History
SACRED HEART CHURCH
YESTERDAY
In 1908, the Catholic
families in west Waterloo felt they should have a church of
their own. At that time, they were worshiping at St. Mary's
and St. Joseph's on the east side of town. Their petition
to build Sacred Heart Church was approved in January, 1909,
by the Most Reverend James J. Keane, Archbishop of Dubuque.
The property was obtained through sale of land willed by
Barthoemew Kelly for a site for a west-side Catholic
church. Funds were raised by subscription from forty-seven
Catholic and sixty-seven non-Catholic individuals. The
amount subscribed was a little over $15,000.00.
The site chosen was on the corner of West Fourth and
Randolph Streets and incorporated the Pickett residence and
the adjoining property.
The architecture chosen was of the Lombardic-Romanesque
design, and our church was the first in this part of the
country to be constructed in this style. It was also to be
the largest church in the city at that time.
Fund raising, election of trustees and appointment of the
building committee were all coordinated by the first Sacred
Heart pastor, Reverend J. J. Hanley. He arrived in Waterloo
on March 4, 1909, from St. Patrick's Church in Monti, and
began holding Sunday masses in the Knights of Pythias Hall.
Our first parish baptism was on March 21, 1909, and our
first wedding was performed on April 14, 1909. The Sisters
of Mercy arrived on August 24th of that year to begin
teaching the children of the parish.