[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13299]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING SAINT JAMES PARISH

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DALE E. KILDEE

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 20, 2008

  Mr. KILDEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Saint James 
Parish in Bay City as they dedicate the new parish center, Langley 
Hall. Bishop Robert J. Carlson will preside over the dedication 
ceremony on Sunday, June 22, in Bay City, Michigan.
  Reverend Henry Schutjes founded Saint James Parish in 1868 in 
response to the needs of a growing Irish community. The parish quickly 
became the center of life for the Irish settlers in the Bay City area. 
In 1873 the new pastor, Reverend Thomas Rafter, welcomed four Sisters 
of Charity to teach in the parish school. On August 25th of that year, 
Saint James Parish opened the first 12-grade, coeducational parochial 
school in the United States. The Sisters of Charity had to send 
additional teachers as the enrollment grew to 400 students within a 
month.
  Education has always been very important to the parishioners of Saint 
James. In preparing the next generation for the challenges of life the 
school has gone through several transformations. The high school is now 
part of All Saints Central High School and the middle school is part of 
Holy Family Middle School. Since 1873, the Sisters of Charity have 
continued to serve Saint James Parish, preparing students for an 
abundant temporal and spiritual life.
  The first wooden church was destroyed by fire in 1884. The second 
church was struck by lightning and burned in 1978. After each tragedy 
the parishioners came together and continued a vibrant parish life. 
They found other places to celebrate Mass and worked to rebuild the 
sanctuary. The current church was completed in 1980 and the first Mass 
was celebrated on Christmas Eve. This sacred tradition continues under 
the leadership of the pastor, Reverend Robert J. DeLand, and associate 
pastor, Reverend Andrew D. Booms.
  On June 22nd the parish will come together again to celebrate the 
dedication of the new parish center, Langley Hall. The parish center is 
made possible by the bequest of the late Norbert Langley and Elizabeth 
Langley. The Langley family exemplifies the best of Saint James Parish 
life. Their parents, John and Anna Langley, were married at Saint James 
Catholic Church in 1911. They had five children, all baptized at Saint 
James, and four children graduated from the parish high school. 
Elizabeth and Norbert stayed on the family farm and continued to attend 
Mass at Saint James. Elizabeth passed away in 1998 and Norbert died in 
2004. The estate was bequeathed to Saint James, enabling the parish to 
build a parish center to provide a gathering place for the parishioners 
to come together in fellowship.
  Madam Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me 
today and applaud the clergy, staff, and parishioners of Saint James 
Parish. For over 100 years Saint James Parish has been a center of 
worship and praise for the Bay City area and may it continue to bring 
the joy of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, to the community for many, many 
years to come.

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