[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 112 (Friday, July 25, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1612]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN HONOR OF THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF SAN FRANCISCO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 24, 2003

  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the Archdiocese of 
San Francisco on its 150th anniversary. When the Archdiocese was first 
established on July 29, 1853, it included all of Northern California. 
Joseph Sadoc Alemany, the first Archbishop of San Francisco, who served 
from 1853 to 1884, was a Dominican priest who was born in Spain and 
immigrated to the United States in 1840. Alemany initially was 
reluctant to come to California, but was told by Pope Pius IX, ``You 
must go to California--Where others are drawn by gold, you must carry 
the cross.''
  In the first three decades of its history, the Archdiocese built an 
extensive system of schools, orphanages, hospitals, and homes for the 
elderly and other institutions of charity. These agencies could not 
have existed without the heroic efforts of the orders of women 
religious. By 1884, the Catholic Church was firmly established in San 
Francisco and Northern California. The Dominican Sisters, Notre Dame de 
Namur Sisters, Sisters of Charity, Presentation, Sisters, Mercy 
Sisters, Sisters of the Holy Family and women in other Catholic 
religious congregations served a significant role in forming the safety 
net of social services and built a continuing legacy of Catholic 
education.
  In the Teamsters' Strike of 1901, Father Peter Yorke placed the 
Church of San Francisco firmly on the side of working people, making 
impassioned speeches to thousands of workers. To those who questioned a 
priest's involvement in the labor struggle, Yorke answered, ``As a 
priest my duty is with workingmen, who are struggling for their rights, 
because that is the historical position of the priesthood and because 
that is the Lord's command.''
  The Archdiocese of San Francisco has served as an anchor for numerous 
immigrant groups from Europe, Asia and the Philippines and Central and 
Latin America and the Archdiocese of San Francisco continues to serve 
the people of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin Counties in parishes 
and institutions of enormous historical, cultural and social value to 
the Bay Area like the Mission San Francisco (Dolores) (1776), Mission 
San Rafael (1817), St. Francis Shrine (first parish in 1849); Mission 
Dolores School (1852); St. Mary's Hospital (1857); St. Matthew's 
Parish, San Mateo (1863) St. Vincent's School for Boys (1855); and 
especially the 93 parishes and missions serving Bay Area Catholics.
  The Archdiocese of San Francisco continues its mission of education 
in San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin Counties in its 66 Catholic 
elementary schools serving 28,266 students, and its fourteen high 
schools serving 8,262 students.
  The parishioners of the many parishes of the Archdiocese make 
contributions to the economic, cultural and civic life of the San 
Francisco Bay Area. I commend the leadership of the Archdiocese of San 
Francisco on this occasion of its 150th Anniversary and offer best 
wishes for many more years of service.

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