HR0126 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0126 LRB097 10538 GRL 50871 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the students, teachers, and staff of St. Patrick's School on the occasion of the school's 155th anniversary; and

WHEREAS, The rich history of St. Patrick's School began in the late 1850's, when Miss Shepherd conducted parochial school services in a house on the 600 block of West Prairie in Decatur; after Miss Shepherd left in 1858, various teachers took her place in the years leading up to the Civil War, teaching children in various houses throughout the city; in 1857, Father Thomas Cusack built a modest frame church on the 700 block of West Prairie; this building was used as a two-room school by Mr. and Mrs. St. Leger; and

WHEREAS, Following Mr. and Mrs. St. Leger's departure, seven Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary arrived from Montreal, Canada and opened the St. Teresa Academy; St. Teresa Academy was short-lived, however, and the parochial school came back under the guidance of secular teachers; throughout the late 1800s, the school was under the tutelage of the Ursuline Order, who decided to teach both boys and girls at the academy starting in 1882; and

WHEREAS, In 1912, Father Murphy began to make plans for a new school building on Jackson and North Streets, which was completed in February of 1913; the following year, the Ursuline Order vacated the St. Patrick school grounds and the parochial school was renamed St. Patrick School; and

WHEREAS, The early 20th century was a period of robust growth for St. Patrick School; in 1929, St. Patrick opened a high school for boys and girls on the Academy grounds; the church's numbers flourished in the subsequent years; and

WHEREAS, With the coming of Father Powell in 1945, St. Patrick School completely renovated their building and updated the school's equipment to become a first-rate school in its own right; today, St. Patrick School serves as a leader in quality parochial education in the City of Decatur, the State of Illinois, and the world at large; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the students, teachers, and staff of St. Patrick's School on the occasion of the school's 155th anniversary and wish them continued success and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to St. Patrick's School as a symbol of our esteem and respect.