[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 55 (Friday, March 24, 1995)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E692] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] TRIBUTE TO THE IHM SISTERS: SERVANTS OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY ______ HON. DAVID E. BONIOR of michigan in the house of representatives Friday, March 24, 1995 Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, this coming Sunday, March 26, 1995, the IHM Sisters in my home State of Michigan, are celebrating their 150th anniversary. The Sisters, servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary were founded in 1845. One of the founders was Theresa Maxis, a member of the Oblate Sisters of Providence. She was an educated and deeply spiritual woman. Another founder was a young Redemptorist priest named Louis Florence Gillet. He was a missionary experiencing difficulty in recruiting religious women to educate young girls. Along with Oblate Charlotte Schaaf and Theresa Renauld, a young women from Fr. Gillet's Mission, they formed the new religious institute. Maxis was the daughter of a Haitian woman and a British Army officer. As a women of color, she was subject to the racism that pervaded civic and ecclesial society. Discrimination against people of color and women was the norm. In many ways, the founders of the IHM's were visionaries who were ahead of their time. Together, they began an on-going mission of educating and advocating for spiritual and psychological development--and, social justice. As a former seminarian, I feel a close affinity with the Sisters and their commitment to develop an understanding of the structural causes of injustice. This is not merely an academic exercise, but an attempt to alleviate oppression and provide the tools to critique and transform its causes. The IHM's pursuit of this endeavor lead to the founding of Marygrove College in 1910. Moved from Monroe to Detroit in 1927, the Sisters of IHM continue to respond to the religious, intellectual, moral, and social well-being of men and women in our rapidly changing society. The devotion the IHM Sisters have displayed to their faith and the community is an inspiration. Although they are a congregation of women in the Roman Catholic tradition, people of all faiths and denominations around the world have benefited from their work. Their social and spiritual contributions are many and they deserve our gratitude for their compassion and leadership. As the Catholic community prepares for an afternoon of celebration and song, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking the Sisters for their many contributions. May the next 150 years be a continued fruitful ministry. ____________________