[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 148 (Tuesday, October 22, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1533-E1534]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF SAINT PETER THE APOSTLE CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. RODNEY P. FRELINGHUYSEN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 22, 2013

  Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Saint Peter the 
Apostle Church, located in Parsippany, Morris County, New Jersey, which 
is celebrating its 75th anniversary.
  Saint Peter the Apostle Church has been serving the growing Catholic 
community of the Lake Parsippany and Lake Hiawatha areas since its 
beginning on June 29, 1938. Bishop Thomas McLaughlin, the church's 
founder, along with Father Philip J. Coyne, the church's first pastor, 
began Saint Peter the Apostle Church's momentous progression. Initially 
in 1938, the church borrowed space from the Lake Hiawatha Fire Station 
to host mass. In September of 1939, Father Coyne and Bishop McLaughlin 
signed the contracts to begin construction of the facility that would 
house Saint Peter the Apostle Church for nearly 50 years.
  Reverend James P. Smith's arrival as pastor in 1941 was yet but 
another key moment in the church's history. In tandem with the 
Archdiocese of Paterson's Bishop James A. McNulty, Father Smith 
coordinated a $450,000 project to construct a new convent, school, and 
auditorium in March of 1959. Later that year the school opened its 
doors to its first body of students ranging from kindergarten to fourth 
grade. Under the supervision of Sister Mary Mueller, OP, the principal, 
Saint Peter

[[Page E1534]]

the Apostle School received Middle State accreditation, one of the 
school's most notable accomplishments.
  June 8, 1965 marked the start of another expansion within the church 
and it began with the appointment of Reverend William F. Wanerka as 
pastor. The church's pastoral family grew once again in the 1980s with 
the addition of Reverend George Dimler and Reverend David Richardson as 
the first permanent deacons. However, it was not until the addition of 
Monsignor Flanagan on June 15, 1985 when the church and the school 
underwent its largest transformation to date.
  The first few years of Monsignor Flanagan's tenure witnessed the 
rapidly increasing church community outgrow the original facility built 
in 1939 and 1940. As the church community grew in those few years, 
Monsignor Flanagan supervised numerous workers and volunteers to plan 
and construct a new, larger church capable of accommodating up to 1,000 
people. Opening on February 20, 1988 the new and improved facility was 
capable of hosting programs like their new Sunday Gospel Program for 
children. This new facility gave the parish the ability to serve even 
more members of the Parsippany community.
  Unfortunately, the increase in church members did not bring an 
increase in Saint Peter the Apostle School enrollment. However, rather 
than close the school and relinquish their ability to provide an 
education for those students that remained, the Saint Peter the Apostle 
School merged with Saint Christopher School, another parish in 
Parsippany. The new school, All Saint Academy, now serves the children 
of three Parsippany churches, Saint Peter the Apostle, Saint 
Christopher, and Saint Ann. The merger has allowed the Saint Peter the 
Apostle Church to serve an even larger number of children within the 
Parsippany area for many years to come.
  Saint Peter the Apostle Church has provided an invaluable and 
meaningful service for the people of Parsippany and will continue to do 
so with the continued support of the members of the parish and of the 
community.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating 
Saint Peter the Apostle Church as they celebrate their 75th 
anniversary.

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