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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, In June of 1957, the Archdiocese of Chicago
3 announced that Reverend George J. Mulcahey had been appointed
4 to organize a new parish in the Village of Wheeling; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Through the generosity of the Johnson family, the
6 fledgling parish was provided with a temporary site at the
7 Chevy Chase Country Club, where the first Mass was celebrated
8 on August 4, 1957; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Reverend George J. Mulcahey was officially
10 appointed the pastor of St. Joseph the Worker Parish on August
11 19, 1957; and
 
12     WHEREAS, In October of 1957, a twenty-four acre turkey farm
13 and home on Dundee Road in Wheeling was purchased to become the
14 future site of the new church and school; and
 
15     WHEREAS, The parish's first Mass celebrated in the new
16 church was the Christmas Midnight Mass on December 24, 1958;
17 and
 
18     WHEREAS, On May 3, 1959, the Right Reverend Monsignor
19 Edward M. Burke celebrated the First Communion Mass for eighty
20 children of the parish and presided at the blessing of the

 

 

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1 cornerstone and the dedication of the statue of St. Joseph the
2 Worker that stands outside the church; and
 
3     WHEREAS, St. Joseph the Worker School opened on September
4 9, 1959, with an enrollment of 480 students in eight grades and
5 a staff of four Sisters of Mercy and four lay teachers; and
 
6     WHEREAS, On September 20, 1959, Archbishop Albert C. Meyer
7 officially dedicated the new building, which consisted of the
8 church, the parish hall, and the school; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Reverend George Mulcahey retired in June of 1974
10 and was named Pastor Emeritus; he continued his work as a much
11 loved spiritual leader, especially in his ministry to the sick;
12 that same year, Reverend Donald Simpson was named as the new
13 pastor; and
 
14     WHEREAS, The parish's boundaries included the Village of
15 Lincolnshire; a Mission was established in 1975 and Masses were
16 held at the Marriott Lincolnshire Resort; and
 
17     WHEREAS, In May of 1978, Reverend Robert (Mick) Egan,
18 C.V.S., a 1965 graduate of St. Joseph the Worker School,
19 celebrated his first Mass in his parish church; and
 
20     WHEREAS, In July of 1982, Reverend James O'Malley was named

 

 

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1 as pastor St. Joseph the Worker Parish; that same year,
2 Reverend George Mulcahey celebrated the 50th anniversary of his
3 ordination; and
 
4     WHEREAS, St. Joseph the Worker Parish established its first
5 Parish Pastoral Council in 1993; and
 
6     WHEREAS, In July of 1994, Reverend James O'Malley was
7 succeeded by Reverend Jacob Joerger, O.P., who was named
8 administrator pending the appointment of the new pastor,
9 Reverend Frederick L. Brandstrader, in November of that year;
10 and
 
11     WHEREAS, On May 21, 1995, Reverend Ronald Lewandowski, a
12 former religious education teacher and member of the parish,
13 celebrated his first Mass in the church; and
 
14     WHEREAS, St. Joseph the Worker School closed its doors for
15 the last time on June 7, 1996, having been an integral part of
16 the spiritual and social life of the parish for almost forty
17 years; and
 
18     WHEREAS, On January 7, 1997, the Adoration Chapel opened as
19 a special place of visitation to the Blessed Sacrament; and
 
20     WHEREAS, On April 21, 2002, Deacon Peery Duderstadt

 

 

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1 celebrated his 20th anniversary as deacon at St. Joseph the
2 Worker Parish; and
 
3     WHEREAS, On April 26, 2003, Deacon Steven Stecker
4 celebrated his 5th anniversary as deacon at St. Joseph the
5 Worker Parish; and
 
6     WHEREAS, In May of 2004, Reverend Steven Bauer, a graduate
7 of St. Joseph the Worker School, was ordained to the priesthood
8 and celebrated his first Mass in his parish church; and
 
9     WHEREAS, On October 10, 2004, Reverend Michael Joseph
10 Thomas Bonner, S.V.D., was installed as pastor by Bishop Jerome
11 Listecki, Vicar of Vicariate I; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Over the past fifty years, St. Joseph the Worker
13 Parish has ministered to the spiritual needs of the English,
14 Spanish, Polish, and Filipino members of the parish; and
 
15     WHEREAS, The parishioners of St. Joseph the Worker Parish
16 have served the community through their own ministries, and in
17 partnership with other governmental and civic organizations;
18 therefore, be it
 
19     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
20 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we

 

 

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1 commend the members of St. Joseph the Worker Parish for
2 faithfully fulfilling their mission of providing spiritual
3 guidance to its members; and be it further
 
4     RESOLVED, That we acknowledge the importance of the
5 academic and religious instruction provided to the students of
6 St. Joseph the Worker School; and be it further
 
7     RESOLVED, That we recognize the contributions made to the
8 community by the ministries and individuals of St. Joseph the
9 Worker Parish; and be it further
 
10     RESOLVED, That we congratulate the clergy, the teachers,
11 and the members of St. Joseph the Worker Parish for their
12 outstanding accomplishment in reaching this 50th anniversary.