HR0904 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0904 LRB101 22196 LAW 73226 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Darien on the occasion of the parish's 50th anniversary on September 26, 2020; and

WHEREAS, The parish was given authorization to proceed in 1970 by the administration of the Joliet Diocese that intended to place a new Catholic church in the vicinity of Interstate 55 and Cass Avenue in Darien; and

WHEREAS, The new church served a growing population of local residents and families living in the Darien, Willowbrook, Burr Ridge, and surrounding unincorporated communities of DuPage County; and

WHEREAS, Carmelite Provincial, The Reverend Malachy Smith, agreed to sell a 7-acre parcel of land in Darien to the Joliet Diocese with the request that leaders of the Carmelite Order be allowed to staff and lead the new parish; and

WHEREAS, The name of the church, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, was chosen by Bishop Romeo R. Blanchette and honors the patroness of all Carmelites; and

WHEREAS, Founding families officially formed a religious community and worshiped at various locations before an official groundbreaking for the church building took place in 1975; the new parish building was formally dedicated on September 26, 1976, exactly six years after the parish was started within the Joliet Diocese; and

WHEREAS, Father Pat Gleeson, whose name and vision are often recalled and reminisced in the long history of the parish, was selected to be the first pastor to lead the parish from 1970 to 1979; his successors included Father Russ Gavin from 1979 to 1988, Father Jim Wilson from 1988 to 1990, Father Gavin Quinn from 1990 to 2006, and current pastor Father Michael O'Keefe from 2006 to present; and

WHEREAS, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Darien originated in a tradition of dedication and service to others, encouraging all parishioners to share their time, talents, and skills for the betterment of the church and the communities being served; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Darien on the parish's 50th anniversary, and we commend all past and present administrators, religious leaders, parish council members, support staff, and parishioners for their remarkable service and successful stewardship of the church; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Father Michael O'Keefe as an expression of our esteem and respect.