[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 154 (Tuesday, September 26, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1271]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING ST. MICHAEL PARISH ON THEIR 150TH ANNIVERSARY

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                          HON. DANIEL LIPINSKI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 26, 2017

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor all of the 
parishioners and clergy--past and present--of St. Michael Parish in 
Orland Park, Illinois, as they celebrate the 150th anniversary of their 
parish.
  Established shortly after the end of the Civil War, St. Michael 
Parish began with a simple wooden church, twenty feet long and thirty 
feet wide. The first Mass was held on the Feast of St. Michael the 
Archangel on September 29, 1867. After World War II, the parish began 
construction of a grade school which opened in September, 1949, to 
better serve the growing parish. As growth continued a new church 
needed to be built and was dedicated in 1969, followed by a Parish 
Activities Center in 1981.
  What has remained constant through all of the changes is the 
commitment of St. Michael's parishioners to be a gathering of Catholic 
people believing in God's love, manifested by His Son Jesus, and 
working to fulfill His mission on earth. I have experienced the daily 
manifestation of this commitment during my visits to St. Michael 
Parish, whether for worship or to visit the school. St. Michael School 
is an exemplary Catholic elementary school that has won a National Blue 
Ribbon Award and emphasizes academics, moral values, and discipline. 
The spirit of the school really shined through during my visit for 
Catholic Schools Week.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to recognize Father Paul Burak and 
all the parishioners of St. Michael, and congratulate them on the 150th 
anniversary of their parish. May their community continue to thrive and 
grow in God's love.

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