History of our Church

In 1932, in the midst of the Great Depression and without much financial support, a dedicated Holy Cross priest, Father Peter Miner, C.S.C of the University of Notre Dame, invited Catholics in the Lakeville area to the start of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish. The invitation was sent per postcard to Catholics in the area which stated, “You and your family are now members of this parish…” The first masses were said on Sunday, December 18 th , 1932 at 8:00 and 10:00am in the Pleasant View School on Dixie Highway, 2 miles north of Lakeville. Through Father Miner’s vision, Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish came together to form a dedicated and worshiping community. In May of 2017, Father John Delaney (Pastor of both St. Jude and Sacred Heart) stated: “Though only at the edge of South Bend and technically with a South Bend address, Sacred Heart has a wonderful rural feeling. People are very down to earth… unpretentious, simple in their lifestyle and no one makes their importance felt, no matter what their income, education or successes”. He also commented on the tight knit nature of Sacred Heart Parish. “The parishioners pray together, work together, socialize together, and many have been connected to the parish for years”. Father Delaney believes that the parish’s supportive quality is especially palpable when members come together to organize a gathering. This is true no matter what the reason for the gathering. “One of the best examples is when they host an event, whether it be in the ministry of a funeral dinner for a bereaved family or one of their famous fish fry dinners… “. Sacred Heart of Jesus continues to be a viable and growing parish.

Source: Today’s Catholic, May 2 nd , 2017