Los Alamos County Councilor Sara Scott, far left, presents a proclamation declaring Nov. 6 United Church of Los Alamos Day to Mary Venable and Georgia Strickfaden Tuesday evening. Photo Courtesy LAC
BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com
Los Alamos County Council on Tuesday evening issued a proclamation declaring Nov. 6, 2022 as the United Church of Los Alamos Day. The proclamation was presented by Councilor Sara Scott and accepted by Georgia Strickfaden and Mary Venable. The proclamation reads as follows:
WHEREAS, the United Church of Los Alamos is commemorating its 75th church anniversary on November 6, 2022; and
WHEREAS, the United Church of Los Alamos, or “the Chapel” as it was originally called, began with the relocation of the chapel from the Bruns General Army Hospital in Santa Fe to 2505 Canyon Drive in Los Alamos by order of General Leslie Groves in 1946; and
WHEREAS, in 1947, the Army chapel was reassembled and two wings and a side chapel were added to the structure by the Atomic Energy Commission with contributions from Los Alamos town residents; and
WHEREAS, the first congregation of “the Chapel” enthusiastically embraced an ecumenical congregation, uniting those of Jewish, Catholic, and Protestants together to practice their faiths; and
WHEREAS, in 1955, the ownership of “the Chapel” and its four acres of property was sold to the United Church of Los Alamos by the Atomic Energy Commission; and
WHEREAS, the United Church of Los Alamos served as a place of worship and gathering not just for the young veterans of the Manhattan Project but for the Cold War weapons designers and scientists, and now serves the unique community that is Los Alamos today; and
WHEREAS, the United Church of Los Alamos is a part of the cultural and social fabric of Los Alamos, representing the spirituality and growth of the community over the past 75 years through times of crisis and triumph, soul searching and contemplation;
NOW, THEREFORE, on behalf of the Council of the Incorporated County of Los Alamos, I do hereby celebrate the 75th anniversary of the United Church of Los Alamos and proclaim the 6th day of November 2022 as “UNITED CHURCH OF LOS ALAMOS DAY” in Los Alamos County and encourage our citizens to pay special tribute to the church and its historical significance to our community on this day.