Sacred Heart Christmas
Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Ming Street, Warrensburg
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| Sacred Heart Church, Warrensburg, MO ca 1980 |
The Sedalia Weekly Bazoo, Tuesday July 6, 1887
SACRED HEART.
Laying of the Corner Stone of the New Catholic Church.
The Excursion From Sedalia and What Was Done at the Quarry City.
The laying of the corner stone of the new Catholic Church at Warrensburg, was accomplished yesterday afternoon, in the presence of a large assemblage, and despite the excessive heat, everything pass off pleasantly and successfully.
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| 1907 Sanborn Insurance Map Sacred Heart Church Warrensburg, MO |
The excursion party from Sedalia filled four coaches, and the trip was made made to Warrensburg and back without accident. The Sedalia band, consisting of eleven men, under the lead of Prof. Freinel, was along, and the members of of the Sedalia Catholic Benevolent Society, about sixty strong, were conspicuous with their badges on the entire trip, and contributed greatly to the pleasure of the occasion. No process was made from Hurley's Hall to the depot, but at the last-named, the band played a number of lively airs. The start was made at 10:15 yesterday morning, there being in the neighborhood of three hundred people on the special. Conductor Rodecker was in charge, with Engineer Daniels managing the iron horse. Messrs. Carroll and Congriff were ticket punchers for the occasion, and if they missed anybody, it was a miracle.
| Sacred Heart Church, Warrensburg, Missouri |
At Dresden, LaMonte, Knob Noster and Montserrat, the train stopped and picked up a number of parties who joined the execursion. The run was made, the distance being thirty miles, in one hour and twenty-five minutes. Arrived at Warrensburg the excursionists were met at depot by the reception committee--Messr. John A. Gallagher, Daniel J. Clifford, Samuel Otis, Thomas Lawler and Louis Fountain--which escorted the party North on Holden Street to the court house. The large court-room had been converted into a banquet hall, by the good ladies of Father Sherry's congregation, and the Sedalia and other visitors were made welcome to an elegant dinner of cold chicken and meats, iced drinks, cakes and pastry and fruits. Dinner was not concluded until half past two o'clock, the throng being so great that the tables were filled several times. The ladies were indefatigable in their efforts to make every guest feel at home and get an abundance of the good things set out before them. At half-past two o'clock, a procession was formed in the court-house square, by Marshal Quick, of Sedalia, and the march to the site of the new church was made. The Warrensburg reception committee was in the lead, followed by the Sedalia band, after which cam the Sedalia societies, double file.
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| US Flag of 1887 |
A United States flag was carried near the front of the parade, and advance of the societies was a beautiful blue banner, with a picture of St. Joseph on one side, and on the reverse, "Sedalia Catholic Benevolent Society, organized September 3, 1871." The townspeople and their guests followed the procession along the shadiest sidewalks they could find, for it was dreadfully hot. The new church will be built at the corner of Ming and Washington avenue, on a very high point, overlooking the town and the surrounding country for miles. It will be made of Warrensburg stone and pressed brick and will be a handsome structure. The dimensions are forty by seventy feet, and a tower will ornament the front, which is at the north end of the edifice. The church will cost about $5,000., all of which amount is already subscribed.
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| Sacred Heart Catholic Church Warrensburg, MO |
At 3 o'clock the formal ceremonies began. There were present Rev. Fathers John Murphy and B. Dickman, of Sedalia; Fathers Dalton and W. F. Hanley, of Kansas City; Father Auxcheri, of Holden, and the priest of the Warrensburg parish, for whose congregation the church will be built, Father W. T. Sherry. The usual exercises, prescribed in the rubrics were gone through, the musical portion being under the charge of Father Hanley. Father Dickman, of Sedalia, sacerdos delegatus, then laid the stone, with all proper form, the contractor, of the foundation walls, J. H. Ogle, of Warrensburg, doing the mechanical work. Deposited in the stone copies of the Warrensburg papers of the latest papers of the latest, a number silver coins of 1887, of different denominations, a list of the priests present and participating in the ceremony of laying the corner stone, the official document signed in Latin by Pope Leo XIII, the bishop of the diocese, Very Rev. Hogan, and the parish priest, Father W. T. Sherry. The names of the President of the United States (Grover Cleveland), the Governor of the state and the mayor of the city, were also put in the box with the other articles mentioned.
