HR0723 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0723 LRB102 26379 LAW 36596 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Albany Park on the occasion of its first annual gala; and

WHEREAS, In 1911, a group of lay people petitioned Archbishop Quigley to locate a Catholic church in Albany Park; Archbishop Quigley asked Reverend H.P. Coughlin to consider the territory that would later become Our Lady of Mercy Parish on May 18, 1911; Reverend Coughlin then became the pastor of Our Lady of Mercy Parish on June 1, 1911; and

WHEREAS, Our Lady of Mercy Parish held its first Eucharist at Patrick Henry School on Pentecost Sunday, June 4, 1911; and

WHEREAS, Our Lady of Mercy Parish baptized Esther Traynor on June 13, 1911, and her baptism served as a testament to the parish's livelihood as it was celebrated at the Traynor home due to there being no physical church built at the time; and

WHEREAS, Our Lady of Mercy Parish celebrated its first Mass in its new church on December 3, 1911; since that time, the parish has had three churches erected to reflect the growth of the congregation; in addition, the parish constructed a rectory, a convent, and other buildings to fulfill the increasing needs of the church community; and

WHEREAS, Our Lady of Mercy Parish experienced a pivotal moment in its history when Father Coughlin asked the Sisters of Providence of St. Mary of the Woods in Indiana to send sisters to the parish; three sisters responded to the call and established Our Lady of Mercy School in 1912, which later closed in 2003; and

WHEREAS, Our Lady of Mercy Parish celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2011; to commemorate its history in 2015, the parish published a book of essays titled From Everywhere to Our Lady of Mercy Parish: 100 Years of Faith; and

WHEREAS, Our Lady of Mercy Parish, from its location at 4432 N. Troy in Albany Park, acts as the heart of a residential, commercial, and bilingual community, serving the areas of Albany Park, Irving Park, and Avondale; while the church has seen the community change over its history, from German, Swedish, Irish, and Polish parishioners in its early years to Latino, Filipino, African American, and Anglo parishioners today, the church remains committed to serving everyone and is represented by approximately 60 nations and 46 languages; and

WHEREAS, Our Lady of Mercy Parish has dedicated itself to improving the lives of people in its community through offering a number of services, including multilingual sermons, weekly bulletins in English and Spanish, financial assistance to families in need, and recommendations for jobs, schools, or immigration paperwork; the parish also has volunteer outreach ministries that donate more than 45,000 service hours to its community each year; and

WHEREAS, Our Lady of Mercy Parish will host its first annual gala at the Elmcrest Banquets in Elmwood Park on September 23, 2022; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Our Lady of Mercy Parish on its first annual gala and wish the parish continued success.