[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9829]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    IN RECOGNITION OF THE SERVANT CHURCH OF SAINT ALEXANDER'S 50TH 
       ANNIVERSARY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GARY C. PETERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 22, 2011

  Mr. PETERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the parishioners 
of the Servant Church of St. Alexander on the occasion of the 50th 
Anniversary of service to the residents of Southeast Michigan.
  Originally named the Church of St. Alexander, the Parish was founded 
on June 21, 1961 at 27835 Shiawassee Road in Farmington Hills, where it 
remains to this very day. Founded with 600 participating families, the 
Church has experienced both times of trial and prosperity in its life, 
but has always remained strong with dedicated parishioners who have 
worked hard to strengthen their community. St. Alexander has been led 
by four different pastors during its 50 years in Farmington Hills and 
under the leadership of the Reverend Robert McGrath. St. Alexander has 
continued to flourish and bring in congregants from well beyond its own 
parish, with almost half of its members coming from outside the Parish.
  The hallmark of St. Alexander is its service programs--first fully 
realized under Reverend James Wright, who served as pastor for 25 years 
and weaved service into the very fabric of the Servant Church of St. 
Alexander. Under his leadership St. Alexander launched its food pantry 
which has operated for over 25 years and fed nearly 2,600 hungry 
families in 2010 alone. In addition, the Church also collects and 
distributes food baskets on Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas to 
assist families in need during the holidays.
  While St. Alexander's food pantry and holiday food drives deeply 
impact many in our community, it is not the full extent of the 
charitable work in which the Church and its parishioners are engaged. 
Every spring the parish puts together teams that support Rebuilding 
Oakland County, a program that assists low income home owners with much 
needed renovations and improvements across Oakland County. The 
parishioners of St. Alexander also support annual blood drives and even 
take a percentage of the Church's weekend collections and send them to 
the local chapter of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, an organization 
that provides service to individuals and families in need.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in celebrating the 
50th Anniversary of the Servant Church of St. Alexander and the 
remarkable impact its parishioners have had on so many residents in our 
Southeast Michigan community. The parishioners' commitment to serving 
our community is truly a most valued virtue at a time when so many 
families in Michigan are struggling. I congratulate the parishioners 
and leaders of St. Alexander on achieving this great milestone and wish 
them many more years of fellowship and productive service to our 
community.

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