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2018 SESSION

18105282D
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 164
Offered February 20, 2018
Commending St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church.
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Patron-- Dunnavant
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WHEREAS, for 25 years, St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church has provided spiritual leadership, generous outreach, and opportunities for worship to the residents of Glen Allen and the Richmond metropolitan area; and

WHEREAS, St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church traces its origins to 1991, when Bishop Walter Sullivan appointed Father John Leonard to lead in the formation of a new faith community to meet the needs of the growing West End of Richmond; the church held its inaugural Mass in May 1992 with Father Leonard as its first pastor; and

WHEREAS, in 1996, St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church’s parish building opened; before then, the congregation met at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, Short Pump Middle School, and Bennett Funeral Homes; and

WHEREAS, in 2002, St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church enlarged its facilities to include a larger worship space, an educational wing, a daily liturgy chapel, a blessed sacrament chapel, and a sacristy; and

WHEREAS, following Father John Leonard’s retirement in 2004, Monsignor Robert Perkins became pastor at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church; he was later succeeded in 2006 by the church’s current pastor, Father Dan Brady; and

WHEREAS, St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church conducts generous outreach in the Richmond area through a prison ministry, a homeless ministry, a jobs assistance ministry, and partnerships with charitable organizations such as Meals on Wheels, CARITAS, and the Richmond Entrepreneur’s Assistance Program; and

WHEREAS, St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church aids low-income residents in Appalachia through a twinning ministry with four Catholic churches in Western Virginia; the church also operates a twinning ministry in Haiti that includes annual pilgrimage trips to conduct service projects; and

WHEREAS, as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations in 2017, St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church held a variety of special events, including concerts, liturgies, an international festival, a gala, and a golf tournament; and

WHEREAS, over the last quarter century, St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church has provided valuable outreach and service to the community and has grown from a congregation of a few hundred families to over 3,000 families; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church on the occasion of its 25th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for its long legacy of spiritual leadership and community service.