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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church Day is being |
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celebrated at the State Capitol on April 16, 2025; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1949, Bishop Wendelin J. Nold of the Diocese of |
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Galveston embarked on a plan to buy property for the construction of |
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new parish churches; after identifying 35 Catholic families in |
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Houston's Sunnyside neighborhood, Bishop Nold asked Father Michael |
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J. Flaherty of Saint Nicholas Catholic Church to locate potential |
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sites in the area; in June 1951, negotiations began on a tract of |
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land on the southwest corner of what later became Cullen Boulevard |
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and Reed Road; and |
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WHEREAS, Construction on St. Francis Xavier was completed in |
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1952, with Father James Clark assigned to lead the church as its |
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first pastor; members later built a parish hall, which served as a |
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kindergarten, Sunday school classroom, and meeting space, and a |
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rectory was added in 1956; and |
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WHEREAS, Membership grew from 300 to 1,700 in the church's |
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first three years, necessitating the expansion of its parish hall |
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and catechetical center; plans to add a new building to the campus |
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were implemented by Father Elbert Harris, the church's first |
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African American pastor; the new hall was used for children's Pre-K |
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through grade 12 education and for parish events, and the old hall |
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became a senior citizen nutrition center; and |
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WHEREAS, A new church building was completed and dedicated by |
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Bishop John Morkovsky on June 19, 1975; it had a 500-seat capacity, |
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as well as a special chapel dedicated to the martyrs of Uganda; in |
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the 1990s, the old church building was renovated for use as |
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religious education classrooms, and it was renamed the Harris |
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Center in honor of Father Elbert Harris; further growth required |
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that the church change its address to 4600 Reed Road, and a new |
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Harris Center building and rectory were built shortly thereafter; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, This venerable religious institution has played a |
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vital role in the community, providing its members with myriad |
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opportunities for spiritual growth, fellowship, and outreach; its |
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43 ministries include programs for parishioners of all ages, as |
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well as vital community service initiatives; and |
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WHEREAS, Countless Houston residents have looked to |
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St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church for spiritual guidance through |
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the years, and it is a pleasure to join in honoring the church's |
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rich history; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 89th Texas Legislature |
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hereby recognize St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church Day at the |
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State Capitol on April 16, 2025, and extend a warm welcome to the |
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visiting delegation; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the church as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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Senate. |