HR1207LRB097 22451 GRL 71285 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are pleased to honor Sister Ellen Marie Ryan
4for her career accomplishments and for the scholarship created
5in her name; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Sister Ellen Ryan has served as a music teacher at
7Mother McAuley High School for 28 years, during which she
8taught a wide variety of music classes, ranging from general
9music to chorus and a cappella to strings; during her tenure at
10Mother McAuley, she taught thousands of students, directed
11hundreds of concerts, and chaperoned dozens of trips across the
12country, from nursing home performances and theatrical
13productions to trips visiting those feeling sick or depressed
14to sing them a song on Valentine's Day; she also organized
15madrigal dinners and taught herself to play numerous
16instruments, such as the violin, French horn, cello, bassoon,
17and oboe, so that she could better teach her students who
18wanted to learn those instruments; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Under Sister Ellen Ryan's leadership, the Mother
20McAuley music department multiplied from one full-time teacher
21to 4, with 2 of her former students as current teachers; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Sister Ellen Ryan has remained active in the

 

 

HR1207- 2 -LRB097 22451 GRL 71285 r

1McAuley community; she currently volunteers a few days each
2week in the McAuley Office of Institutional Advancement and
3also coordinates the McAuley alumnae chorus; she plans
4liturgies for the Sisters of Mercy, sings in the choir at St.
5Barnabas Church, and teaches piano lessons at Mercy Housing at
6Wentworth Commons; and
 
7    WHEREAS, On June 14, 2012, various members of the Mother
8McAuley community, including alumnae, faculty, staff, donors,
9and other guests, hosted "Music & Memories with Sr. Ellen", a
10musical tribute to their legendary music teacher and choir
11director; held in the Mother McAuley Auditorium, more than 200
12people attended the evening, which featured a performance by
13the McAuley Alumnae Choir and others who returned to campus to
14lend their voices in homage of Sister Ellen, while more than
15170 members of a Facebook group signed up for a page devoted to
16Sister Ellen; the event raised more than $10,000, enough to
17endow a scholarship in Sr. Ellen's name; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Sister Ellen Ryan serves as a model of hard work,
19integrity, and dedication for the people of the State of
20Illinois; therefore, be it
 
21    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
22NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
23we honor Sister Ellen Marie Ryan for her accomplishments and

 

 

HR1207- 3 -LRB097 22451 GRL 71285 r

1wish her continued success and happiness in the future; and be
2it further
 
3    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
4presented to Sister Ellen Ryan as a symbol of our esteem and
5respect.