[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 11144-11145]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    40 YEARS OF OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE PORTUGUESE CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF DENHAM

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 9, 2013

  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor the 
rich heritage of Our Lady of the Assumption of the Portuguese Church as 
they celebrate 40 years of worship and friendship in Turlock, 
California.
  Our Lady of the Assumption of the Portuguese Church in Turlock is the 
most recent of Portuguese national churches in the United States. Its 
origins go back to a small church blessed and dedicated on Monday, June 
11, 1973. With the influx of thousands of Portuguese immigrants to 
California in the 1800s, after the eruptions of the Capelinhos volcano 
in 1957-1958, the stage was set for the development of a new parish 
with a clear mission to Portuguese immigrants in the Central Valley of 
California. Although relatively young, Our Lady of the Assumption has a 
rich history, shaped by several important events in the second half of 
the 20th century.
  In the 1960s Father Manuel Vieira Alvernaz, pastor of Sacred Heart 
Catholic Church in Turlock, invited two young Portuguese missionaries 
to stay in his parish and minister to the Portuguese community. The 
two, Fathers Ivo Dinis Rocha and Jose Carlos Vieira Simplicio, 
officially began their ministry on March 1, 1969. One of the first 
things the missionaries noticed was that the Portuguese youth yearned 
for places of belonging and meaning; they reached out to the young by 
forming a youth group in 1969.
  On June 1, 1972, 12 individuals acquired the original five acre 
property at 2602 S. Walnut Road. This became the site of the Portuguese 
Cultural Center and eventually, the home of Our Lady of the Assumption 
of the Portuguese Church. On June 11, 1973, the chapel of the 
Portuguese Cultural Center was dedicated and blessed; this is 
considered the beginning of the parish of Our Lady of the Assumption. 
On June 22, 1973 the Feast of St. John the Baptist was celebrated for 
the first time. The first parish festival in honor of the Patroness Our 
Lady of the Assumption took place on Sunday, August 19, 1973, i.e., the 
third Sunday of the month.
  In 1975, the Portuguese Cultural Center purchased an additional five 
acre parcel to accommodate growth and expansion. The parcel was 
purchased for $38,000. Escrow was closed on March 25th and corresponded 
with the Feast of the Annunciation of Blessed Virgin Mary by the angel 
St. Gabriel. A large parish hall was built in 1984 and has become the 
gathering place for many beautiful celebrations including weddings and 
receptions.
  In September of 1982, Father Rocha invited Father Richard Forti, who 
was also campus minister at Stanislaus State College, to celebrate a 
Sunday Mass in English and serve as a part-time youth minister and 
confirmation coordinator. By welcoming Father Ford, Our Lady of the 
Assumption was opening itself to the larger church and society. The 
Sunday Mass in English at 9 a.m. would become a magnet attracting 
members from neighboring parishes and from non churchgoers in the area 
setting the stage for future conflict and growth. By 1986, 
approximately one thousand people participated at Sunday Mass at Our 
Lady of the Assumption in both languages.
  Over the years, the church continued to grow from the original five 
acre parcel consisting of a small house, garage and chicken coop. In 
1992, plans were started for a new church. With the help of over 2,000 
donors the new church was consecrated on August 16, 1998. The property 
now includes 18.2 acres with two community halls, two houses, three 
soccer fields, the original chapel, and the new church.
  Our Lady of the Assumption maintains a strong presence among the sick 
in the Central Valley with a team of 20 ministers who visit local 
hospitals. In July of 2006, with the leadership of Margaret Santiago, 
Michaleen Klee and Father Manuel Sousa, the parish embraced Stephen 
Ministry. A team of 11 trained listeners, with over 50 hours of 
classroom instruction and on-going supervision, are available to 
accompany people suffering from depression, loneliness, isolation and 
difficult life transitions. Parishioners and non-parishioners alike 
have benefitted from this competent, faith-based, extended hand of 
friendship and prayer.
  Currently, the parish roster contains 1,300 families, approximately 
85% with Portuguese surnames. Sunday Mass attendance is over 1,000 in 
the winter months, with 60 percent of Sunday participation being in 
English services and 40 in Portuguese.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in celebrating with the Our Lady of the 
Assumption of the Portuguese Church in Turlock and the tremendous 
opportunities that lay ahead in their efforts to fulfill a vision for 
the future. Congratulations on the past 40 years, and I wish them the 
best success in the years to come.

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