[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8085]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     ON THE OCCASION OF THE DEDICATION OF TOLEDO BLESSED SACRAMENT 
                 NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER AND MIDDLE SCHOOL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 7, 2008

  Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today, pleased to recognize a 
milestone for Toledo Blessed Sacrament Catholic Parish. They celebrate 
the dedication of a neighborhood center and middle school.
  Blessed Sacrament became the Mother Church of West Toledo, 
established December 31, 1924, by Father Otto C. Kappus, in the 
forested epicenter of western Toledo. Struggling middle-class families 
of the densely populated, majority Catholic residential area settled 
and thrived though the Great Depression and World War II. September 6, 
1925, marked the laying of the cornerstone for the first church and 
school by Monsignor J. T. O'Connell. However, the church and school 
were completed in February 1926.
  The Sisters of Blessed Sacrament who served the Parish in 1925 
belonged to the Dominican Order. The sisters found residence originally 
in the school building. In 1925, there were 112 pupils enrolled, with 
Sister Mary Leonilla as principal and 3 assistant nuns. The 1952 
enrollment was 778 pupils with 14 nuns, 2 lay teachers and Sister Helen 
Patrick as principal. For much of the parish's history, Dominican 
Sisters shepherded generations of the youth through the school. They 
remain much loved, greatly respected and well remembered. Their teacher 
successors have upheld the grand tradition.
  Between 1938 and 1952, school registration increased to the point 
where the entire floor space, occupied as residence by the nuns, was 
converted to classrooms. Then, the Sisters resided at 4110 Bellevue 
Road until the spring of 1948, when they moved to the convent on 
Castlewood Drive in Toledo, OH.
  Blessed Sacrament Parish experienced rapid growth in its early years. 
To help serve the growing congregation, a new church was constructed. 
It was completed in 1954 and is still in use today. The charter members 
chose a Southern California Spanish architectural theme that has been 
faithfully reflected in the new constructions. This style was 
remarkably suited to accommodate the liturgical reforms of the Vatican 
Council, but also made the addition of narthex, in the 1970s, possible. 
Finally, the 2008 opening of the new middle school, neighborhood center 
and gymnasium facility marked the newest stage in Blessed Sacrament's 
development.
  Today, Blessed Sacrament's parish community continues to be a 
hallmark of hospitality and ministry to its neighbors. The parish is 
lively with young families and a thriving school, currently enjoying an 
increase in enrollment. Thus, the parish recognized the necessity for a 
hub to carry on the progress and traditions of the Blessed Sacrament 
community. The establishment of a neighborhood center invites parish 
members and neighborhood residents to enter a partnership to ensure and 
enhance the neighborhood's vitality. In lieu of the new landmark, the 
neighborhood formed an organization named ``The Greater Close Park 
Neighborhood Organization.'' Their mission is to maintain and improve 
the quality of life in the neighborhood. They strive to beautify the 
area with trees and flowers, develop programs for seniors and children, 
enhance lighting in the Block Watch Program for safety, and establish 
community projects like Spring Clean Up, Welcome Wagon and a 
neighborhood garage sale. These programs will create recreational and 
social opportunities for all ages. I stand here to applaud the efforts 
of Blessed Sacrament to bolster a strong tradition of community in this 
West Toledo neighborhood.

                          ____________________