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92_HR0486 LRB9210568RHrh 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION 2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 3 Representatives are pleased to recognize milestone events in 4 the history of organizations in the State of Illinois; and 5 WHEREAS, It has come to our attention that St. John the 6 Baptist Catholic Church in Joliet, Illinois is commencing its 7 Sesquicentennial Celebration this year; and 8 WHEREAS, In November 1851, a group of fifty immigrant 9 Germans from Bavaria, Alsace-Lorraine, Prussia and the Rhine 10 Province met to discuss forming a new parish; and 11 WHEREAS, The Right Reverend Van de Velde, Bishop of 12 Chicago, laid the cornerstone for St. John the Baptist 13 Catholic Church on April 18, 1852 on the southwest corner of 14 Hickory and Division Streets; the Reverend Caspar Mueller was 15 appointed as the first resident pastor; and 16 WHEREAS, In May of 1863, Sister Alfred Moes arrived to 17 serve the new parish and became the founder of the Sisters of 18 St. Francis Mary Immaculate in 1867; and 19 WHEREAS, The cornerstone for the St. John the Baptist 20 Catholic Church's present location was laid August 15, 1866 21 by the Very Reverend Dennis Dunne, Victar General of the 22 diocese; and 23 WHEREAS, On December 22, 1876, the Reverend Gerard 24 Becher, OFM, became the first Franciscan pastor of St. John 25 the Baptist Catholic Church; and 26 WHEREAS, Throughout its 150 years of service, St. John 27 the Baptist Catholic Church has welcomed parishioners of all 28 ethnic origins, including the Hispanic community by adding 29 Spanish speaking masses and Hispanic celebrations; and 30 WHEREAS, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church opened its -2- LRB9210568RHrh 1 150 year anniversary with the Reverend Joseph L. Imesch 2 presiding at a mass on the grounds of the Sisters of St. 3 Francis motherhouse on June 24, 2001, also known as the Feast 4 of John the Baptist; and 5 WHEREAS, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church will 6 celebrate their sesquicentennial anniversary from June 24, 7 2001 through June 24, 2002 with prayer, dance, song, 8 memorials, and reunions; and 9 WHEREAS, As part of the year long Sesquicentennial 10 Celebration, a recognition dinner honoring the Franciscan 11 Friars and Sisters who have been part of the faith community 12 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church will be held on 13 October 13, 2001; therefore, be it 14 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 15 NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 16 we congratulate St. John the Baptist Catholic Church on the 17 celebration of 150 years of service to the Joliet community; 18 and be it further 19 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 20 presented to Father Ed Shea, OFM, Pastor of St. John the 21 Baptist Catholic Church.