program to the

parish and the Newport Public Schools, as well as conducting several training programs at Salve

Regina University and translating the curriculum in Spanish to enlist the Spanish speaking

community of the parish. In addition, in 2013, he began the Good Friday Walk for Hunger in

Newport, and has reached out to other churches in the area to make this an annual interfaith

event; and

     WHEREAS, Over the course of his revered career, Father Malm has earned a panoply of

honors and awards including, the Inspiring Leaders Award from LRI, being named the 2010

"Living The Dream" Award recipient, received an award from Women's Resource Center, was

recognized as one of the "Men Who Make a Difference," was named Philanthropist of the Year

by AIDS Care Ocean State, and received the Sister Anne Keefe Community Service Award from

the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence; and

     WHEREAS, Father Malm is a visionary, who has spent his life in devout service to God

and has worked for decades to make the world a better place by putting his faith into action. On

June 30th of 2015, he will step down as Pastor of Saint Joseph's, but will continue his work in

nonviolence, AIDS care, and immigration; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations is

hereby pleased to honor and thank Reverend Raymond Banigan Malm for forty years of faithful

service to God and the people of our state. We wish him good health and many more years of

benevolent service to his fellow man; and be it further

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

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Reverend Raymond Banigan Malm.

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