Senate Resolution No. 876

BY: Senator GRIFFO

COMMEMORATING the 100th Anniversary of Our Lady of
Lourdes Church of Utica, New York, on May 5, 2019

WHEREAS, Religious institutions, and the many spiritual, social and
educational benefits they confer, play a vital role in the development
of the moral fabric of a responsible citizenry; and

WHEREAS, It is the tradition of this State and this Nation to pay
tribute to those institutions and individuals who have contributed to
the ethical and spiritual values of their communities; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body takes pleasure in commemorating the
100th Anniversary of Our Lady of Lourdes Church of Utica, New York, to
be celebrated at a Dinner Dance on Sunday, May 5, 2019, at Hart's Hill
Inn in Whitesboro, New York; and

WHEREAS, In addition, the congregation and community members are
invited to participate in a special Celebratory Mass earlier in the day;
and

WHEREAS, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish was established in April of
1919, in response to the growing population in South Utica; the first
Mass was celebrated on the 13th of that month in a wooden frame home on
the corner of Genesee Street and Barton Avenue (then called Mason
Place); and

WHEREAS, Prior to the establishment of the parish, the building was
used for Sunday school instruction and as a chapel for the neighborhood;
after an addition was added, the church was enlarged in 1940, and a
stone exterior was added; and

WHEREAS, In 1925, plans for Our Lady of Lourdes School were begun
and the neighboring home to the south of the Church was purchased for
use as a rectory; staffed by the Daughters of Charity, the school was
opened in 1929; an addition to the school and a new convent on Barton
Avenue was built in 1959; and

WHEREAS, For many years, Masses were held in both the church and the
school auditorium every Sunday until the present church was completed in
1969; the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes was later added, and a new
rectory adjacent to the Church was built in 1976; and

WHEREAS, In the 1980s and early 1990s, the artwork behind the altar
was enhanced, and the Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Seton, a new sound
system, confessional rooms and a new organ were installed; in 1995, the
parish school became a regional school, and the Daughters of Charity
ended their service as teachers; and

WHEREAS, During the next 15 years, numerous improvements were made
to the parish campus and many ministries were established; the
newsletter "Blessings" and a parish website were developed and the
convent was converted to the Seton Center, housing parish offices and
meeting rooms; and


WHEREAS, Eucharistic Adoration in the Seton Chapel was implemented
and on the second floor, Evelyn's House opened its door to young girls;
in 2009, the church interior was refurbished to celebrate the 90th
anniversary of the parish; and

WHEREAS, In 2009, Our Lady of Lourdes School became the only
Catholic school in the area and was renamed Notre Dame Elementary School
in September of that year; and

WHEREAS, Since 2002, Father Joseph A. Salerno has helmed the pulpit
of Our Lady of Lourdes Church; in 2011, approximately 1,200 families
were officially registered as members of the Church; and

WHEREAS, Our Lady of Lourdes Church stands on the threshold of
tomorrow, prepared to meet the challenges of the coming decades while
retaining that spiritual resolve which characterizes its past; and

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to take note of
enduring religious institutions and to bring such institutions to the
attention of the people of this Empire State; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Our Lady of Lourdes Church of
Utica, New York, fully confident that this tribute reflects the belief
in those values which enhance the dignity and purpose of life; and be it
further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Reverend Joseph A. Salerno, Pastor and Regional
Vicar, Our Lady of Lourdes Church.