[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 23797-23798]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF THE SAINT JEAN BAPTISTE CHURCH ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 
                           125th ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 7, 2006

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Saint 
Jean Baptiste Church in New York City. The Church began celebrating its 
125th anniversary year on Saturday, December 2nd. Founded by French-
speaking residents of the Yorkville neighborhood in Manhattan, Saint 
Jean Baptiste began as a national church with special permission from 
the Holy See. Saint Jean Baptiste Church has since become a blessed 
sanctuary for Catholics of all backgrounds and a familiar and beloved 
institution on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
  The Societe Saint Jean Baptiste, founded by Gabriel Franchere in 
1850, first launched a project to establish a national parish for New 
York's burgeoning francophone Catholic community under the guidance of 
Father Peter Cazeneuve. At an organizing meeting held in 1881, local 
worshipers resolved to hold religious services in a central location 
and took a collection, raising twelve dollars. This was but the first 
drop in what was to become a torrent of generosity from supporters of 
Saint Jean Baptiste. Before the erection of its first church, 
parishioners held services in a rented hall located over a stable, 
affectionately known as the ``Crib of Bethlehem.'' Because of their 
dedication to establishing their own congregation, John Cardinal 
McCloskey of New York granted Saint Jean Baptiste's parishioners 
permission to build their own church in 1882. Later that year occurred 
a groundbreaking and a ceremony blessing the cornerstone presided over 
by Archbishop Michael Corrigan.
  A decade later, the Church became a shrine to Saint Anne when the 
Right Reverend J.C. Marquis of Canada bore the relic of Saint Anne from 
Rome to the Church en route to Canada. When news spread that the relic 
of Saint Anne was to be shown to the parishioners, a large crowd filled 
the church that evening. One parishioner, an epileptic, was suffering 
from convulsions that were said to have been cured immediately upon 
being touched by the relic. In the following days and weeks, crowds 
estimated in the hundreds of thousands visited the little church, with 
many traveling from as far away as New England and the Middle Atlantic 
states. Deeply moved by the outpouring of devotion, Monsignor Marquis 
arranged to divide the sacred relic of Saint Anne, and a novena was 
dedicated in her honor. The relic was soon joined by another bestowed 
by Pope Leo XIII that was sent from the Shrine of Sainte Anne d'Apt in 
France.
  At the turn of the twentieth century, the Church of Saint Jean 
Baptiste opened another important chapter in its storied existence when 
it became the location of a Eucharistic shrine. Today, it is one of 
just two churches in all of New York City that are served by the 
Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, an apostolic organization whose 
religious life centers

[[Page 23798]]

on the power of the mystery of the Eucharist. Increasingly, Saint Jean 
Baptiste Church began to serve a diverse range of Catholics from all 
walks of life and backgrounds. A generous benefactor, Mr. Thomas 
Fortune Ryan, made significant contributions that allowed the Church to 
build a magnificent new building that could accommodate 1,200 
worshipers. The international prize-winning design by Nicholas 
Serracino provided a church of the purest Renaissance style, 
constructed of Indiana limestone, with twin towers surmounting the 
edifice, arches and fluted pilasters supporting the rounded ceiling 
that covering three naves, a wide cornice extending around the nave and 
at the middle height of the apse, and an impressive approach of church-
wide steps. The new building's cornerstone at Lexington Avenue and East 
76th Street in Manhattan was laid in 1912, and the new Church was fully 
completed two years later.
  Today, Saint Jean Baptiste Church remains a thriving institution, 
offering spiritual sanctuary, education, social services, and a wide 
range of other programs to the people of New York City. Under the able 
stewardship of the Reverend Anthony Schueller, S.S.S., the Saint Jean 
Baptiste Church continues to uphold its proud history and traditions.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my distinguished colleagues to join me in 
recognizing the extraordinary contributions to the civic and spiritual 
good of the people of New York City made by the historic Saint Jean 
Baptiste Catholic Church and its parishioners, past, present and 
future.

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