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Honoring St. Cletus Parish Of La Grange, Illinois On Its 60Th Anniversary As A Faith-Based Community

Volume
Volume 157 , Number 90
Pages
Pages E1169-E1170
Legislative Body
Extensions of Remarks
Date
Wed, June 22, 2011

Rep. Daniel Lipinski

legislator photo
Party
D
State
IL

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor St. Cletus Parish on its 60th anniversary as a community of faith in La Grange, Illinois. I express my admiration and appreciation of St. Cletus' commitment to upholding the values and practices of the Roman Catholic Church and its congregation's devotion to charity and spiritual development. On July 3rd, St. Cletus Church will celebrate 60 years of spiritual guidance and compassionate service to the 3rd District and the Chicago-area community.

A part of the Archdiocese of Chicago, St. Cletus offers ten masses weekly in addition to formal education through its school, religious education, and youth and Hispanic ministries. Each Christmas season, St. Cletus reaches out to the less fortunate in its inter-city sharing parish, St. Agatha's, and to other needy families. Through the parish's Advent Giving Tree, St. Cletus parishioners generously donate food and gift baskets to brighten the Christmas season for hundreds of needy families. St. Cletus' commitment to service extends beyond the holiday season as well. The St. Cletus Food Pantry distributes bags of groceries provided by parishioners to hundreds of less fortunate families in local communities. Through these services, the St. Cletus community upholds the Catholic ideals of love, sacrifice, and charity.

Because many of the original members of St. Cletus were returning World War II veterans, the parish has always been strongly patriotic. The Parish honors veterans from all over the area every year on July 4th with a special Mass which I am proud to participate in.

From its campus in La Grange, St. Cletus fosters a community of compassionate believers and followers of Jesus Christ, welcoming all to join its family of faith. I am proud to honor St. Cletus' commitment to providing spiritual nourishment through worship, the celebration of the sacraments, education, and service to the 3rd District of Illinois. I congratulate St. Cletus' pastor, Father Clark, and the entire parish community, and I know St. Cletus will continue to be a valuable spiritual asset to La Grange and the Chicago region for years to come.