[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 147 (Thursday, November 14, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2000-E2001]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             TRIBUTE TO THE CHURCH OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

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                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 13, 2002

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Church 
of the Blessed Sacrament, a treasured Bronx institution and a historic 
house of worship that celebrated its seventy-fifth anniversary on 
November 1, 2002 at a dinner-dance and will commemorate the event at an 
anniversary Mass on November 24th.
  Mr. Speaker, the Church of the Blessed Sacrament was established in 
July of 1927 per a request by Patrick Cardinal Hayes, Third Cardinal of 
New York. Cardinal Hayes asked Father Edward A. Loehr to establish a 
new Parish of Blessed Sacrament to serve South Bronx residents. More 
than seventy years later, Blessed Sacrament Parish is still thriving 
and serving a devoted congregation.

[[Page E2001]]

  Throughout its 75 years of existence, Blessed Sacrament Parish has 
been a model of excellence as a house of God, with open doors to 
everyone. Not only are Bronx residents able to come to Blessed 
Sacrament Parish for spiritual enrichment and fellowship, they can come 
to the church for assistance with life's daily trials.
  Mr. Speaker, many of the structures that make up Blessed Sacrament 
Parish are historical landmarks, rich with history. The Parish is in 
the progress of restoring these valuable structures so as to preserve 
the spirit from which the church was founded.
  For nearly a century, hundreds of thousands of Bronx residents have 
found solace and aid within the walls of Blessed Sacrament Parish. I 
hope that all of my esteemed colleagues will join me in honoring this 
sacred and historic institution on this notable anniversary.

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