Full Text of HR0432 102nd General Assembly
HR0432 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, St. Francis Xavier Church has been described as | 3 | | standing majestically as the focal point for people entering | 4 | | Jerseyville; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, On July 4, 2021, the parish celebrated 150 years | 6 | | with their sesquicentennial jubilee; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, The first Catholic Mass in Jerseyville was held | 8 | | in the William Shepherd home in the fall of 1841; Fathers | 9 | | Carroll and Hamilton of the Alton Diocese, which included | 10 | | Jersey County, occasionally visited Jerseyville and held | 11 | | Masses in private homes and the courthouse; and | 12 | | WHEREAS, In 1849, it was decided there was a need for a | 13 | | Catholic church in Jerseyville; it was not until 1857 that a | 14 | | small frame church was erected, which was dedicated by Bishop | 15 | | Henry Damian Junker of the Alton Diocese; and | 16 | | WHEREAS, In the 1860s, a rectory was built, which later | 17 | | became the home for the Dominican Sisters who staffed the | 18 | | school for over 100 years, and ground was also purchased for a | 19 | | parish cemetery; and | 20 | | WHEREAS, In 1868, a cornerstone was laid for a larger |
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| 1 | | church, which is the current St. Francis Xavier Church; the | 2 | | main body of the church was to be 55 by 100 feet; the inside | 3 | | height of the ceiling in the center of the nave is 43 feet and | 4 | | the side aisles are 25 feet; William Embly and Sons were the | 5 | | architects of the Gothic style church; the body was made of | 6 | | brick made in Jerseyville, and the stone trimmings came from | 7 | | the Grafton quarries; the roof was covered with slate | 8 | | shingles; the cost to build the church was $25,000 and took | 9 | | three years to complete; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, On July 4, 1871, the church was dedicated by | 11 | | Bishop Peter J. Baltes of the Alton Diocese; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, Father Thomas Mangan became the first resident | 13 | | priest of St. Francis Xavier Church, and he remained until | 14 | | 1860; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, The celebratory 150th anniversary Mass was held | 16 | | on July 4, 2021 and included a keepsake program with pictures, | 17 | | history, and holy cards; the Vatican also sent an Apostolic | 18 | | Blessing from Pope Francis; therefore, be it
| 19 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 20 | | HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 21 | | we congratulate St. Francis Xavier Church of Jerseyville on | 22 | | its 150th anniversary; and be it further
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| 1 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 2 | | presented to the parish as an expression of our esteem and | 3 | | respect.
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