SACRED HEART PARISH serves its communities in many ways beyond its regular Sunday services (8 a.m. and 10 a.m.) including participating in the Sioux Lookout Refugee Sponsorship Group. You can donate to the church generally or to any of the specified programs by selecting from the drop down box on the Donate form. Thank you for your generosity.

SACRED HEART CENTENNIAL 1912 – 2012 - Article  by Bill Downey (excerpts)

(For the full article, please visit: http://www.shchurch.ca/?page_id=21)

The early history of Sacred Heart Parish takes place in a community of where there is no electricity, or running water, no phones, no cars, no sidewalks, only a couple of stores, a restaurant, a post office; all on dirt roads.From 1906 to 1910 Fr. O’Dwyer travelled from Winnipeg occasionally to celebrate Mass in Sioux Lookout. Them in 1910 the parish in Kenora began to serve Sioux Lookout as a mission and Fr. O’Dwyer came once a month to offer Mass in the restaurant. In 1912 a small group of Catholics built Sacred Heart Church, a structure that measured 50 by 34 ft.

In April 1913, Fr. E Planet, OMI, became the first resident priest. The early history of the parish has few surviving pictures. The church bell, made in France arrived and was installed in 1913. The bell which cost $210. was decorated with the Oblate emblem and the inscription ‘E. Planet, ptre, omi,1913′. ...

The success of the Oblate priests in Sioux Lookout manifested itself in plans to build a new church in 1963. In that year property on King Street was acquired, fund raising began in 1965, and by October 1967 the parish had engaged the services of an architect to design a church that would accommodate 400 people and meet all the requirements of the new liturgy that emanated from Vatican II. The promise of a new church energized and united all members of the parish in the two years preceding it’s official opening and dedication. ...

75 Years Anniversary Celebration, October 24, 1987

“Good Memories” were the order of the evening when the parish of Sacred Heart celebrated 75 years on Oct. 24, 1987.  ... In his homily, Bishop O’Mara spoke of the call to love that is symbolized by the heart, and reflected on devotion to the Sacred Heart. He noted that each one of us is to share that love – “to make this community the community of love, the community that’s not only dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, but the community that makes real for the people of Sioux Lookout and of our Diocese and of our world what the love of Christ is all about.”