| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | SENATE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to | ||||||
| 3 | congratulate St. Mary Immaculate Parish School of Plainfield | ||||||
| 4 | on the occasion of its 70th anniversary; and | ||||||
| 5 | WHEREAS, St. Mary Immaculate Parish School's teachers, | ||||||
| 6 | parents, and pupils are part of a growing institution of | ||||||
| 7 | spiritual life and education; and | ||||||
| 8 | WHEREAS, For many years, Catholic parishioners in | ||||||
| 9 | Plainfield had hoped that a school could be founded to teach | ||||||
| 10 | and provide guidance for their children and youth, and this | ||||||
| 11 | dream began to become a reality during the period of peace that | ||||||
| 12 | followed the end of the Korean War with the purchase of a | ||||||
| 13 | six-acre tract of land in October 1953, which was followed by a | ||||||
| 14 | groundbreaking in November 1954; and | ||||||
| 15 | WHEREAS, A six-room school building with a student body of | ||||||
| 16 | 167 and a faculty of four teachers opened as St. Mary's School | ||||||
| 17 | and commenced operations in September 1955; it was officially | ||||||
| 18 | dedicated by Bishop Martin D. McNamara on May 13, 1956; and | ||||||
| 19 | WHEREAS, Amidst St. Mary Immaculate Parish School's rich | ||||||
| 20 | history, there lies a day never to be forgotten, August 28, | ||||||
| 21 | 1990, when a category F5 tornado struck Plainfield, killing a | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | total of 29 people, including three of the school's own, | ||||||
| 2 | Principal Sr. Mary Keenan, music teacher Gloria Sanchez, and | ||||||
| 3 | an usher and the son of the rectory cook, Howard Hawes Jr.; and | ||||||
| 4 | WHEREAS, In line with the historic commitment of Catholic | ||||||
| 5 | parishes and schools to community service, St. Mary Immaculate | ||||||
| 6 | Parish School came together in the wake of this tragedy to | ||||||
| 7 | provide a base of support for the stricken community; and | ||||||
| 8 | WHEREAS, St. Mary Immaculate Parish School and Church were | ||||||
| 9 | subsequently rebuilt through the efforts and dedication of | ||||||
| 10 | parishioners, with the former reopening in the fall of 1993; | ||||||
| 11 | and | ||||||
| 12 | WHEREAS, Following this devastating event, St. Mary | ||||||
| 13 | Immaculate Parish School experienced a period of spiritual and | ||||||
| 14 | physical growth, with many new families coming to the | ||||||
| 15 | Plainfield area in pursuit of spiritual life and education, | ||||||
| 16 | and the school has continued to see the effects of this moment | ||||||
| 17 | of change; and | ||||||
| 18 | WHEREAS, Catholic schools of Illinois currently provide | ||||||
| 19 | students with an education that emphasizes the formation of | ||||||
| 20 | moral values and commitment to community service and will | ||||||
| 21 | celebrate National Catholic Schools Week from January 26 to | ||||||
| 22 | February 1, 2025; therefore, be it | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL | ||||||
| 2 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate St. | ||||||
| 3 | Mary Immaculate Parish School on its 70th anniversary, and we | ||||||
| 4 | wish the institution continued success; and be it further | ||||||
| 5 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 6 | presented to Principal Jennifer Errthum of St. Mary Immaculate | ||||||
| 7 | Parish School. | ||||||