Parish History

The story of Sacred Heart Catholic Parish is synonymous with the story of Muenster itself. On December 8, 1889, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the first Catholic Mass was celebrated in Muenster. This is also considered the date of the town’s founding. The Mass was celebrated by Rev. H. Brickley, pastor of Gainesville, at an altar in the land office. Soon after, the school, rectory, and church were built, and the origins of Sacred Heart Parish took root.

The early years saw numerous setbacks, with the first two church buildings being destroyed by multiple tornadoes in the 1890s. Each time, however, the community banded together to rebuild and restore their beloved Parish. That fledgling community out on the prairie has endured and grown to become the faith-centered German Catholic town we know and love today.

Over the years, many groups and individuals have played a part in writing our story. The pioneers made do in the early years until the arrival of Benedictine priests from Subiaco Abbey in 1893. They served our Parish until the 1990s, with the Benedictine Sisters continuing to support the school until this day. As a primary mission of the parish, Sacred Heart Catholic School was started in 1890, with the definitive red brick building first holding classes in the 1925-1926 school year. Today, Sacred Heart Catholic School is the only school in the Diocese of Fort Worth that offers Catholic education for PreK through 12th Grade.

In 1949, our Parish set out to rebuild the church once again, as the third church serving the Parish from 1898-1948, began to crack from a lack of a strong foundation. Thus, the present church building finished in 1954, has a foundation that goes more than 20 feet deep into rock… a literal and figurative strong foundation for our quaint Parish community. Our Parish rejoices in knowing that we have a strong foundation in both our buildings and in our families who have tirelessly worked and prayed to make us what we are today…with All Glory to God.

Click here for a printable version of the full history of Sacred Heart Catholic Community.