Full Text of HR1041 100th General Assembly
HR1041 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, In 1868, eight families gathered in a | 3 | | newly-constructed, wood-frame building on South Washington | 4 | | Street in Salem, Illinois for the founding of the St. Theresa | 5 | | of Avila Parish; until then, area Catholics attended mass in | 6 | | nearby Odin; however, with the construction of the new building | 7 | | and the help of assistant pastors from neighboring parishes, | 8 | | mass could be celebrated in Salem; by 1933, the parish had | 9 | | grown to include 46 families; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, In 1938, oil was discovered in the area, and the | 11 | | parish's membership increased to 67 families, which led | 12 | | Belleville Bishop Henry Althoff to appoint Father A.B. | 13 | | Schomaker to the Salem community in the fall of 1939; his task | 14 | | was to "organize a parish and erect a church"; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, The church was built within a year, and Father | 16 | | Schomaker was appointed pastor of St. Theresa of Avila on June | 17 | | 27, 1940; the parish continued to grow, which prompted the | 18 | | construction of a school, staffed by the Adorers of the Blood | 19 | | of Christ, in 1954; and
| 20 | | WHEREAS, Within 15 years, the school had closed; by 1975, | 21 | | parents were concerned about declining religious values and the | 22 | | education of their children, so they petitioned their pastor |
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| 1 | | and the Belleville Diocese to reopen the school; and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, At the time of the petition, a large printing firm | 3 | | relocated to Salem, and many of its 1,800 employees were | 4 | | Catholic; in 1976, the school reopened, staffed by three | 5 | | Felician Sisters from Chicago and three lay teachers; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, St. Theresa Parish is a vital part of the larger | 7 | | Salem community and continues to witness to the Gospel through | 8 | | the celebration of the sacraments, outreach to the poor and | 9 | | marginalized, defense of the dignity of all human life, and the | 10 | | cultivation of moral character and civic responsibility; | 11 | | therefore, be it
| 12 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 13 | | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 14 | | applaud and commend the Salem community for their willingness | 15 | | to support the St. Theresa of Avila parish and school since its | 16 | | founding 150 years ago, and we recognize the parish on the | 17 | | occasion of its anniversary; and be it further
| 18 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 19 | | presented to Father Ben Stern as an expression of our esteem | 20 | | and respect.
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