Sacred Heart Parish
Sacred Heart is a special place with a heritage that stretches back to its founding 140 years ago. Although we are the oldest parish in the Diocese of Phoenix, today we are a vibrant, thriving parish, deeply involved in the life of our community, with over 70 ministries—including that rarest of temporal charisms, a Perpetual Adoration Chapel.
From 1915 until 2024, priests of the Claretian religious order, with their total dedication to service, were in charge of our parish. In 2024, the Society of Divine Word (“SVD”) took over the leadership of Sacred Heart Parish.
Founded in 1875 by St. Arnold Janssen, the Society of the Divine Word is the largest Roman Catholic order that focuses on missionary work. Throughout their history, their missionaries have entered lands where people are in need. As they listen to the people, observe their ways and become a part of their communities, they also discover how best they can show God’s love to them.
Worldwide, the Society of the Divine Word is organized into 60 provinces. Attached is a link to learn more about the SVD order.
History
On September 25, 1869, Yavapai County became part of the Vicariate Apostolic of Arizona with Bishop John Baptiste Salpointe appointed as the Vicar Apoostolic. The first Mass celebrated in Prescott was at Ravenna’s store on the corner of Goodwin and Montezuma on January 22, 1871. Bp John Baptiste Salpointe established what continues to be the only Catholic Parish in Prescott, Arizona. Rev Michael Murphy arrived as the first pastor on October 26, 1877 but died of consumption on December 7 and was buried in the Citizens Cemetery. A succession of pastors served for a short period of time; including one Fr. F. C. Becker, who dedicated a chapel to to the Scared Heart of Jesus and said Mass there for the Catholics of the town. It was from that moment on, that Sacred Heart became the parish name.
Three Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet; Mother John Berchman Hartrich, Sr. Mary Martha Dunne, and Sr. Rose Doran, opened St. Joseph’s Hospital. on September 6, 1878, for their employees and miners in a small frame house on the corner of Alarcon and Willis Streets. Until then civilians with serious illnesses or injuries had been admitted to the “hospital” at Whipple Barracks. Classes were held for Catholic children of the town in a back room of the building called Little Pioneer School of the West, and by late 1880, the sisters had as many as 40 students and were in need of a larger building. Mother Monica Corrigan, who had replaced Mother John Berchmans on October 1, 1879, purchased a building and grounds on Marina Street. She also purchased additional lots to create a first-class hospital. However, Bp. Peter Bourgade, the new Vicar of Arizona Apostolic, thought that a small number of patients did not warrant a staff of four sisters and that the building was better suited to a much needed school. So in order to comply with Bp. Bourgade’s request, St. Joseph’s Hospital was converted into a school and became known as St. Joseph’s Academy.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix consists of 94 parishes, 23 missions, 29 elementary schools, seven high schools, three universities, and one seminary, with more than 1.7 million Catholics making this diverse, vibrant, and faith-filled diocese their home. Guided by Bishop John Dolan, the Diocese of Phoenix is one of the fastest growing dioceses in the United States with over 300,000 new parishioners joining in just the last 10 years alone. The Diocese of Phoenix is comprised of Mohave, Coconino (except Navajo Indian Reservation), Yavapai, and Maricopa Counties, and the Gila Indian Reservation in the State of Arizona for a total of nearly 44,000 square miles.