[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 108 (Thursday, September 14, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1479]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E1479]]



     IN HONOR OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF STS. PHILIP & JAMES CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 14, 2000

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the fiftieth 
anniversary of Sts. Philip & James Church. A true leader in Cleveland's 
church community, Sts. Philip & James has progressed with the times and 
continues still to redefine itself in keeping with its mission of 
community outreach.
  The decree for a new parish, to be located in Cleveland's West 
Boulevard neighborhood, was made effective on May 1, 1950; the 
cornerstone was laid on September 24 of the same year. Sts. Philip & 
James school opened in February of 1951, with 270 students transferring 
from eight area public and parochial schools. As both the school and 
parish continued to grow, disaster struck in 1953 when a tornado 
ravaged the neighborhood. For three days, Sts. Philip & James became a 
Red Cross Shelter for victims, and the 107th Armory Calvary Regiment 
established its field headquarters there. After helping the area to 
recover, the parish became even more active, with such groups as the 
women's guild, the Alter and Rosary Society, a Parent Teacher Union, a 
Holy Name Society, as well as numerous choirs.
  Upon entrance to its second decade, Sts. Philip & James continued to 
grow in both numbers and facilities for the surrounding Catholic 
community. Though a fire in the rectory in 1963 tested the 
congregation's strength, it bounced back with fundraising drives 
establishing permanent housing for both the priests as well as the 
Franciscan Sisters who have been an integral part of the parish 
community since the school opened. Serving as both staff and teachers, 
the Franciscan Sisters have tirelessly dedicated their time to the 
betterment of the community. Like many Cleveland diocese churches, 
though, numbers inevitably decreased in the 70s and 80s, culminating in 
the eventual closing of the school in 1998. This left a smaller church 
community, though one which has never lost the spirit which kept Sts. 
Philip & James thriving through both the best and most trying of times.
  Today, Sts. Philip & James is undergoing a self proclaimed 
``adjustment period,'' though one that they are handling with deft and 
grace. The convent, abandoned when the school closed, has been 
converted into a maternity home for young girls who need a safe haven, 
and in 1999, renovations were underway on the school to create the new 
Horizon Science Academy for seventh, eighth and ninth grade students. 
Truly, Sts. Philip & James church deserves our acknowledgment and 
congratulations for fifty impressive years of service to the Cleveland 
community, and what appears to be many more years to come.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in rising to honor this truly 
remarkable institution as it celebrates fifty years of outstanding 
service to the Cleveland area.

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