Profile of the Claretian Parish, Sacred Heart Church, Springfield, MO
MassTransit visited Sacred Heart Catholic parish in Springfield, Missouri. What we found was a small parish embracing a vast mission serving a diverse population that stretches well beyond the neighborhoods surrounding the church. What we found is the Church Universal practicing the deeds outlined in Matthew 25: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.” Sacred Heart was founded in 1882, and initially named St. Marie. Destroyed by a tornado in 1883, the parishioners rebuilt the church and changed the name to Sacred Heart. Claretian Missionary Fathers accepted the pastoral responsibilities for Sacred Heart Parish in 1981. To state that the flock at Sacred Heart emanate a sincere and friendly atmosphere would be a monumental understatement. Few families or individuals shopping for a Catholic parish to join within driving distance of Springfield would stand a chance to slip in and out of a mass at Sacred Heart without being set upon by a loving and kind group of parishioners, clergy and staff.