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Welcome to Sacred Heart Church on historic "Catholic Hill" in
downtown Eau Claire, designated a historical "Landmark Church" in
1984.
Herz Jesu Gemeinde was founded by German immigrants in 1875
and Fr. Paul Geyer (1875-1877) from Saint Patrick Congregation
(1865), itself formed from St. Peter’s Mission, established in 1854 by
the noted Fr. F.X. Goldsmith of Notre Dame Parish, Chippewa Falls.
In 1880 the parish of 60 families, under Fr. Jos. Boehm, built a 400
seat church(147 x 47) for $15,000 with two 105 foot towers but
evidently above a faulty substructure. Clerestory windows along the
ceiling were transferred to the present church as well as the Paschal
Candle stand. [We still use Msgr. Orthen's chalice.]
A parish school (first of three) with instruction in German began in
1893 with 350 students. Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration
replaced School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1910 and also ran Sacred
Heart Hospital to the north. The parish had its own junior high school
until 1943 when they joined St Patrick High School. In 1956 Fr Pittz
dedicated the current $320,000 school now serving as the new
Genesis Child Development Center.
In 1928 German-born Msgr. F.X. Orthen (1921-1943), replaced the
first church with a $142,000 Romanesque style building(Hoeppner-
Bartlett Co, gen contractor) modeled after the famous Benedictine
Abbey of Maria Laach (Rheinland) and paid for by Oct 1936.
Dedicated on Christmas Eve 1938, it seats 700 & measures 168 x
62 x 48 high. 45 tons of Italian marble compose the altars inlaid with
delicate "cosmatesque" mosaics. Above the high altar hover Fra
Angelico’s "Musical Angels." The sixteen windows and magnificent
Rose window from Innsbruck Austria, are beautiful in any light. A
Schaefer pipe organ was added in 1949 and the main altar in 1982
by Fr. Peter Eiden who again redecorated after a Sat. evening fire
destroyed the baptistery during bingo. Listen to those three bells –
they're the real thing!
Buildings reflect faith; the parish has given the Church over 12
priests and 30 sisters. On January 1, 1999, after 124 years, Sacred
Heart united with Saint Patrick. If "the past is prologue," we’ll have a
great future together.
downtown Eau Claire, designated a historical "Landmark Church" in
1984.
Herz Jesu Gemeinde was founded by German immigrants in 1875
and Fr. Paul Geyer (1875-1877) from Saint Patrick Congregation
(1865), itself formed from St. Peter’s Mission, established in 1854 by
the noted Fr. F.X. Goldsmith of Notre Dame Parish, Chippewa Falls.
In 1880 the parish of 60 families, under Fr. Jos. Boehm, built a 400
seat church(147 x 47) for $15,000 with two 105 foot towers but
evidently above a faulty substructure. Clerestory windows along the
ceiling were transferred to the present church as well as the Paschal
Candle stand. [We still use Msgr. Orthen's chalice.]
A parish school (first of three) with instruction in German began in
1893 with 350 students. Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration
replaced School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1910 and also ran Sacred
Heart Hospital to the north. The parish had its own junior high school
until 1943 when they joined St Patrick High School. In 1956 Fr Pittz
dedicated the current $320,000 school now serving as the new
Genesis Child Development Center.
In 1928 German-born Msgr. F.X. Orthen (1921-1943), replaced the
first church with a $142,000 Romanesque style building(Hoeppner-
Bartlett Co, gen contractor) modeled after the famous Benedictine
Abbey of Maria Laach (Rheinland) and paid for by Oct 1936.
Dedicated on Christmas Eve 1938, it seats 700 & measures 168 x
62 x 48 high. 45 tons of Italian marble compose the altars inlaid with
delicate "cosmatesque" mosaics. Above the high altar hover Fra
Angelico’s "Musical Angels." The sixteen windows and magnificent
Rose window from Innsbruck Austria, are beautiful in any light. A
Schaefer pipe organ was added in 1949 and the main altar in 1982
by Fr. Peter Eiden who again redecorated after a Sat. evening fire
destroyed the baptistery during bingo. Listen to those three bells –
they're the real thing!
Buildings reflect faith; the parish has given the Church over 12
priests and 30 sisters. On January 1, 1999, after 124 years, Sacred
Heart united with Saint Patrick. If "the past is prologue," we’ll have a
great future together.