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| Panorma of Warrensburg about 1900-The Sacred Heart Steeple is visible on the right. |
At the conclusion of the corner stone laying, the sermon announced for the occasion was preached by the eloquent Father Dalton, of the cathedral, Kansas City, to an attentive audience, which endured the excessive heat with sublime patience. Father Dalton's remarks, which occupied about thirty minutes in the delivery, were based on Third Kings, eighth chapter, the twentieth and twenty-first verses which read. "I shall build a home to the names of the Lord, the God of Israel. And I have set there a place for the ark wherein is the covenant of the Lord, which he made with the our fathers when they came out of the land of Egypt."
During the sermon, Fathers Hanley and Dickman circulated about the crowd in behalf of contributions to the new church building and were generously responded to. At the conclusion of the sermon the crowd dispersed, the visiting societies marching in procession to music from the band to the depot, where the ranks were broken and everybody was free to enjoy himself as he thought best. The entire occasion was pleasant throughout, without a thing to be set down as a drawback, but the terrible heat.
-The ride up and back was breezy and delightful
Minor Memoranda
Minor Memoranda
-The stonemason, Ogle, has put a fine foundation for the church.
-The Sedalia band contributed greatly to the enjoyment of the day.
-The letters and figures, "Sacred Heart, 1887," are cut into one face of the stone.
_The return trip was begun at 7:00pm and the train arrived at Sedalia at 8:50pm.
-That was a fine dinner, and well served, which was spread in the court-house for the visitors.
-Fathers Dalton, Hanley and Sherry, came down on the train with Fathers Murphy and Dickman
-Some of the Sedalians are expert swimmers, and Clear Lake's deep waters were vexed for an hour or two with their plunges and diversions.
-The excursion trian cost $145, and the band $45. The committee in charge report that they will come out just about even, with a little to spare.
- Company D., Third regiment, Kansas City, was not able to be present, owing, it is alleged, to lack of funds, to defray the expenses of the trip.
-When the procession from the court-house, after dinner, Friemel's band played most sweetly that beautiful hymn, "Nearer my (God to Thee."
-Much of the success of the trip was due to Division Superintendent Howard Parke and Traveling Engineer Robert Lister, who went along.
-Warrensburg is essentially temperate, and parties looking for a cool or any kind of a glass of stronger beverage than soda or iced tea, got left.
-Mr. Connors, of Lamonte, who joined the excursion at the little place named, threshed ten acres of his wheat a day or two ago, and got 294 bushels as the yield.
-The Sedalia Catholic Benevolent society, and the Catholic Knights of America are profuse in their thanks to Messrs - Parke, Lister and other railroad men for courtesies.
-Father Sherry and his congregation desire through the Bazoo to return thanks to the Sedalia societies and people for being present and participating in the interesting ceremonies.
-Pertle Springs are pronounced by the visitors to be one of the most delightful places in the State. The other springs will have to look after their laurels, when Mr. Christopher gets everything into the shape he wants it.
-The Warrensburg people interviewed the Sedalia people numerously about the prospects of the Colorado. They are very enthusiastic over the road from Higginsville to Fort Scott, which will be a branch of the Chicago & Alton, and be put under construction right away.
-Morgan King is an expert swimmer, but he made one dive off the spring board and came down kerslap on the stomach of him, which caused other bathers to turn aside their heads and snicker, and wonder. But Morg. came to the surface as chipper as anybody, and wasn't hurt a bit.
-County Treasurer Hye made one passage on the suspended wire across the lake at Springs, without trouble, but going back his feet and ankles plowed the water to the depth of several inches, very much to his disgust, but he came up smiling, as usual. Chris is one of the best natured men alive.
-All the excursionists went out to Pertle Springs, a mile south of Warrensburg. This is a beautiful place though a little wild yet, having only been opened to the public last year.
There is a good hotel on the grounds, They have a large pavilion for public gatherings, bath and boat-houses, drives and the springs themselves, which are remedial and pleasant.
-The Sunday school assembly of the Cumberland Presbvterian church in Missouri will have an encampment at Pertle Springs, beginning August 23, and continuing until August 28. An undenominational Sunday school assembly will also open July 27 and close August 5. The Sam Jones' camp-meeting- g will open August 11 and continue ten days.
Parish History (from Sacred Heart's website)
The history of Catholicism in Johnson County and Sacred Heart Parish began with the pioneer priests of the early nineteenth century. A tradition of the parish is that Fr. Bernard Donnelly, not long after he came to the Kansas City area (1845), rode horseback from Lee's Summit to Warrensburg to baptize a baby. It is known that Fr. Donnelly visited the County and recorded the baptisms and marriages he witnessed at St. Mary's Church in Independence, though none can be positively identified with Warrensburg. Beginning in May of 1859 until July of 1865, Fr. Edward Hammill, pastor of Lexington, visited Warrensburg and Knob Noster from time to time. Travel was not easy and during the Civil War, it was not safe.
