BY ERIKA ANDERSON
Staff Writer
ATLANTA--The sound of trumpets and the voices of the Centennial Choir
royally announced a day of celebration May 3 as Archbishop John F. Donoghue
offered a Mass in honor of the 100th anniversary of Sacred Heart Church.
Concelebrants Father Stephen Churchwell, pastor, Msgr. Daniel O’Connor,
former pastor, Father Carlos Rocha, parochial vicar, Father Richard Zivic and
Father T. J. Meehan processed into the sanctuary amid choruses of “Joyful,
Joyful, We Adore Thee,” a reminder of the many blessings God has bestowed
on the church in its first century.
Sister Valentina Sheridan, RSM, former parish administrator, and Anne Brown,
director of lectors, gave Scripture readings and Deacon Wayne Smith assisted at
the Mass.
Sister Sheridan, who served at Sacred Heart for six years, said the Mass
brought back memories of the church and of the people.
“It really was wonderful to be back there,” she said. “It was a
reflective time for me and not only a celebration of the building, but also a
celebration of the people, who are deeply rooted in faith, and that’s
expressed in the beauty of the church and the way that they maintain it.”
In his homily, Archbishop Donoghue said parishioners must continue to
welcome each other with the love of Christ.
“The Son of Man has sought the lost and He has found them here--ready,
waiting and eager,” he said. “He has found them in the courageous
families and priests and sisters who struggled to build up the faith in Atlanta
a hundred years ago. He has found them in all the generations of parishioners
who have come and gone since...and He has found the lost in us, whose turn it
is now, to express confidence in our salvation, by keeping well this precious
building and by meeting with the love of Jesus Christ, all who come here, all
who seek the healing and peace found only in His Sacred and dependable
Heart.”
The second oldest parish in Atlanta, Sacred Heart was founded in 1880 and
originally called Sts. Peter and Paul. The first church, a small wooden
building, was located 12 blocks from the present location on the southwest
corner of Marietta and Alexander streets.
St. Joseph’s Infirmary, now a hospital on Peachtree Dunwoody Road, was
established on Baker Street in 1880 and the sick and poor were cared for by the
Sisters of Mercy, parishioners of Sts. Peter and Paul.
In September 1897, four months after governance of the parish was given to
the Marist order, a lot on the corner of Peachtree and Ivy streets, not far
from the infirmary, was purchased for $12,000. Parishioners contributed over
$10,000 toward the construction of the new church, which cost $25,000.
The new church was dedicated May 1,1898, by Savannah Bishop Thomas A. Becker
and the name was changed to Sacred Heart.
The parish has also played a major part in the history of Catholic education
in Atlanta.
In 1901, Marist College, now the Marist School on Ashford Dunwoody Road,
opened on the grounds of Sacred Heart. Sacred Heart School was opened by the
Sisters of St. Joseph for grades one through six in 1909 and educated children
for over 50 years, closing in 1964. Sacred Heart High School for Girls began in
1913 and served for 45 years until St. Pius X High School opened in 1958. St.
Joseph’s High School, located at Sacred Heart, was opened in 1961 and
closed in 1978.
In November 1968, the first regularly scheduled Mass in Spanish in the
archdiocese began at Sacred Heart.
Throughout its 100 years, Sacred Heart Church has gone through several
renovations, including a 1978 restoration that was hindered by a fire bomb
thrown through a basement window, causing $250,000 in damage to the newly
renovated church.
In 1976, Sacred Heart Church was entered in the National Register of
Historic Places in recognition of its “artistically significant
architecture.”
Designed by Atlanta architect W.T. Downing, the church has a repeated
pattern of rounded arches characteristic of Romanesque style. Downing departed
from the rock masonry typical of the time and used pressed brick and
terra-cotta for the exterior of the church.
Twin octagonal towers, which rise 137 feet above street level and are
illuminated at night, were once the tallest points of the Peachtree
neighborhood. Between the towers is a rose window with the Sacred Heart in its
center that reflects kaleidoscopic colors into the church when hit by rays of
sunlight.
Inside the church is an ornate yet traditional sanctuary. Carved wooden
confessionals of Philippine mahogany, added in 1908, sit in the back of the
church and have been carefully preserved.
Red, the color of the heart, is the dominant color. In 1902, 28 stained
glass windows from the Mayer Studios in Munich were installed. The windows
reflect the gold and brass in the sanctuary, including brass kneelers, two
Victorian candelabra, a brass pulpit and central tabernacle. Over $75,000 in
brass and other items, including the baptismal font, were donated by Mrs.
