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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Brother John-Sebastian Laird-Hammond of
4Washington D.C., who passed away on March 20, 2020; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Brother Sebastian graduated from
6Minonk-Dana-Rutland High School in 1979; he worked as a
7licensed practical nurse in Flanagan before joining the
8Franciscans; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Brother Sebastian managed daily operations at his
10residence in Washington as the Commissariat of the Franciscan
11Monastery of the Holy Land in America; he coordinated the many
12details of the monastery’s upkeep, the friars’ health, the
13promotion of the Pontifical Good Friday Collection, and most
14importantly the relationship of the Holy Land friars with the
15many friends and benefactors of the order; he was also an
16ordained permanent deacon; most recently, he was transitioning
17to a new job with Immaculate Conception Province in New York;
18and
 
19    WHEREAS, In 1998, Brother Sebastian became the founder and
20chaplain of the all-volunteer Franciscan Monastery Garden
21Guild; he was central to its development and growth, which had
22started as an organization focused on maintaining the

 

 

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1Franciscan Monastery's rose gardens and other ornamental
2gardens; it added the expansion of the urban farm in 2014,
3which has donated 20,000 pounds of harvested vegetables to
4organizations in the metro D.C. area for those who need food;
5and
 
6    WHEREAS, Brother Sebastian led the Franciscan Monastery's
7capital campaign, which restored the historic 1915
8Metropolitan Greenhouse for the year-round use of growing
9vegetables; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Brother Sebastian was a kind soul and an example
11of Franciscan joy; therefore, be it
 
12    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL
13ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
14Brother John-Sebastian Laird-Hammond and extend our sincere
15condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved
16him; and be it further
 
17    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
18presented to the family of Brother Sebastian as an expression
19of our deepest sympathy.