HR1280 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1280 LRB097 23335 MST 72171 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the Belleville Diocese on their 125th anniversary; and

WHEREAS, The diocese honored its 125th anniversary by initiating Fanning the Flame, a diocesan initiative based in parishes and beyond to strengthen Catholics and those drawn to the Catholic faith by exploring the richness of the faith and responding to the Father's call to lifelong conversion of the whole person to holiness and eternal life; and

WHEREAS, The diocese of Belleville was erected by His Holiness, Pope Leo XIII on January 7, 1887; and

WHEREAS, The diocese of Belleville encompasses 28 counties with 117 parishes and has a Catholic population of 83,689; and

WHEREAS, There was a diocesan wide celebration through a Mass of Thanksgiving, which took place on Sunday, April 29, 2012 at the Cathedral of St. Peter; and

WHEREAS, The Mass of Thanksgiving allowed everyone to gather in the mother church of the diocese and give thanks to God for the gift of the Catholic faith lived out each day by hundreds and thousands of faithful followers of Jesus Christ for a century and a quarter and to allow an outstanding member from each parish to be recognized; and

WHEREAS, Parish choirs came together for a Spirit-filled festival of music, which included a full spectrum of church music, sacred songs, and hymns presented by musicians across the diocese; and

WHEREAS, Everyone in the diocese was invited to participate in a renewed commitment to pray and work for vocations to the priesthood and the religious life; and

WHEREAS, A commemorative anniversary book has been edited by Father Stanley J. Konieczny to celebrate the Christian faith by sharing the faith stories of all 117 parishes in the diocese through photographs, testimonies, and highlights of the diocesan history; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Braxton invited all to join him in praying the Anniversary Prayer: "May we approach our Year of Jubilee with renewed faith. Please join me in praying for the well-being of all the Christian faithful of our local church. May we be blessed with an increase in vocations to the priesthood, to the diaconate, to the religious life, and to lay ecclesial ministry! May we imitate the firm faith of Saint Peter, the rock on which Jesus Christ built His church and whose "Keys to Kingdom" grace our diocesan seal. May God grant us a renewed dedication to the gospel of Jesus Christ. May we all love one another and all people as Christ loves us."; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the Belleville Diocese on their 125h anniversary and wish them all the best in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Belleville Diocese as a symbol of our respect and esteem.