Congressional Record: Visclosky Honors Sacred Heart Parish
Click here for a PDF of Congressman Visclosky's statement for the Congressional Record.
In honor of the 85th anniversary of the founding of Sacred Heart Parish, Congressman Pete Visclosky entered the following statement into the Congressional Record on September 7, 2011.
Mr. Speaker: It is with great pleasure and admiration that I congratulate the congregation of the Sacred Heart Parish in East Chicago, Indiana, as they celebrate the 85th anniversary of the founding of the parish, as well as the 70th anniversary of the dedication of the church. On Sunday, August 28, 2011, a special Holy Mass, officiated by Bishop Dale Melczek, will take place at Sacred Heart, which will be followed by a celebratory luncheon.
Sacred Heart was originally known as Mission of Assumption Slovak Parish. It was founded in order to meet the spiritual needs of Catholic Slovaks in East Chicago, Indiana. From 1926 to 1941, the church held Mass, Confession, and other services at various churches in East Chicago. Father Clement Mlinarovich began to see a great need to build the church in East Chicago, and in May 1941, Bishop John Francis Noll dedicated the beautiful church building and new home of Sacred Heart Parish. The congregation was overjoyed to have a tremendous place of worship and prayer. In addition, parishioners took great pride in the new building because so many of them assisted in its construction.
Father Andrew G. Grutka was the first resident pastor at the newly completed church, a position he held from 1942 to 1944, and later became the first Bishop of the Diocese of Gary. Following Father Grutka, Father Louis Duray and Father Milan Bach made significant improvements to the church, which included updating the sanctuary and purchasing the priest’s home. My good friend and fellow Slovak, Monsignor Joseph Semancik, has served the people of Sacred Heart Parish since 1960. Over the years, the parish has grown to include members from many different ethnicities. During his tenure, Monsignor Semancik served as the Director of Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Gary. Monsignor Semancik’s devoted life of charitable good works is truly inspirational. For his struggle to ensure economic justice for all, and for passionately serving those in need, he is to be respected and admired.
This August celebration is tinged with sadness because the parish will be closing in October. Monsignor Semancik will be retiring as the priest of the parish and the congregation will be dispersing to neighboring parishes. The past eighty-five years have been times of grace for the members and friends of Sacred Heart Parish, which they have shared with the community of East Chicago. Although the parish will be closing, the spirit and prayers of its members will be remembered for years to come.
Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues join me in honoring and congratulating Sacred Heart Parish. Throughout the years, Sacred Heart has built their congregation and expanded their mission, not only by serving the dedicated, loyal parishioners, but also by touching the lives of countless members of the surrounding community. For their outstanding commitment to serving so many in need, the church leaders and parish members are to be highly commended. May God continue to bless the parish members and its leaders upon the closing of the church and as they move on to the next part of their spiritual lives.