[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18075]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 TO COMMEMORATE THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR LADY OF SORROWS CHURCH IN 
                         GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. VERNON J. EHLERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 8, 2008

  Mr. EHLERS. Madam Speaker, it is my distinct pleasure to rise today 
in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Our Lady of Sorrows Church 
in Grand Rapids, Michigan. On Saturday, September 13, 2008, a 
centennial dinner will celebrate this extraordinary milestone, and it 
is a privilege to recognize and honor Rev. Theodore J. Kozlowski and 
the congregation of this remarkable church for the model of Christian 
service and the beacon of hope they have offered to the Grand Rapids 
community over the past century.
  From the first mass celebrated on September 20, 1908, by their young 
energetic priest, Father Salvatore Cianci, Our Lady of Sorrows was 
founded primarily to provide for the growing Italian community in Grand 
Rapids. Meeting in the basement chapel of St. Andrew's Cathedral, this 
fledgling church offered the opportunity for Italians to worship and 
continue their faithful prayer life in the language of their childhood. 
Through the devoted efforts of Fr. Cianci and the small but very 
dedicated congregation, a dream became reality on Easter Sunday 1921, 
when a new structure intended as a temporary church, and also a second 
building intended to house a future school, were blessed and dedicated. 
Even though the Great Depression prevented the parish from fulfilling 
its dream of a permanent house of worship for almost 40 years, Our Lady 
of Sorrows School did open its doors for the first time on September 
25, 1922, with 56 students in attendance. Certainly this was an 
exceptional accomplishment for a church which originated from the hard 
work and perseverance of just a handful of Italian immigrant families.
  A long, faith-filled journey has led the congregation of Our Lady of 
Sorrows to now carry out the same legacy of their Italian forefathers 
for the growing Hispanic population in our community. Today, as this 
parish reaches out to each member and to a larger, more diverse 
community with loving acts of kindness, they continue to enrich and 
inspire those who are touched by their works. Our Lady of Sorrows is 
well known and widely respected for bringing a greater understanding of 
all cultures within the Catholic Church to others throughout the 
greater Grand Rapids area.
  This extraordinary anniversary reminds all of us that wonderful 
things do happen when we seek to serve and glorify God. Reflecting on 
the many struggles and joys Our Lady of Sorrows has faced during its 
first century of service to the Lord, it is the perfect time to 
reaffirm and strengthen our own faith, recognize the call to reach out 
to others, and share the power of God's love. I am proud to represent 
the many parishioners of various races and ethnic groups who call Our 
Lady of Sorrows their church home, and am grateful to this congregation 
for their illuminating example of God's kindness. I am honored to 
extend my best wishes for a memorable, grace-filled celebration of a 
century of caring concern and service to the Grand Rapids community.

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