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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives are pleased to congratulate the pastor and | ||||||
| 4 | congregation of St. Dominic Catholic Church in Breese as they | ||||||
| 5 | celebrate the church sesquicentennial; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, St. Dominic's history began after German pioneers | ||||||
| 7 | came to America looking for a better life; in the 1800s some | ||||||
| 8 | settled in Clinton County in and around Breese; following | ||||||
| 9 | completion of St. Boniface Church in Germantown in 1856, about | ||||||
| 10 | 70 Catholic families in and around Breese prepared to build | ||||||
| 11 | their own church; Father J. Fortmann, then pastor of St. | ||||||
| 12 | Boniface, laid the cornerstone of the new St. Dominic Church on | ||||||
| 13 | August 2, 1857; and
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| 14 | WHEREAS, On October 18, 1858, Bishop Henry Juncker, first | ||||||
| 15 | bishop of Alton, accompanied by the newly ordained Father | ||||||
| 16 | August Reineke, blessed the new Roman style brick church and | ||||||
| 17 | Father Reineke was then installed as the first pastor; the new | ||||||
| 18 | parish included the settlements of Aviston, Trenton, | ||||||
| 19 | Summerfield, Lebanon, O'Fallon, and Highland; this new brick | ||||||
| 20 | building was used as the parish church from 1858 to 1868; from | ||||||
| 21 | 1868 to 1902 it was the parish school; and from 1902 to 1964 it | ||||||
| 22 | was used as a parish hall; and
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| 1 | WHEREAS, In 1964 the current parish center was built; and | ||||||
| 2 | in 1973 the original church building was demolished; and
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| 3 | WHEREAS, In 2001, a major renovation restored the interior | ||||||
| 4 | to its original architectural style; a gathering space was | ||||||
| 5 | created in the entrance, the organ was upgraded, the | ||||||
| 6 | stained-glass windows were repaired, and the exterior was | ||||||
| 7 | repaired and renovated; St. Dominic Church was rededicated on | ||||||
| 8 | May 26, 2002; and
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| 9 | WHEREAS, Father Patrick Norman Peter has been pastor of St. | ||||||
| 10 | Dominic Church since 1995; he is only the eighth pastor who has | ||||||
| 11 | served at St. Dominic over its 150-year history; and | ||||||
| 12 | WHEREAS, The parish is dedicating its sesquicentennial | ||||||
| 13 | celebration to the early members and priests of the | ||||||
| 14 | congregation; a number of special activities and events this | ||||||
| 15 | fall will honor the founders of St, Dominic Church as well as | ||||||
| 16 | the parishioners and clergy who helped the parish prosper; an | ||||||
| 17 | anniversary celebration mass will be held on September 28, | ||||||
| 18 | 2008, followed by a reception and formal dinner at the Parish | ||||||
| 19 | Center; a Heritage Day will be held October 5, 2008, including | ||||||
| 20 | a German meal, outdoor activities, an antique farm equipment | ||||||
| 21 | display, and indoor display of historical memorabilia | ||||||
| 22 | representing the parish and church over the last 150 years; | ||||||
| 23 | therefore, be it
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| 1 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
| 2 | NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | ||||||
| 3 | congratulate the congregation and Father Peter as they | ||||||
| 4 | celebrate this historic time; and be it further
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| 5 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 6 | presented to the congregation of St. Dominic Catholic Church as | ||||||
| 7 | a symbol of our respect.
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