On Wednesday, January 15, Sacred Heart Church will celebrate the 120th anniversary of its dedication. On the same date in 1905, Papal Legate (representative/missionary of the Pope) Archbishop Diomede Falconio, along with a consortium of traveling bishops and priests attended the 10 a.m. dedication. This would be among the first services held in the newly completed church, a ticketed event led by the Bishop of St. Augustine, Rev. William J. Kenny.
As written for the Tampa Morning Tribune’s Sunday edition on January 15, 1905: “the completion of this magnificent structure marks an important epoch in the history of Tampa, and its dedication today will be an event to always be remembered by the Catholics throughout America.”
If the event that day was not remembered by all Catholics throughout the country, surely then by our many longstanding parishioners with ancestors that settled in our relatively young city.
Sacred Heart still serves as one of the oldest churches in Florida, and also as one of the oldest structures in our rapidly expanding downtown core. You are invited to celebrate this special anniversary at a 6:30 p.m. Mass on Wednesday, January 15, with a reception immediately following in St. Francis Hall. All are welcome! The Mass will also feature the commissioning of our parish outreach, social, and liturgical ministry leaders, as well as catechists, for their next year of service to Sacred Heart.
This Mass will mark the start of several events throughout 2025 that will help celebrate this special anniversary. Be sure to view future bulletins for details. You can read more about the history of our church by clicking here.
