LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring The Most Reverend Howard J. Hubbard upon
the occasion of his retirement as Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese
of Albany

WHEREAS, The spiritual guidance and nurturing of the citizens of the
State of New York is of great importance to the vitality and well-being
of our communities; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to bring full recog-
nition and just tribute to those individuals of religious commitment who
accept the responsibility of moral leadership and render the wisdom of
human understanding; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor The
Most Reverend Howard J. Hubbard upon the occasion of his retirement as
Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany; his long and distin-
guished service to his community will conclude effective April 10, 2014;
and
WHEREAS, Bishop Howard Hubbard is the longest-tenured bishop of a
single diocese in the nation; he has provided spiritual guidance to the
hundreds of thousands of Roman Catholics living in the 14 counties that
comprise the Albany, New York, diocese for nearly four decades; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Howard James Hubbard was born in Troy, New York, in
1938, the son of Howard J. Hubbard and Elizabeth D. Burke; raised in the
Lansingburgh section of Troy, he completed his early education at
Catholic schools before undertaking his religious training at Mater
Christi Minor Seminary in Albany, St. Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie, New
York, and Gregorian University in Rome, Italy; he completed his post
graduate studies at Catholic University in Washington DC, in the School
of Social Service; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Howard Hubbard was ordained to the priesthood on
December 18, 1963, and, from 1964 to 1977 lived out his faith and his
commitment to social justice with a ministry that included parish,
inner-city and diocesan assignments; and
WHEREAS, As a street priest in Albany's impoverished South End neigh-
borhood, he strove vigorously to make a difference in the lives of those
on society's margins; he drove alcoholics and heroin addicts to detox
and pleaded with hospitals to take them in at a time when there were no
formal programs; he found apartments for people who had no place to
live, long before the term "homeless" was coined; and co-founded Provi-
dence House and Hope House, a storefront center for social services; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Howard Hubbard served as associate pastor at St.
Joseph's in Schenectady, and Cathedral in Albany, as well as chaplain
for Kenwood Convent of the Sacred Heart, Albany; he was assistant direc-
tor for Catholic Charities in Schenectady, and worked as director of
Providence House, Albany; in addition, he was involved in the creation
of LIVCORP hostels for mentally handicapped, was coordinator of Urban
Apostolate, chair of the diocesan Commission for Ecumenical and Interre-
ligious Affairs and Priests' Personnel Board, and director of the Office
of Pastoral Planning for the diocese; and
WHEREAS, On February 1, 1977, he was named the ninth Bishop of Albany
by Pope Paul VI, and was ordained as such on March 27, 1977, at Siena
College in Loudonville, New York; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Howard Hubbard was the first native of the Albany
Diocese to serve as its Bishop, and, as the youngest bishop in the
United States at the time, was dubbed "the boy bishop"; and
WHEREAS, This wise and humble leader has shepherded the Albany Diocese
through a time of enormous challenge and change, weathering a signif-

icant decline in resources and vocations to the priesthood, national
scandal and the need to close parishes and schools, while at the same
time fostering opportunities for unprecedented participation by lay
persons, forging new partnerships in order to address social crises
including the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and drawing disaffected members of the
Roman Catholic community back into the fold through innovative outreach
methods and programs; and
WHEREAS, In addition, Bishop Howard Hubbard has served his community
by lending his leadership skills to many civic associations, including
Urban League of Albany, National Catholic AIDS Network, New York State
Labor/Religion Coalition, New Yorkers for Alternatives to the Death
Penalty, Inmate Family Visiting Fund, South End Health Association,
Arbor House Halfway Community for Women, Albany County Visiting Nurse
Association and Albany Chapter of the American Red Cross among many
others; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Howard Hubbard has also served his faith on a national
level, chairing the NCCB Committee on Human Values, the NCCB Committee
on Marriage and the Family, and the Public Policy Committee of the New
York State Catholic Conference; serving as Episcopal Moderator for the
National Catholic AIDS Network and National Conference of Pastoral Plan-
ning and Parish Council Development; and as a member of several USCCB
committees; and
WHEREAS, The central themes of this devoted man of God's long and
distinguished tenure as Bishop of the Albany Diocese were social
justice, lay leadership and interfaith dialogue; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Howard Hubbard leaves behind a tremendous legacy: of
interfaith cooperation and building bridges between the Catholic and
Jewish communities, of embracing society's most marginalized communi-
ties, and of focusing on forgiveness rather than punishment; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Howard Hubbard will be long remembered for his many
good works to those who are in need spiritually and otherwise, and his
leadership by example; he has been and continues to be an outstanding
inspirational leader and role model for all members of the community;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor The Most Reverend Howard J. Hubbard upon the occasion of his
retirement after many years of distinguished service to the Roman
Catholic Diocese of Albany, noting his unremitting and compassionate
faith and his service to God, humanity, and his community; and be it
further
.SO DOC A R955 RESO TEXT 2013
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to The Most Reverend Howard J. Hubbard.