[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 68 (Wednesday, May 15, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E812-E813]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      50TH ANNIVERSARY OF SACRED HEART CHURCH IN FEEDING HILLS, MA

                                 ______


                          HON. RICHARD E. NEAL

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 15, 1996

  Mr. NEAL. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize the Parish of 
Sacred Heart Church in Feeding Hills, MA which will be celebrating its 
50th anniversary on Sunday, May 19, 1996. For the past half century, 
Sacred Heart Church has been an integral part of the Springfield 
Catholic Diocese and a mainstay in the town of Agawam. The church began 
as a small mission chapel for Mount Carmel Church in Springfield and 
was run by the Stigimatine Fathers. In 1946, Bishop Thomas M. O'Leary 
declared Sacred Heart a territorial parish in Feeding Hills to be run 
by the Stigimatine Order.
  Sacred Heart had 175 families in its parish in 1946 but its chapel 
could only accommodate 125 people. The need for a new larger church was 
immanent and the parishioners immediately began working together to 
raise the necessary funds for the new construction. After more than ten 
years of hard work, the diligence of these parishioners was rewarded in 
1959 when Bishop Christopher Weldon dedicated the new Sacred Heart 
Church. The expansion did not end with the new church, however, and in 
1964 the men of the parish built the Sacred Heart Restaurant at the Big 
``E'' in West Springfield and the Parish Center was dedicated in 1971. 
During this period, an athletic program was established for the young 
people of the parish and a parish library was added, complete with 
adult bible classes. The parish had certainly blossomed into a major 
center for community activity in the Feeding Hills area and was a 
source of tremendous pride for the citizens of Agawam.
  Today the parish has grown to 2,065 families and has been transferred 
from the Stigimatine Order back to the Springfield Diocese. This 
tremendous growth and the parish's continued commitment to charitable 
organizations and community development have made Sacred Heart one of 
the true gems of the Second Congressional District. I would like to 
salute Rev. Kenneth Tatro, the Pastor of Sacred Heart; Pastoral 
Minister Sister Eileen Sullivan, SSJ; Deacon James Martone;

[[Page E813]]

and the many dedicated parishioners who have donated so much time and 
energy over the years to ensure Sacred Heart's place among the most 
outstanding institutions in Western Massachusetts.
  Sacred Heart is a tremendous source of pride for not only the 
Springfield Diocese but for the entire Second Congressional District. I 
am honored to represent the outstanding individuals who comprise Sacred 
Heart parish and I join with the citizens of the Second Congressional 
District in offering a most heartfelt congratulations on this 
``golden'' anniversary. Sacred Heart has truly succeeded in its mission 
to foster a cooperative and inclusive spirit in the community and I 
wish Sacred Heart Church all the best for another successful 50 years.

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