HR0432 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0432 LRB102 19713 ECR 28487 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, St. Francis Xavier Church has been described as standing majestically as the focal point for people entering Jerseyville; and

WHEREAS, On July 4, 2021, the parish celebrated 150 years with their sesquicentennial jubilee; and

WHEREAS, The first Catholic Mass in Jerseyville was held in the William Shepherd home in the fall of 1841; Fathers Carroll and Hamilton of the Alton Diocese, which included Jersey County, occasionally visited Jerseyville and held Masses in private homes and the courthouse; and

WHEREAS, In 1849, it was decided there was a need for a Catholic church in Jerseyville; it was not until 1857 that a small frame church was erected, which was dedicated by Bishop Henry Damian Junker of the Alton Diocese; and

WHEREAS, In the 1860s, a rectory was built, which later became the home for the Dominican Sisters who staffed the school for over 100 years, and ground was also purchased for a parish cemetery; and

WHEREAS, In 1868, a cornerstone was laid for a larger church, which is the current St. Francis Xavier Church; the main body of the church was to be 55 by 100 feet; the inside height of the ceiling in the center of the nave is 43 feet and the side aisles are 25 feet; William Embly and Sons were the architects of the Gothic style church; the body was made of brick made in Jerseyville, and the stone trimmings came from the Grafton quarries; the roof was covered with slate shingles; the cost to build the church was $25,000 and took three years to complete; and

WHEREAS, On July 4, 1871, the church was dedicated by Bishop Peter J. Baltes of the Alton Diocese; and

WHEREAS, Father Thomas Mangan became the first resident priest of St. Francis Xavier Church, and he remained until 1860; and

WHEREAS, The celebratory 150th anniversary Mass was held on July 4, 2021 and included a keepsake program with pictures, history, and holy cards; the Vatican also sent an Apostolic Blessing from Pope Francis; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate St. Francis Xavier Church of Jerseyville on its 150th anniversary; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the parish as an expression of our esteem and respect.