HON. DEAN HELLER

OF NEVADA

IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE

February 13, 2013

Mr. HELLER:  Mr. President, I rise today to honor the life of Monsignor Leo McFadden, a priest, an Air National Guardsman, and a spiritual leader for thousands of Nevadans, whose recent passing is a saddening loss to the Silver State.  Monsignor McFadden was a beloved member of our community, and I am grateful for his work as a priest and chaplain for the less fortunate and spiritually needy in northern Nevada.  

Not only was Monsignor McFadden a man of God, but he was also a Pulitzer Prize-nominated columnist who spent 20 years writing and editing for the Nevada Register. He also served in the Nevada Air National Guard for decades, and he was the first Guardsman chaplain to be a general line officer. 

Monsignor McFadden was a priest at Saint Teresa of Avilia Catholic Church in Carson City and at Reno’s Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church.  In 1977, Leo McFadden was given the distinct designation as a monsignor.  His work included the formation of the Catholic Newman Club at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and serving as a chaplain at the University of Nevada, Reno.  

Monsignor McFadden dedicated his entire life to his faith and to the members of his parish. He was an important figure in our state, and he will be missed.  My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time.