[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 25958]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTE TO THE SAINTS MONICA AND LUKE PARISH

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 27, 2007

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Madam Speaker, it is with great enthusiasm and 
sincerity that I take this time to recognize a milestone that will be 
taking place in the city of Gary, IN, on Sunday, September 30, 2007. 
This date will mark the 25th anniversary of Saints Monica and Luke 
Parish, and also will mark the 90th anniversary of Saint Luke Parish 
and the 80th anniversary of Saint Monica Parish. This celebration, 
honoring the people and the history of these parishes, will take place 
at the Genesis Convention Center in Gary.
  The official dedication of Saint Luke Parish, by then-Bishop 
Aldering, took place on September 30, 1917, the year my father arrived 
in Gary. The previous July, Saint Luke's first pastor, Father Frank 
Gnibba was appointed, and it was through his leadership that the first 
auditorium, or chapel, was constructed. This modest structure was the 
beginning of what would eventually become Saints Monica and Luke 
Parish. It housed seating for 550 people, as well as four classrooms, 
which formed the original Saint Luke's school. An important part of the 
history of Saint Luke is that the school was staffed by the School 
Sisters of Notre Dame from 1917-1969. During this time, under the 
leadership of Father Wilfred P. Mannion, the church's current building 
was constructed. The new location officially opened on October 16, 
1955.
  Saint Monica Parish, established in Gary in 1927, was the result of 
the efforts of four African American Catholic women: Lillian Bolden, 
Louise Agnes Smith, Josefa Streeter, and Eugenia Williams. Because 
African Americans were not welcome in the existing Catholic churches in 
Gary at the time, these inspirational leaders and beacons of change 
petitioned then-Bishop John Francis Noll to establish a church for 
them. This request was granted, and Saint Monica Parish was born. In 
1928, Father H. James Conway became Saint Monica's first pastor. Father 
Conway would serve the Catholic community in Gary for many years, 
eventually being named pastor at Saint Luke in 1959. During his tenure, 
in 1945, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament began instructing 
students at Saint Monica School, which focused on academic excellence 
and Christian service, and would become one of the premier educational 
facilities in the City of Gary. Another leader of Saint Monica's was 
Father Joseph M. Barry, an oblate from Boston who was very close to our 
family, as was another of the congregation's leaders, Myrtle King. 
Father William Martin, an assistant to Father Conway, took over as 
pastor at Saint Monica in 1968 and would eventually become the first 
pastor at Saints Monica and Luke Parish upon the parishes' merger in 
1982.
  Throughout the years, the parishioners of both Saint Luke and Saint 
Monica were a magnificent example of the Christian community in 
northwest Indiana. When the two churches merged in 1982 to become what 
is now Saints Monica and Luke Parish, their outstanding service to the 
community continued. Through the diligent efforts of its members, 
service to those in need has become one of the parish's identifying 
trademarks. Saints Monica and Luke operates a food pantry that serves 
families once a month, as well as the Saints Monica and Luke Soup 
Kitchen, which opened its doors in April 1993 and has served a hot meal 
to those in need every Friday since.
  Madam Speaker, I ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues 
join me in honoring the church's current and dedicated Pastor, Father 
Pat Gaza, and the entire congregation at Saints Monica and Luke Parish 
on their 25th anniversary, as well as the preceding parishes. 
Throughout the years, the clergy and members of Saints Monica and Luke 
have dedicated themselves to providing spiritual guidance through their 
faith, as well as unconditional service to their community. Their 
constant dedication and commitment is worthy of our deepest admiration.

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