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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.