[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 125 (Tuesday, September 8, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2190]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




A TRIBUTE RECOGNIZING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF OUR LADY 
              OF PERPETUAL HELP CATHOLIC CHURCH IN DOWNEY

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                       HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 8, 2009

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th 
anniversary of the founding of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, the 
first Catholic church established in the City of Downey in the 34th 
Congressional District.
  From its initial opening as St. Anthony's Church with just a few 
families in 1909, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish today boasts a 
membership of approximately 3,500 families. The church also educates 
290 students in grades K-8 at its Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, 
which opened more than 60 years ago in 1948.
  Under its guiding mission to ``proclaim our love for God through 
social justice outreach,'' the church's involvement in the community 
extends well beyond religious services. Each year, Our Lady of 
Perpetual Help parishioners join together to help out with a wide range 
of community activities, including cleaning up around railroad tracks 
as part of ``Keep Downey Beautiful,'' building houses with Habitat for 
Humanity, and participating in the Arc of Southeast Los Angeles County 
walk to raise funds for the organization that provides opportunities 
for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities.
  In celebration of the church's centennial milestone, Cardinal Roger 
Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles, will preside over an outdoor Mass in 
the Marian Courtyard on the grounds of Our Lady of Perpetual Help 
School on Sunday, September 20.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me along with Cardinal 
Roger Mahony and the parishioners of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church 
in celebrating the parish's 100 years of service to its members and the 
community. I would also like to submit for the Record the church's 
detailed historical overview of this parish that today stands as a 
spiritual home for so many Downey families.

        A History of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church

       The 100 year history of the growth and development of Our 
     Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church closely parallels that 
     of Downey and all of Southern California. Our Lady of 
     Perpetual Help Church, which began as St. Anthony Church, 
     grew from a scattering of Catholic families in a small 
     mission church into a large and vigorous Catholic community 
     whose original parish was sectioned off to aid in the 
     establishment of 5 additional parishes.
       Late in 1907 Downey area Catholics, numbering about 100, 
     sent a petition to the Bishop requesting that mass be held 
     there on a regular basis. Bishop Thomas Conaty, in response 
     to their plea, arranged to have a priest say mass at Mannings 
     Hall in Downey every Sunday morning.
       In preparation for the construction of Downey's first 
     Catholic Church, property was purchased on May 23, 1908. It 
     was described as ``a triangular lot bounded on the east by 
     Crawford Street (Downey Avenue), on the south by Fifth Street 
     and on the west by New Street.'' The following year a small 
     frame church named in honor of St. Anthony was built on this 
     property facing Fifth Street. The church was blessed by Fr. 
     McGrath, pastor of St. Aloysius, in September, 1909 and 
     dedicated by Bishop Conaty in 1911.
       At the time of its dedication, St. Anthony parish 
     boundaries extended from the Los Angeles River on the west to 
     the San Gabriel River on the east, from just south of Slauson 
     Avenue along the Pacific Electric tracks on the north, to 
     Imperial Highway on the south.
       St. Anthony Church continued as a mission of St. Aloysius 
     Church until 1913 when its first resident pastor, Rev. 
     Bartholomew O'Rorke was appointed. He was succeeded by Rev. 
     Thomas Blackwell who remained pastor until 1918. From 1918 to 
     1921, Dominican Fathers served in the parish. The 
     Redemptorist Fathers, who were assigned to St. Anthony Church 
     from April, 1921 to mid-1922, were responsible for changing 
     the name of the Church to Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
       In 1929, ground was broken just north of the existing frame 
     church for a new larger church with a seating capacity of 
     450. Bishop John Cantwell officiated at the solemn dedication 
     of the new church on Sunday, January 25, 1931.
       A period of tremendous growth throughout Southern 
     California began in the 1940s during and following World War 
     H. With the great increase in the number of parishioners, the 
     church was enlarged in the early 1950s.
       The Whittier Narrows earthquake in 1987 caused severe 
     damage to the original portion of the Church and it was 
     declared unsafe for occupancy. Following feasibility studies 
     and a parish survey, the church was restored with certain 
     alterations. The older portion of the church was razed and an 
     entirely new section was built onto the remaining portion of 
     the church. The church construction was completed in 1992.
       Today, under the spiritual direction of Pastor Mark 
     Warnstedt and Associate Pastor Vivian Ben Lima, parishioners 
     attend services--in English and Spanish--in keeping with its 
     fitting centennial theme to ``remember, rejoice, and renew.''

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