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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Catherine Mary Norris, Sister Katie as she is
3 known to all, was born in Chicago and is the second oldest in a
4 faithful family of eight children; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Sister Katie was born into a family that was used
6 to service to the public, with two grandfathers who served on
7 Chicago's City Council and who went on to serve the City of
8 Chicago in other important capacities; and
 
9     WHEREAS, It has been said of Sister Katie that she was
10 unique in her giving spirit even as a young child, and she was
11 thought of as "someone to turn to" among the other children in
12 her family and also by others in her neighborhood of Beverly, a
13 very surprising quality for a young child; and
 
14     WHEREAS, When it was time for Sister Katie to further her
15 education, she left Chicago and attended the Sisters of Charity
16 Novitiate, Wayne State University, and received her Masters of
17 Social Work from Fordham University; and
 
18     WHEREAS, In 1985, Sister Katie continued her life of giving
19 by returning to Chicago, where she became a social worker for
20 the St. Vincent dePaul Center, continuing in true earnest to
21 give to those who needed help the most, including the children
22 of the "working poor" and their families, seniors, and the
23 homeless; and
 
24     WHEREAS, Sister Katie also was responsible for overseeing
25 the planning and construction of the new St. Vincent dePaul
26 facility so that those in need would be better served, and at
27 the same time continued to work tirelessly to grow the number
28 of St. Vincent's donors, volunteers, and friends; and
 
29     WHEREAS, In Sister Katie's life there has never been a

 

 

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1 request for help that has gone unanswered as Sister Katie has
2 continued her tradition from childhood of being that "someone
3 to turn to"; and
 
4     WHEREAS, Sister Katie continues her good works and has
5 instilled the Mission and Values of the Daughters of Charity
6 into everyday life at both the St. Vincent dePaul Center and
7 Marillac; she became the Director and CEO of both recently; and
 
8     WHEREAS, In 2005, Sister Katie was recognized by the
9 Concern organization with its Bridgid Award; Concern was
10 founded in Ireland to serve those who were afflicted by the
11 potato famine, and they now recognize with their Bridgid Award
12 those individuals who show extraordinary care and effort in the
13 Concern tradition to help those in poverty with food, job
14 assistance, and child care; and
 
15     WHEREAS, Also in 2005, Sister Katie received the Cardinal
16 Bernadine Mundelein Seminary "For Those Who Serve" award for
17 her "life of service to the Church" and her "tireless promotion
18 of the Catholic faith"; and
 
19     WHEREAS, Sister Katie has been chosen to continue her good
20 works in Evansville, Indiana, and we are sad that we will no
21 longer have this wonderful champion here in the State of
22 Illinois; and
 
23     WHEREAS, It can be said that Sister Katie has truly,
24 selflessly made a life of helping people in Chicago through the
25 "rough times"; therefore, be it
 
26     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
27 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
28 we extend our heartfelt thanks to Sister Katie Norris for her
29 unending compassion and help for the needy citizens of Chicago,
30 and we wish her the very best in her future good works; and be

 

 

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1 it further
 
2     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
3 presented to Sister Catherine Mary Norris as an expression of
4 our esteem.