SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2015 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 912
Commending Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 25, 2015
Agreed to by the Senate, February 26, 2015

 

WHEREAS, Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church, which has provided countless opportunities for fellowship, worship, and community service to its diverse Arlington congregation, celebrates its 70th anniversary in May of 2015; and

WHEREAS, in the early 1940s, a group of 16 African American Catholic families met with the Richmond Diocese to discuss plans for a new church in Arlington County, and Our Lady Queen of Peace celebrated its first mass on May 20, 1945; the parish began with 40 members under founding pastor the Reverend Joseph Hackett, CSSp; and

WHEREAS, in its early days, Our Lady Queen of Peace held services in Father Hackett’s home or in an auditorium in the Green Valley neighborhood; the church acquired land on the corner of South 19th Street and Edgewood Street, and a new church was dedicated in 1947; and

WHEREAS, Our Lady Queen of Peace was immediately active in the community, holding dinners, bake sales, lawn parties, and rummage sales; the church also established a Sunday school and organized a basketball team for local youths; and

WHEREAS, members of Our Lady Queen of Peace played a pivotal role in the integration of Catholic Youth Organization diocesan basketball teams, and many members of the church were active in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s; and

WHEREAS, in 1963, Our Lady Queen of Peace became a territorial parish for all Catholics in the area, and the congregation went from being predominately Black to one of the most ethnically diverse parishes in the area, especially after the inclusion of numerous Spanish-speaking members beginning in the 1970s; and

WHEREAS, Our Lady Queen of Peace established the Interracial Council of Northern Virginia to address issues of poverty, employment, and fair housing; the church also established a credit union, a ministry supporting the homeless, and the Family Activities Center to provide child care for low-income families; and

WHEREAS, to expand opportunities for outreach and better serve its growing congregation, Our Lady Queen of Peace has formed over 60 other ministries, including the Social Justice Outreach, the weekly Food Pantry, and the Matthew 25 Bazaar free used clothing store; and

WHEREAS, the Ujamaa Committee, which honors the legacy of the church’s founders, has awarded more than $90,000 in scholarships; and

WHEREAS, members of the Our Lady Queen of Peace congregation also work to better the lives of others outside of the Arlington community; through a partnership with St. Joseph Parish in Medor, Haiti, the church has raised money to build a granary, homes, schools, and wells for clean water and conducted mission trips; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church on the occasion of its 70th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for its rich spiritual heritage and tradition of service to the community.