HR0398 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0398 LRB096 12580 GRL 25862 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the congregation of the St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Rockford on the occasion of the church's 100th anniversary in 2009; and

WHEREAS, St. Anthony of Padua Parish was established in 1909 to minister to the Italian immigrants of South Rockford by Reverend Anthony V. Marchesano, the parish's first pastor until his death in 1929; the church was named in honor of St. Anthony, a highly venerated saint for whom many miracles have been recognized; and

WHEREAS, In 1933, Bishop Hoban asked the Conventual Franciscan Friars to provide ongoing pastoral care to the parish; the friars continue their ministry there today; and

WHEREAS, St. Anthony of Padua Parish is well known in its community for its ornate, Romanesque style of architecture; in 1997, a Memory Garden was created, featuring bronze statues of children and saints, religious shrines, memorials, flowers, shrubs, trees, benches, walkways, decorative lights, stone urns, a fountain, a bridge, and a flagpole; over forty thousand bricks are installed in the garden, with inscriptions of the names of the priests, friars, sisters, and families who have been part of the parish's history; the garden was featured on Rockford's annual Garden Glory Walk and has won awards from the Rockford Area Gardeners of America and the Rockford Park District Foundation's City of Gardens program; and

WHEREAS, From its creation in 1909 to today, the St. Anthony of Padua Parish is still a predominantly Italian-American parish; the parish is officially considered by the Rockford Catholic Diocese as the Italian Catholic church of Rockford; the church has stood as both an important and enduring foundation in the lives and faith of Rockford's Italian-American community and as an important landmark in southern Rockford; and

WHEREAS, The congregation of St. Anthony of Padua Parish have celebrated the church's 100th anniversary with year-long celebratory festivities, which will culminate on the church's centennial date of October 18, 2009; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the congregation of the St. Anthony of Padua Parish on the occasion of the church's 100th anniversary and wish them continued success and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Reverend Anthony Labedis, Pastor of the St. Anthony of Padua Parish, as a symbol of our esteem and respect.