[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 91 (Friday, July 14, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1245]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE NATIVITY OF THE 
                      VIRGIN MARY ORTHODOX CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JERRY F. COSTELLO

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 13, 2000

  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, today I ask my colleagues to join me in 
honoring the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Nativity of the 
Virgin Mary Orthodox Church is Madison, Illinois.
  Long before the year 1900, the seeds of the Orthodox faith were 
firmly planted in the City of Madison, Illinois by Carpatho-Russian and 
Galacian immigrants. The first missionary priest, Fr. Stepanov, was 
sent to Madison in 1899. He heard his first confessions at the home of 
the Sawchucks at 1017 Madison Avenue. In 1902, permission was granted 
by the Archbishop of the Russian Orthodox Church in America to start 
the process of collecting funds to construct an Orthodox Church on 
Ewing Avenue in Madison. First a wooden structure was constructed, 
remaining on this site until 1964 when a new church building was built.
  This first church building was blessed by Fr. John Kochuroff, pastor 
of the Chicago Parish and builder of the present cathedral in Chicago, 
Illinois. Fr. Kochuroff had later returned to his homeland and in the 
beginning of the Russian Revolution was martyred in that conflict.
  The parish has it's own cemetery, eleven acres in size, located at 
Highway 157 and Interstate 270 and is commonly known as Sunset Hill. 
The cemetery was purchased in 1924 and dedicated on Memorial Day, 1925. 
The parish was ministered by missionary priests in it's early years, 
and beginning in 1905, permanent priests were assigned. The church 
choir was organized in 1920 and continues to this day. In 1962, 
additional property was acquired and a new building program was 
commenced. In 1964, ground was broken to begin construction. In 1965, 
the new church was consecrated and the church was dedicated.
  In 1972, the Church held a ``mortgage burning ceremony'' and a ground 
breaking was held for a new rectory building. In 1973, the new rectory 
was completed and in 1988 the Rectory Mortgage was also retired and a 
Mortgage burning luncheon was held in October of that year. The church 
and rectory continue today to fulfill the spiritual lives of orthodox 
Christians of Russian, Greek, Serbian and other eastern European 
heritage.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the 
communities and parishioners on the occasion of the 100th anniversary 
of the founding of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary Orthodox Church.

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