[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9103]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            ST. MARY'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY

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                           HON. LEE M. ZELDIN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 12, 2017

  Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay a special tribute to St. 
Mary's Episcopal Church as the congregation celebrates its 150th 
Anniversary. The church's endurance throughout time matches the 
ceaseless devotion of its patrons, and is an achievement that must be 
appropriately recognized and praised.
  Constructed shortly after the Civil War, St. Mary's Episcopal Church 
in Ronkonkoma, New York has stood as a testament to its patrons' 
religious fervor and tenacity. For a short time following the 
conclusion of the Civil War, Episcopalians in the area worshipped in a 
school house until the congregation eagerly decided in June of 1867 to 
build a church. The church was completed six short months later, and 
its first service was held on Christmas Eve of 1867. The property for 
the church, and a sizeable portion of the funds used to construct it, 
were donated by Welsh Colonel John Henry Puleston, a knight and 
distinguished Member of Parliament.
  Unfortunately, the parish fell on hard times around 1880, when the 
number of communicants dropped significantly due to a dearth of year-
round Protestants in the area. While there were talks about shuttering 
the church, Reverend Rodney M. Edwards believed the religiosity and 
love expressed by his parishioners was so resolute that he could not 
imagine deserting them. Accordingly, the church's ardor attracted more 
communicants, and the parish began to once again thrive a decade later. 
Then, in 1920, benefactors joined together to revive and repair the 
Church in the image of its founders' intentions.
  The current St. Mary's Episcopal Church, which was admitted into 
union with the diocese in 1972, was built with the essence of its 
predecessor, but with more space to house a growing number of patrons. 
Today, the rector of the parish is the experienced Reverend Beth 
O'Callaghan, who leads a congregation of over 200 communicants. This 
year, the parish remarkably celebrates its 150th anniversary, an apt 
representation of St. Mary's Episcopal Church's unyielding zeal and 
devotion.
  Mr. Speaker, St. Mary's Episcopal Church's 150th Anniversary is an 
achievement that serves as a testament to the devotion of the 
congregation. Their religious zeal cannot be underscored or admired 
enough, and it is my distinct honor and privilege to represent the 
church in the First Congressional District of New York.

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