Sister Lucille spoke at Tim Russert's memorial service Wednesday afternoon at the Kennedy Center. Watch the speech below (transcript below):
Transcript of Sister Lucille Socciarelli's speech:
SISTER LUCILLE SOCCIARELLI, BUFFALO, NEW YORK: Good afternoon.
Sister Lucille Socciarelli, a Sister of Mercy from Buffalo, New York.
Timothy John Russert, in all of my 55 years as a Sister of Mercy, Tim
Russert stands head and shoulders above all the many students that I
have been blessed to have taught. In 1963, this 13-year-old entered
my seventh grade classroom at St. Bonaventure Elementary School. I
knew from day one that Tim was especially gifted in many ways. As the
days progressed, I realized that Tim was intelligent, sharp, witty, a
math whiz, how well we know that. I tried zealously to convince him
that diagramming English sentences would benefit him one day, but to
no avail. "How," he asked? "How would that happen? Who and why
would anyone ever ask me about a subject, predicate and direct
object?"
Tim possessed the ability to combine his love of learning with the
love of sports making him a wild integrated student-every teacher's
dream. Each morning, following a little three basketball game, you
have to be from basketball to know this, Bonaventure, Fanitous (ph),
and Niagara. Tim was a Bona fan. I was a Niagara fan. Every morning
after one of these games, Tim and I called it a terrific game if our
team won. And I was no match for him when he rattled off all the
stats right from his own head. No notes in front of him.
Oftentimes before classes began, in the morning, and sometime during
the lunch hour, and even after school, the field or the empty lot,
right next to St. Bonaventure school, was the official basketball,
baseball, and hockey field. "Go sister," held say, "Run!" Tim would
shout urging me on. Rosary beads flying, veil flying, in those days,
we had the complete habit. Not only did Tim choose me for his team,
he always picked the kids that he thought might not be chosen at all.
Come the Buffalo winters, Tim Russert's snow balls flew the highest
and went the farthest. Assigning Tim the editor of the school
newspaper, The Bonnette," not only gave him mean to channel his
excessive energy, it also gave him the opportunity to develop his
leadership skills as he organized his staff and worked with them to
produce the best elementary school paper in the diocese of Buffalo.
Tim also introduced the CYO, the Catholic Youth Organization, into the
parish of St. Bonaventure. He went on to become president of the
Diocesan chapter. Because of his actions and service on behalf of
others, Tim received the Monis Christi (ph), the Hands of Christ
Award.
It is the highest award in the CYO.
This Irish kid from South Buffalo and I, a Mother Terenian (ph) Irish
daughter of Dubliner, Catherine McAuley, the founders of the Sisters
of Mercy, shared a common bond. Our love of President John F.
Kennedy and Senator Robert Kennedy. We rang doorbells, made signs,
stuffed envelopes. Those were the days when it felt that anything was
possible. We worked hard and we loved every single minute of it. In
my mind and heart, ever since Friday, June 13, I hear God, "Here's
little Timmy Russert. You're in heaven now, Tim, where every day is
'Meet the Press.' welcome home."
(APPLAUSE)