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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate the congregation of St.
4John the Baptist Catholic Church in Piopolis on the occasion of
5the church's 175th anniversary in 2016; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The rich history of St. John The Baptist Catholic
7Church began in 1841, when 25 pioneers left Ersingen, Germany
8for the New World; they arrived in what is now Piopolis on
9August 21, 1841; in 1843, additional setters came from Germany,
10including Tobias Brummer, and the congregation's first Mass and
11Baptism were performed by Fr. Elisha Durbin in a log cabin; and
 
12    WHEREAS, In 1844, a 40-acre tract of land was bought by
13Cajetan Aydt and later deeded to Bishop William Quarters, the
14Catholic Bishop of Chicago; in 1846, the first log church was
15completed and St. John's first Mass was celebrated on Ash
16Wednesday; in 1860, a new frame church was completed and Bishop
17Juncker of Alton came for Confirmation; in 1864, the parish's
18rectory was completed and Fr. Edward Harriman began serving as
19Pastor; and
 
20    WHEREAS, In 1865, St. John's second resident pastor, Fr.
21Winterhalter, was installed and the Precious Blood Sisters of
22Burwell, Germany located their new convent at the church; in

 

 

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11870, a two-story Motherhouse and school frame building was
2completed and nine nuns from Gurtwell, Germany arrived; in
31871, the third pastor, Fr. John Neuhaus, was installed; in
41876, Fr. John N. Enzilberger became the fourth resident
5pastor; and
 
6    WHEREAS, In 1877, 13 acres of church property were laid out
7into 50 lots to become a small village named Piopolis in honor
8of Pope Pius IX, who was celebrating his 50th year as Bishop;
9in 1880, the foundation was laid for a new church after the
10frame church was moved aside; in 1881, the cornerstore of the
11brick church was laid; the church was completed by the end of
121882 and was dedicated on October 1, 1884; and
 
13    WHEREAS, In 1892, a new rectory was built at St. John's; in
141902, Fr. Bernard Reusch was installed as the fifth resident
15pastor; in 1910, new altars were installed in the first brick
16church; in 1914, a new two-story sisters house was built on the
17grounds of the church's present day rectory; in 1924, the
18church's present school building was completed and dedicated by
19Bishop Henry Althoff; in 1927, Fr. Eckerman started the St.
20John's Annual Picnic; and
 
21    WHEREAS, On June 13, 1953, a severe storm damaged St.
22John's brick church, which had to be torn down and replaced; in
231954, the cornerstone of the second brick church was laid in

 

 

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1March and construction was completed and the building's first
2Mass held on Christmas Day; in 1955, Fr. Eckerman became ill
3and was replaced with Fr. Edmund Schumacher as administrator;
4after Fr. Eckerman's death in 1962, Fr. Schumacher became the
5seventh pastor of the parish; in 1965, Fr. Schumacher passed
6away and Fr. Meinrad Dunn was assigned as the eighth pastor in
7October; in 1972, Fr. Dunn left the church and was succeeded by
8Fr. Albert Jerome; and
 
9    WHEREAS, In 1975, St. John's Parish Council was
10established, with various organizations being represented; in
111976, Fr. Jerome was transferred and Fr. James Van Oss was
12installed as the 10th pastor of the parish; in 1981, the Parish
13Council voted to redecorate the church and the Ministers of the
14Eucharist was created; on July 6, 1982, Fr. Emil Maziarz was
15installed as the 11th pastor; in 1983, Fr. Maziarz was assigned
16to the Chancery Office and Fr. Joseph A. Lawler became the 12th
17pastor of the church; and
 
18    WHEREAS, In 1991, St. John's celebrated the church's
19Sesquicentennial of the Parish with various activities
20including a photo directory, a history of the parish, a
21re-enactment of the arrival of the first immigrants to
22Piopolis, and other observances; in 1993, The Holy Name
23Shooting Match was held in October and a Mission was held in
24November; on April 19, 1996, a tornado hit the church, causing

 

 

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1over $100,000 in damages; new roofs were placed on the garage,
2house, school, and one-half of the church; in 2002, an outdoor
3pavilion and new vesting cabinetry were installed; and
 
4    WHEREAS, St. John's hosted the Farm Blessing on April 26,
52007; on May 22, 2009, Fr. Slawomir Ptak of Poland became the
6church's Associate Pastor; following Fr. Joseph Lawler's
7retirement on July 12, 2011, Fr. Ptak became the 13th pastor of
8the parish; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The congregation of St. John's serve as models of
10hard work, integrity, and dedication for the people of the
11State of Illinois; therefore, be it
 
12    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
13NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
14congratulate the congregation of St. John the Baptist Catholic
15Church on the occasion of the church's 175th anniversary and
16wish them continued success and happiness in the future; and be
17it further
 
18    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
19presented to the congregation of St. John the Baptist Catholic
20Church as a symbol of our esteem and respect.