SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 137
In Memory
of
Armand Mathew
WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas joins the
citizens of Brownsville in mourning the loss of Father Armand
Mathew, who died June 22, 2013, at the age of 90; and
WHEREAS, Armand Mathew was born October 21, 1922, in
France; after growing up in Indiana and Chicago, he became
impressed with the work of the missionary Oblates of Mary
Immaculate, and he moved to San Antonio and decided to serve in
the order; he was ordained into the priesthood on February 24,
1949; and
WHEREAS, Through the years, Father Armand served the
people of the Rio Grande Valley with compassion, humility, and an
enduring commitment to social justice; as a longtime priest of
the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, he served the community in a
variety of capacities; and
WHEREAS, Father Mathew believed that voting was an
important step in the struggle to rise from poverty; he was the
founder and longtime director of the Center for Civic Engagement
at The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost
College, and he worked hard on Kids Voting Brownsville, a program
that educates children and young adults on the importance of
exercising the right to vote; and
WHEREAS, He was a source of enlightenment and hope to the
people he served, and his advocacy for the less fortunate was an
inspiration to all those who had the privilege of sharing in his
life; and
WHEREAS, A man of courage, strength, and generosity, he
gave unselfishly to others, and his wisdom, his embrace of the
fight for social justice, and his enthusiasm for living each day
to the fullest will not be forgotten; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 83rd
Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby extend sincere
condolences to the bereaved family of Father Armand Mathew; and,
be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
his family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas
Senate, and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in
memory of Father Armand Mathew.
Lucio
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on June 25, 2013, by a
rising vote.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate