Pat Meehan, the Republican candidate in the 7th Congressional District race, attended a citizenship naturalization ceremony for 63 individuals on Wednesday night at the county courthouse in Media.

Here is an excerpt from Meehan's speech at the ceremony:

"Congratulations to each of you and to the friends, family and loved ones who have supported you in your aspirations. While your collective journey to this moment involves classes on citizenship that you recently concluded, I imagine that there are many individual journeys today that are significant in their history, inspiring in their conquest over adversity and stirring in how they personify a passion and faith in the promise of America.

"Today’s ceremony has a keen appreciation for the rich tradition of immigration; the countless numbers of immigrants who have given life to our neighborhoods, backbone to our industry, intellect and culture to our schools. I also want to applaud each of you for persevering through this process and keeping your commitment to becoming a citizen of this great nation the right and legal way."