Sacred Heart of Jesus

The first parish church was a temporary wooden building at 25 Erie Street, constructed in a week by parishioners under the direction of Father Maguire.  The congregation assembled there for the first time on August 16, 1874. 

The work of paying off the debt on this building and raising money for a permanent church began that same month.  Two years later, in 1876, the cornerstone of the permanent Sacred Heart Church was laid at Walter and North Second Streets.  The church was completed, and dedicated on May 23, 1880. 

In 1994, Sacred Heart Parish absorbed St. Joseph's Parish, which included the Vietnamese Apostolate.  The Vietnamese parishioners immediately became a vital part of Sacred Heart Parish.  The parish has remained important to the community as it evolved through the years.