Carl Demma of Oak Lawn had a vision nearly 20 years ago of expressing his Catholic faith by creating a larger than life statue of Virgin Mary. His goal was to encourage people to reflect on their religious faith at the beginning of the new millennium. Mr. Demma's vision was realized in a 33 foot tall stainless steel statue. Our Lady of the New Millennium was blessed by Pope John Paul II in 1998, and since that time, hundreds of thousands of people across the nation have been able to view this beautiful creation. Since Carl passed on in 2000, his beloved wife Francine has dedicated her time and energy to ensuring that the statue continues to be transported from parish to parish for all the faithful to experience.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud Mr. And Mrs. Demma for their dedication and their many years of service to the community.