[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 2678]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



             CONGRATULATING THE CHURCH OF THE ANNUNCIATION

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                           HON. MARGE ROUKEMA

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 9, 2000

  Mrs. ROUKEMA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Church of the 
Annunciation in Paramus, New Jersey, on the dedication of its restored 
and renovated church building. This newly completed work not only 
provides more space for worship and community activity, but reflects 
the measure of faith it brings to the community and the growth of the 
church congregation.
  The $2.2 million project will provide more than 8,000 square feet, 
reconfigured to meet the Second Vatican Council's direction for greater 
participation of the congregation in services. Modern lighting and 
sound systems have been added while maintaining the church's classic 
gothic design. Meeting space for parish organizations and community 
services has been expanded and the entire complex has been adopted for 
the physically challenged.
  A church is, of course, far more than bricks and mortar. It is a 
place of prayer, worship and solace for all. As Pastor Michael Sheehan 
has said, the renovation project is a proclamation of the 
congregation's faith in the future that the Lord will continue to be 
with His people in Paramus.
  A key element of the spirit surrounding the Church of the 
Annunciation has been the tradition of Christian charity. Members of 
this compassionate congregation have worked selflessly to help the less 
fortunate in the community, providing aid and assistance whenever and 
wherever it has been needed. They have truly embraced the Gospel 
according to St. Matthew: ``I was hungry and you gave me meat. I was 
thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. I 
was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in 
prison and you came unto me.''
  The Church of the Annunciation traces its history to 1951, when 
Newark Archbishop Thomas J. Walsh ordered the construction of a new 
church to accommodate the rapidly growing Catholic population in Bergen 
County. Archbishop Walsh chose the site of the former House of Divine 
Providence, a Catholic charity hospital for the terminally ill that had 
remained vacant since it was gutted by fire in 1925. The Rev. William 
J. Buckley was assigned as the first pastor and held the first Mass in 
the Midland Avenue firehouse on September 14, 1952. The new church was 
dedicated the following March on the day before Palm Sunday. The first 
year of full operation saw 78 baptisms, four weddings and three 
funerals.
  Rapid growth followed over the next several years, including 
construction of a rectory and the establishment of a church school for 
kindergarten-eighth grade. While the school closed in 1983 due to 
falling enrollment, overall growth has continued and the church today 
is the spiritual home of more than 1,200 families.
  The Church of the Annunciation has been served by many distinguished 
clergy, but some have a special place in the memory of parishioners. 
Archbishop Walsh entrusted the Rev. William J. Buckley, an experienced 
priest of 29 years, with the important job of founding the church, 
overseeing the establishment of the new parish and serving as the first 
pastor. A practical man as well as a spiritual leader, the Rev. 
Buckley's first purchase was a 4-by-7-inch leather-bound accounts book 
in which to record the church's finances. In 1967, the Vietnam War 
touched the lives of the parish all too closely when the Rev. Charles 
Watters was killed in action. Pastor from 1956 to 1963, Father Watters 
was serving as an Army chaplain with the 173rd Airborne Brigade when 
his unit engaged a heavily armed enemy battalion. During the battle, 
Father Watters rushed to the front lines to aid wounded soldiers and 
give last rites to the dying. He repeatedly ran through intense enemy 
fire to rescue the wounded or give aid, and was eventually struck and 
killed. Father Watters received the Congressional Medal of Honor for 
his heroism. The traditions and standards set by Father Buckley and 
Father Watters are ably carried on today by Father Sheehan.
  The Church of the Annunciation has been a center of community life 
for generations, a gathering place for weddings, funerals and other 
passages of life not just for today's generation but their parents and 
grandparents as well. It continues to play a major role in the lives of 
its congregation and will do so for many years to come. In these times 
of moral upheaval and increasing violence among our youth--as evidenced 
by tragic shootings in schools across the nation--we especially value 
the dedication and commitment of our churches to the guidance of our 
young people. This is in the best tradition of building upon the strong 
foundations of our American democracy.
  As the Church approaches the 50-year mark, the promise of its future 
seems bright. The faithfulness of its clergy, the devotion of its 
congregation and its dedication to Christian values are evidence of its 
enduring place in the community.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to 
join me in congratulating the Church of the Annunciation on nearly half 
a century of serving the spiritual needs of its congregation, and 
wishing this church and its parishioners the best for the future. God 
bless and Godspeed.

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