[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 26 (Thursday, March 12, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E369]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              ST. MARTIN OF TOURS PARISH 75TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ROBERT A. BORSKI

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 12, 1998

  Mr. BORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 75th 
anniversary of the St. Martin of Tours Parish. The Parish has proven 
itself a great asset to the Catholic community, as well as to the 
surrounding Philadelphia area. St. Martin's prides itself in their 
dedication to their Roman Catholic heritage as suggested in their 
Diamond Jubilee motto: ``Many People--One Family--Serving Christ.''
  St. Martin's first Mass was celebrated on June 17, 1923, in a two-
story house with a mere 80 people in attendance. While the original 
two-story house still stands in Oxford Circle, the Parish has since 
grown in size to encompass two-and-one-half miles of Northeast 
Philadelphia. There are now two churches (upper and lower), two 
schools, a convent and a rectory that all stand on 4.3 acres. The lower 
church cost $600,000 to build and was first put to use in 1948 where 
the first Mass was celebrated. The upper church, which was completed in 
1954, took six years to complete at a cost of $2 million. Its interior 
volume of some 500,000 cubic feet of space has a clear height of 50 
feet from the floor to the ceiling. Nearly 400 tons of marble, having 
21 varieties, were used in constructing the interior finish of the 
upper church. It was, at that time, the second largest shipment of 
marble received in the Port of Philadelphia.
  The St. Martin of Tours School also started out as a small one-story 
building. The first school session began in September of 1925. Forty-
three girls and twenty-eight boys were taught by three Sister Servants 
of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. A second school was needed shortly 
thereafter, and was completed in 1958. Today, the school consists of 
two three-story buildings, holding 1,500 students. The largest student 
enrollment occurred in 1963 with a total of 2,465 students.
  The Parish membership has also risen to 5,573 families, or 16,663 
parishioners, the largest enrollment in the City of Philadelphia. St. 
Martin's reached the height of its membership in 1963 when it had an 
estimated 10,000 attendees at 10 Sunday Masses. Today, six priests 
celebrate seven masses on Sunday. The parish has had only six pastoral 
leaders in its 75 years of existence, including Rev. Patrick Houston, 
Rev. John McHugh, Msgr. Walter Bowe, Msgr. Michael Marley, Rev. Leonard 
Furmanski and Rev. Thomas Murray, the current pastor. All of St. 
Martin's teachers, employees, volunteers, parishioners, and students 
make great efforts through prayers, talents, and dedication to strive 
to meet the challenges and the ever-changing needs of our diverse 
society. St. Martin's is a central presence to the Philadelphia area as 
it remains committed to living the daily example of ``Many People--One 
Family--Serving Christ.''
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding those 
associated with the St. Martin of Tours Parish. I pay tribute to this 
wonderful 75th anniversary celebration of Roman Catholic heritage, 
which has brought much pride to the Philadelphia community. I wish St. 
Martin's Parish great success in the coming years.




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