The History of Sacred Heart Church

Sacred Heart Parish was incorporated into the Diocese of Ogdensburg on April 25, 1874 by Bishop Edgar P. Wadhams.

Early Days in Community

In 1792, a band of French led by Anable Faucher came up-river from Montreal in search of lumber. They leased land from the St. Regis Indians, constructed a dam across the Grasse River, and built a sawmill near what today is Tamarack Street.

Not long afterwards, other settlers came. Much of the land in Northern New York was bought up by land speculators. By 1799 the first settlers were arriving in the area from New England.

On March 3, 1802, the New York State Legislature acted to establish St. Lawrence County, and divided the county into the townships of Oswegatchie, Lisbon, Madrid, and Massena.

The tiny settlement along the Grasse River acquired its name for Andre Massena, who was a general in the Army of Napoleon. On October 2, 1802, Massena had its first town meeting.

Catholic Community of St. Peter's is Born

The beginnings of Catholicism in Massena are clouded with uncertainty. Because of its proximity to Canada there were probably Catholics in this area from the time of the first settlement. Supposedly, a Fr. Farnham from Utica traveled into the northern wilderness in the 1820s ministering to the Catholics in the Massena area. It is well attested that around 1830 Bishop Alexander McDonnel of Kingston, Ontario, while staying in Massena to avail himself of the mineral springs, offered Mass for Catholics in the village.

A permanent settlement of Catholics began to take shape in the 1830s. At this time, the nearest Catholic church was at Hogansburg. Dedicated worshipers would often walk there on Sunday, a distance of 10 miles or more through heavily wooded areas. Clearly there was a need for a Catholic church in the village.

Fr. John McNulty, then pastor at Hogansburg, began to take steps to build a church in Massena. A tract of land, on what is now Center Street, was given to the Catholics of Massena by Captain Lemuel Haskell, a wealthy landowner in the village.

The first Catholics of Massena gave of their own time and energy to clear the land and build the wooden structure known as St. Peter's Church. It is believed that it was built by Rubin Hitchcock with the aid of volunteers. After a hard day's work these dedicated men gathered to cut down trees and clear the site, and then to errect the frame building 24 feet square. Of their dedication, the only traces left us are the names of four men - Waters, Quinn, Nestor and Mullarney - who assisted in the work.

Begun under Fr. McNulty in 1838, the church was completed at a total cost of $120.00 and was blessed by Fr. Keveny in 1840. Six years later it was found to be too small for the growing congregation, so under the direction of Fr. Keveny an additional 24 feet were added to the original building. In 1859 St. Peter's was placed under the jurisdiction of the Waddington parish and continued as such until 1871.

Today you may visit St. Peter's Cemetery located next to Violi's Restaurant on Center Street. It is believed that the church was located in the center of the cemetery.

Sulfur Springs Bring Parish Transition

By the 1870's, Massena's status as a town grew with the renown of its mineral springs. Folks from far and wide came to Massena Springs to experience the healing qualities of its sulfur springs. As the town's fame grew, so grew its population and the number of Catholics to be ministered to. In 1873, a tract of land between Massena and Massena Springs, on what is now Main Street, was purchased. A year later, on April 25, 1874, Bishop Edgar P. Wadhams incorporated the new parish as the Church of the Sacred Heart.

The newly independent Sacred Heart Parish was first served by Father John Brennan, who organized the construction of the first Church of the Sacred Heart, using mostly volunteer labor. It was dedicated in July of 1875. A few years later, Father Thomas Kelleher took the lead in the building of a rectory. Both the church and the rectory were built of brick. The two-story rectory, with its grand front porch, was used for many years.

The grave of Fr. Timothy Holland.

As World War I began, Fr. Timothy P. Holland was appointed Pastor. He was an energetic and creative priest. He successfully built up a devoted parish community which required a larger church. Ten years later, having marshaled $100,000 plus the labor of many parishioners, a new magnificent gothic building was completed. The first Mass was celebrated Christmas Day, 1924.