[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 66 (Thursday, May 10, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E763]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE 100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE SAINTS PETER AND PAUL BASEBALL 
                                  CLUB

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DANIEL LIPINSKI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 10, 2012

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Saints 
Peter and Paul Baseball Club for one hundred years of service to 
Chicago's McKinley Park community. This year, the club will celebrate a 
century of quality athletics and social outreach by hosting the 
Centennial Celebration and Annual Dinner Dance. The Saints Peter and 
Paul Baseball Club has been a valuable asset to the community for many 
years, and I thank all those involved in the club and the current 
president, Mr. William Gonerka, for their dedication to our community.
  The club was founded in 1912 by a group of parishioners from Saints 
Peter and Paul Church who realized the need for a community 
organization that could provide both athletic and social outlets for 
youth in the area. Growing with the community, the club soon expanded 
its sponsorship to other sports such as basketball, softball, and touch 
football and broadened its fundraising efforts for parishes and local 
schools. For the last twenty years, the club has continued its 
stewardship to the neighborhood by hosting communion breakfasts, trips 
to White Sox and Bears games, and other parish social events. Although 
Saints Peter and Paul Church has since joined with St. Maurice and Our 
Lady of Good Counsel to form the Blessed Sacrament Parish, members of 
the club have continued to hold events under their original name.
  For the last one hundred years, the Saints Peter and Paul Baseball 
Club has worked to form healthy relationships and camaraderie among the 
people of McKinley Park. In supporting numerous athletic programs and 
acting as a social organization, the club has created a safe and 
productive outlet for many members of the local community. The work of 
this organization has helped members of the community develop vital 
leadership skills, appreciate the value of teamwork, and cultivate self 
discipline. I am grateful for the Saints Peter and Paul Baseball Club's 
outstanding one hundred years of service and am proud of the members 
who keep the club active.

                          ____________________