[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 133 (Friday, August 1, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5201-S5202]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNIZING 50 YEARS OF HAYMARKET CENTER

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today when you look at Chicago's West Loop

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neighborhood, you will see new lofts and condominiums, trendy 
restaurants, and many people moving in. But 50 years ago, it was one of 
the poorest parts of Chicago. It used to be called ``Skid Row'' and was 
crowded with warehouses and boarded-up businesses. Not much of that 
past is left there today, except for a few brick buildings and 
Chicago's largest addiction and mental health treatment facility, 
Haymarket Center, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
  When Haymarket Center was founded in 1975, not many people would 
venture to the West Loop. Many locals were experiencing addiction and 
alcoholism, and the stigmas surrounding those diseases were 
devastating. At the time, the sentiment in America was that addiction 
was a personal failure. Those who suffered from addiction were cast out 
of society, isolated from their families, and denied the treatment they 
so desperately needed. Instead of being sent to hospitals, they would 
be sent to jails.
  However, there was one man willing to venture to Skid Row. He had 
rosy Irish cheeks and a slight limp, and he was committed to helping 
those who had no one else to care for them. His name was Monsignor 
Ignatius McDermott, but we all knew him as Father Mac. Father Mac was a 
friend of mine; he was a model of compassion, commitment, and service.
  He began his path to addiction treatment at Maryville Academy, an 
orphanage in a suburb 25 miles west of Chicago. Father Mac was only 25 
when he started working at Maryville, and there, he saw how many 
children were affected by their parents' addiction. When he had to make 
a home visit, he often would venture to Skid Row and see the plight of 
those living there. These experiences drove him to move to Skid Row in 
1946 to help people beat their addiction. Almost every night, Father 
Mac would walk up and down the streets of Skid Row looking for someone 
to offer encouragement.
  That was something I always respected about Father Mac. While so many 
people would pick up the pace or cross the street to avoid someone who 
may be sick with addiction, Father Mac would slow down and stop to see 
what he could do to help.
  As Father Mac served Chicago's West Loop, he began to realize that 
addiction needed to be treated like the disease it was. That 
realization was shared by a renowned surgeon and psychiatrist Dr. James 
West, who had his own struggles with addiction. Together, these two men 
founded Haymarket House, which would go on to become Haymarket Center.
  The opening of Haymarket Center was a turning point in Chicago's 
approach to addiction treatment. In thinking about the mission that 
inspired these two men, I am reminded of something Father Mac would 
say. ``The Master is kindness . . . It is the only language in the 
world that the deaf can hear, the blind can see, that the mute can 
speak.'' And kindness is embodied throughout Haymarket Center's 
operations. It was one of the first places in Chicago where people in 
the throes of addiction could go and be treated with love, not 
judgement.
  Fifty years later, that guiding light has not changed. Haymarket 
Center still is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is a beacon of 
hope, ensuring our most vulnerable have access to critical services 
regardless of their income or background. Haymarket Center has grown to 
treat more than 12,000 patients a year and offers 30 specialized 
addiction and recovery programs in support of its mission. These 
programs also support job training and mental health counseling for 
patients, helping to address the root causes of suffering and providing 
patients with a path forward. Haymarket Center continues to push our 
understanding surrounding addiction into the future, recognizing the 
role that poverty and trauma play in addiction.
  I and so many other of Chicago's representatives have seen the impact 
Haymarket Center has on our community. That is why, throughout my time 
in Congress, I have worked to secure resources and change Federal 
policies to help the healers at Haymarket Center fulfill their mission.
  I want to thank Haymarket Center's current CEO Dr. Dan Lustig for his 
work in ensuring Haymarket continues to live up to Father Mac's vision. 
Dr. Lustig's leadership has kept Haymarket at the forefront of 
addiction treatment amidst the opioid epidemic and mental health 
crisis.
  While Father Mac is no longer with us, his legacy lives on through 
Haymarket Center. I join people across the Chicagoland area in 
congratulating Haymarket Center for 50 years of incredible work, 
helping those who had no one else to turn to, and treating everyone who 
walked through its doors with kindness.

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