Sacred Heart Catholic Church

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Object 2004.11.1 - Father Mac’s Communion Bell

 

The Sacred Heart Catholic Church opened in 1915 and was built in the style of the Spanish Missionary Churches in California. It is easily identifiable as a church, with its tall bell tower/steeple and four large stained glass windows. Five buttresses are visible on the exterior walls, allowing the building to be open without the need for beams or posts on the inside. Father MacIntyre lived in the church for seven years until the parish rectory was purchased in 1922.

 

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As early as 1892, a traveling priest named Reverend Father Bedard visited the Rossland mining camp on his missionary circuit and conducted mass. Bedard was followed by Father Peylavin two years later in 1894. Father Lemay became the resident priest in 1895, and at this time mass was held wherever possible. The first Catholic Church in Rossland was built by a contractor named McCarthy in October 1895 on lots 11 and 12 of Block nine. This location was considered a very desirable area on Davis Street. The building was estimated to cost around $1200 (roughly $37,014.43 in 2020), it had a pitched roof and a flat-topped tower on the Southeast corner. The building was approximately 30x50 ft, with a residence for the priest at the rear end of the lot (15x30ft). The first mass was held on New Years Day 1896.

Father Lemay lobbied for a temporary hospital to be built in the area. In July of 1896, two sisters from the Sisters of Saint Joseph arrived in Rossland to create a temporary hospital. This hospital would become Mater Miseracordiae. Tragically, Father Lemay died in 1897 due to a failed operation. He was buried in the Sacred Heart Parish Cemetery, where the monument that marks his gravesite still stands today.

Father Welsh – sometimes written as Father Welch – replaced Father Lemay after his death. Father Welsh made arrangements for a bell to be installed in the tower in late 1900. The bell came from England and was paid for by the congregation for $471.00 ($14,528.16 in 2020). In 1902, Father Welsh purchased land on the corner of Butte and Columbia to build a new church and turn the current church into a school. This plan was put on hold until 1915 when it was completed under the supervision and leadership of Father MacIntyre who replaced Father Welsh in 1912.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church opened in 1915 and was built in the style of the Spanish Missionary Churches in California. It is easily identifiable as a church, with its tall bell tower/steeple and four large stain glass windows. Five buttresses are visible on the exterior walls, allowing the building to be open without the need for beams or posts on the inside. Father MacIntyre lived in the church for seven years until the parish rectory was purchased in 1922.

The Parish Hall was built across the street from the church in 1930. In the 1960s, the Father MacIntyre Centre (also called the Catechism Centre) was built beside the Parish Hall. Between 1997 and 2006, the Father MacIntyre Centre was leased to the Golden Bear Daycare Society as a way to raise money for the Church.

In 1997, the priest position was reduced to part-time. Plans to renovate Sacred Heart Church and create a community multipurpose space were approved in 2012. The Parish Hall and Father MacIntyre Centre were sold in 2013 to pay for the renovations. Alongside the interior renovations, the main entrance was moved to the east side of the building for easier and safer access. The remainder of the exterior of the building has stayed the same. The renovations were completed in 2015. Sacred Heart Church’s new multipurpose space - the Gathering Place - is home to social and educational activities previously held in the Parish Hall and Father MacIntyre Centre.

 
 

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