William J. Burns of Pittsburgh in 1901.
High above the tabernacle in the dome of the apse is a full-figured painting
of Christ manifesting his Sacred Heart, as he stands on the globe with two
angels kneeling on either side surrounded by clouds.
Reflecting on their years at Sacred Heart, parishioners gathered for a
reception after Mass at the SunTrust Plaza across the street.
Pat Eaton, who greeted her fellow parishioners, handing out keepsake red
bookmarks with a picture of the church, has been a parishioner for over 70
years.
“I love the church,” she said. “It’s beautiful and we
keep it that way.”
One of 10 women who spend their Fridays cleaning, polishing and preparing
the church for weekend Masses, Eaton joined Sacred Heart when she was 16. She
was married in the rectory and her children were baptized and attended school
at the parish.
She said she loves the church for the welcoming attitude of its
parishioners.
“The people are really friendly,” she said. “So many come (to
Mass) from hotels and we make it a point to be hospitable.”
Julia Lynch, who volunteers with Eaton, has been a parishioner for 55 years
and said she is pleased that she was able to be a part of the centennial
celebration.
“It’s just wonderful that the church has survived and thrived this
long,” she said. “We’re just really happy about it.”
Lynch also said that “every time it’s been renovated, they’ve
added beauty to it.”
“We love it,” she said. “There’s a warmth when you walk
in the door of that church. You just feel holy and you feel God’s
presence...It’s the beauty and the wholeness of it that make it special.
Nine out of 10 people say that it’s the beauty and the oldness that draw
them there.”
Father Churchwell, pastor of the 1,312-family parish, said that because
Sacred Heart is a pre-Vatican II church, it adds special meaning to the Mass.
“One can celebrate liturgy in the new rubrics in a place that was
designed for the old rubrics,” he said. “People want to celebrate the
new Mass in a place that is old.”
Father Churchwell also said that newer members are constantly reminded of
the history of Sacred Heart.
“We have people around here that will catch us saying, ‘What would
Father Morris do?’” he said, referring to the late Father Tony
Morris, pastor from 1973-83. “We are constantly putting ourselves into
that tradition.”
Father Morris was the fourth pastor to serve Sacred Heart after governance
of the parish was returned to the archdiocese by the Marists in 1965. He died
in January of this year.
The parishioners are just proud to be a part of Sacred Heart, Father
Churchwell said.
“It’s a nomadic world,” he said. “When people come to
Atlanta, they don’t want to be a part of something nomadic. They want to
be a part of something that is a tradition.”
In preparing for the centennial, many events in the history of the church
were discussed, such as Mother Teresa’s visit in 1995, but Father
Churchwell said that parishioners consider each event to be important.
“They are just excited to be a part of this history,” he said.
“Everyone has their own memories. What is important to one person may not
be as important to another. It’s one of the reasons that we’ve held
the celebration over three weeks.”
On April 25, a centennial dinner was held at the Marriott Marquis, hosting
priests, Religious, city of Atlanta and Fulton County leaders, and members of
historic and preservation societies who aided in the preservation of the church
building.
On April 26, the seniors of the parish were honored at a Mass as caretakers
of the past and as guides in present parish life.
In addition to the Mass celebrated by Archbishop Donoghue, Father Churchwell
celebrated a Mass with the Marist priests, founders of Sacred Heart, on May 3
at 12:20 p.m. and Father Carlos Rocha celebrated Mass in Spanish at 1:30 p.m.
On May 9, a Centennial Concert and Arts Evening was held at the church,
featuring Sacred Heart’s liturgical choir, contemporary music ensemble,
Spanish choir and artists from the parish Olympic festival. Paintings,
sculpture, photographs, drawings and children’s art reflecting parish
spirituality were also displayed.
Centennial suppers, commemorating Catholic communities who met to pray
together in their homes, began in February and will continue through May.
Parishioners gather in homes to pray and share meals, establishing
relationships that will carry Sacred Heart Parish into the future.
Additional activities will be held in the fall, including Centennial
Ministry Sunday, which will give parishioners the opportunity to volunteer for
ministries.
A time capsule will be assembled by high school students of the parish, a
permanent art project will be created by the children of the parish and a wall
mounting commemorating the 100-year existence of the church will be dedicated.
Parishioners are also developing a CD-ROM, which will provide an in-depth
history of the centennial year.
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