The History of Sacred Heart

The Sacred Heart Parish was founded in 1866 by Czech immigrants. At the time, there were also Germans and Irish in the area. Both of these migrant groups celebrated and practiced Catholicism together, along with the Czechs. The first building for the Sacred Heart Parish was built in 1902. Unfortunately, due to an unknown cause, it burned down in 1922. The Sacred Heart community at the time decided to rebuild the church on the same foundations, which is where the church stands to this day. Though the corner stone on the building says "1902," it is actually twenty years younger. It is a message to prove that though the building was burned, the faith and community remained strong.¹

Coming in through the doors of the main entrance, one can immediately see rows upon rows of dark-stained wooden benches facing the altar. The church's round ceiling makes the room look spacious and tall. The white ceiling and the ivory colored pillars lining up along the walls make the room feel serene and peaceful: a glorious space for those who practice Catholicism at the Sacred Heart. The altar also has a large ivory wall. In the middle, a large wooden rectangular space holds a large crucifix with open arms. The altar is also accessorized with different dark-stained wooden accents: the chairs where the priest sits, the stand where the readings are said, a large table in between two wooden candle holders, and lastly, a large wooden cross on the left side.

The German and Irish in the area later went on to fund St. Joseph's Parish, which is now located two blocks away from the Sacred Heart. Both the Sacred Heart and St. Joseph's Parish are Catholic communities, but only Sacred Heart offers Spanish services for the Hispanic community. There was also another small church that the Polish people began in the early 19th century. This church is located a block away from the Sacred Heart Parish but is now the meeting hall for the Knights of Columbus group.²

Next to the Sacred Heart Parish is St. Mary's, the local Catholic school. The school was started in 1877 by Reverend T.J. Pribyl who was the pastor of Sacred Heart at the time. At the beginning, the school served grades 1-12 for girls only. It was not until 1916 when boys were admitted for the first time. St. Mary's school has been essential for the communities of the Sacred Heart, St. Joseph, and St. Hyacinth parishes. Though it has had different struggles, the school has succeeded in serving the communities. In the Spring of 2015, the St. Isidore's Catholic school, which is ten miles outside of Owatonna, closed due to the decline in enrollment; due to this, many families chose to enroll children at St. Mary's. The school then acquired larger facilities, and began serving kindergarten through eighth grade.³

In 2008, the size of the Hispanic community attending Spanish services was around fifty people. The United States 2010 census showed that the total Hispanic population around that time  in Owatonna was 1,868.⁴By 2016, the community had grown, with about 80-100 people who attended services weekly.⁵When looking at the Hispanic community that resides in Owatonna, 3.23% (724 people) out of the 4.31% (967 people) are Mexican/Mexican-American. Most of the migration patterns into the Midwest for the Mexican/Mexican-Americans are due to the labor opportunities in agriculture, meatpacking plants, and other factories that became available. ⁶