A Historic Day for Sacred Heart

Dear Parishioners,

On March 18th we celebrate a historic day in the history of our Parish. This is the day we bless and dedicate the new Gathering Center, the new addition to our church building. We have been awaiting this day for a long time.  

About eight years ago, we began planning and discussing the need for major capital improvements for our buildings. The roofs at Culemans Hall needed repairs. Our school building, built in 1958, and our church, completed in 1923, needed to be tuck-pointed. HVAC systems throughout the property needed to be replaced. The stained-glass windows in the church had to be completely rebuilt. That was only the beginning of the repairs that were needed - and the amount of money required was always growing.

Many people came together to begin the task from the Sacred Heart Parish and the Seton School community. We stepped forward with faith in the future of our parish and school. When I start tallying up the expenses, it does not take long for me to reach around five million dollars. My head spins when I think how far we have come.

One dream that many parishioners shared was to build a gathering space for our church. This would provide easy access for those who have mobility issues. It also would bring modern amenities to our church building. That dream will soon be officially accomplished. On March 18th at our 4:00 p.m. Mass, Bishop Louis Tylka will join us to bless this new space. Everyone is invited to the Mass, held at 4:00 p.m. that day and the reception that follows in our new Gathering Center. 

I am humbled by the goodness of God and the generosity of our parishioners.  When we started this process, I wondered if we would get to this day. How little I trusted.  “God wins again” as the old cliché says. Let us come together to revel in this step of our community’s journey through history.

St. Damien De Veuster pray for us,

Fr. Mark