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History

HISTORY

Sacred Heart Church was founded in 1957 by Archbishop Karl J. Alter, with Father Hugo Mentink as first pastor. The first church and school were dedicated in January of 1960. Six additional classrooms were built in 1963 and a small gym in 1980. The present church was completed in 1989, with modifications in the liturgical environment in 1993-94.

The pastors have been:

1957-74: Father Mentink

1974-84: Father John Roettele

1984-90: Father John Wall

1987-90: Father Harry Gerdes (co-pastor)

1990-2006: Father Norman Langenbrunner

2006-Present: Father Larry Tharp

Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, Indiana, staffed the day-school and taught CCD classes for many years. A long litany of laymen and women have served the day-school, religious education programs, and other parish ministries and organizations.

SACRED HEART TODAY

Sacred Heart parish has nearly 2100 Catholic households, a congregation in excess of 7000 members. The three main parochial departments are church, school, and religious education/formation.

The church staff meets weekly to assess and plan a variety of parish activities and to address parish needs and requests. Parish Council meets six times annually, and serves as a consultative body of seven elected representatives to assess parish life and to recommend policy.

Day-school has grades kindergarten through eight, with a total of 425 students. Religious education classes for public grade school children are held on Monday nights. Adult education programs are scheduled throughout the year.

The three parochial departments (church, school, and religious education/formation) and the five elements of the Church’s mission and ministry (institution, community, sacrament, herald, and servant) are given life and flesh in parish council, education commission, finance committee, mission commission, peace and justice commission, worship commission, PTS, boosters, scouts, young adult ministry, small faith communities, health ministry, blood bank, lector and communion distributor ministry, prayer chain, St. Vincent de Paul conference, ushers, lay liturgical presiders, funeral coordinators,  liturgical environment ministry, gardeners, Arimatheans, wedding coordinators, summer festival committee, Marthas, collection counters, altar servers, Women Together and more.

Among the annual celebrations and observances at Sacred Heart are Parish Penance Services in Advent and Lent, First Communion Sundays in spring, Parish Summer Festival in August, Mission Cooperative Collection in Summer, and Confirmation in the late Winter, early Spring.