Hill's guest: 'It's just all fantastic'

Gallery view also thrills others

WASHINGTON -- Monsignor Lawrence Frederick wouldn't say what grade U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., received in his class years ago, but the freshman congressman probably earned some extra credit by inviting his former teacher to hear Pope Francis speak Thursday.


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Pope Francis on Thursday became the first pontiff to address Congress, speaking to a packed room of lawmakers, dignitaries and their guests about immigration, climate change and caring for each other.

Frederick has taught physics at Catholic High School for Boys and Mount St. Mary Academy for decades and is active in the Diocese of Little Rock. Hill and Frederick kept in touch over the years, but the priest said it was fantastic that his former student thought to invite him.

"I'm really honored, and I really appreciate it, I really do," Frederick said. "It's fantastic just to be here, to be in the chamber, to be in the presence of the pope. It's just all fantastic, that's all I can say."

Frederick said he wasn't expecting the pope to lay out specific policies he wanted Congress to implement, saying it is church tradition to let legislative bodies make such decisions.

"He's going to remind us that we have this ethical, moral obligation [of] taking care of things," Frederick said. "He's reminding us of these things we have to be aware of, but not telling us how to do it because that's not his job."

He characterized the pope's speech as "we're all in this together" and said he plans to take the pope's message of responsibility for each other and the Earth back to his students.

Each member of Congress received one ticket for a seat in the House gallery during the speech.

Hill was among the dozens of members who gave their ticket to a member of the clergy. The rest of Arkansas' delegation passed theirs to friends and family.

U.S. Sen. John Boozman's daughter, Lauren Boozman Northey, was the Rogers Republican's guest in the House gallery. She converted to Catholicism a few years ago.

"I was really excited about just seeing him," she said. "I'm really grateful."

U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., invited Susan Barrett, former president of Mercy Health System of Northwest Arkansas, as his gallery guest.

U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., invited Jonesboro attorney Warren Dupwe to sit in the House gallery. Dupwe was the Republican candidate in the 1st Congressional District race against Crawford's predecessor, U.S. Rep. Marion Berry of Gillett, in 1996.

Hot Springs native Rachael Pellegrino, who is attending medical school at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, jumped at the gallery ticket offered by U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, a Republican from Hot Springs.

U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., brought a friend who is not from Arkansas, his spokesman, Caroline Rabbitt, said.

A Section on 09/25/2015

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