Johanna Crowley and Ambrose Daly, who were both baptized on May, 1859, are the first baptisms in Warrensburg attested to by records. Tim Honovan and Mary Cournan married April 22, 1864 is the first marriage. Fr. Hamill baptized 58 infants during this time and witnessed 7 marriages of families whose names subsequently appear in Warrensburg records. When in Warrensburg, Fr. Hamill offered Mass at James Daly's home in "Old Town" (Ewing Cockrell, "History of Johnson County" 1918).
In the archives of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, there are compilations of the annual reports of the parishes then in the Archdiocese. The church at Warrensburg, called St. Mary's, was first mentioned in 1865; it was noted that the parish was attended from Tipton. On June 21, 1866, this source shows, land was purchased and on July 4, 1867, a Rev. John Gruender laid the corner stone for a church (said to have been adobe and cost $3,000) to be built under the auspices of Rev. H.V. Kalmer of Tipton. The church was located on the north side of Culton between Warren and Mulberry Streets, Lot #63.Records relating to Warrensburg were found at St. Andrew's Church in Tipton, and include 51 baptisms and 5 marriages. In 1867, Fr. Hugh Murray, a newly ordained priest, was made pastor. He lived at St. Patrick's Parish in Sedalia, and recorded there the 108 baptisms and 8 marriages celebrated with Warrensburg families. The first marriage in the new church was that of Michael Farrell and Margaret Burns on January 25, 1869.
The next priest, Fr. Michael G. Mackin was named pastor here and also of Holden in 1870. He lived in Holden. For part of the years, 1871-1873, Fr. Eberhard Gahr, OSB, served both parishes and began our own parish records with the baptisms of Thomas Daly, son of James Daly and Helena O'Neil, on November 12, 1871.
Parish records show: "April 1st, 1871. We the undersigned do agree and promise to pay the sum opposite our names for the purpose of supporting a priest. the said priest to be stationed at Warrensburg, MO: James Conroy, Joseph Logsdon, S. Logsdon, Ambrose Logsdon, James Kline, William Burns, John Moynahan, James E. Negley, Edward Kelly, John Cahill, James Daly, James Logsdon, Joseph Weldick, Thomas Lawler" (local church records).
These men pledged $188 annually. The request was presented to the Archbishop of St. Louis, but was not granted until 1885.
In 1873, Fr. James Phelan became Pastor, and attended the parish from Holden until early 1882. From February 1882 to August 1885, the parish was served by Fr. Joseph Ascheri, from Holden and the records for this period are at Holden. In 1880, the parish became a part of tne newly established Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese.
In 1885, Fr. William T. Sherry was assigned to Warrensburg as the first resident pastor. Before Fr. Sherry came, the first church had been condemned and Mass was being held in a hall over the Gilkeson store. The parish purchased the property at Washington and Ming Streets and began the building of the church. It was completed in 1887, at the cost of $6,000.
While Fr. Andrew G. Clohessy (1889-1891) was pastor, a rectory was built on the east side of the church. After Fr. Colhessy, the pastors were Frs.: John J. Hogan (1891-1893), James T Walsh (1893-1894), George B. Curry (1894-1896), Thomas F. Prendergast (1896-1905), Peter Kilkenny (1905-1908), Dennis J. O'Driscoll (1808-1913), and M.J. Lyons (1913-1916).
At the turn of the century, in conjunction with a national trend of more Catholics attending state schools, the Newman Apostolate was begun for students attending what is now University of Central Missouri. Together with missions of LaMonte and Knob Noster, this constitutes much of the history of the parish.
After Fr. Lyons, the pastors were: Francis S. McCardle (1916-1920), Patrick J. Kennedy (1920-1936), John A. Biter (1936-1940), Peter J. Donahue (1940-1942), Valentine A. Schroeger (1942-1944), Edward M. Owens (1944-1948), and Lawrence W. Burk (1948-1957).
Fr. John S. Murphy became pastor in March, 1957 and in April, 1958, the parish received its first assistant, Fr. Donald Sturm. With the formation of the Diocese of Jefferson City in 1956, the mission of LaMonte became part of Sacred Heart Parish in Sedalia. With a permanet chaplain at Whiteman Air Force Base the mission church in Knob Noster was closed in August, 1958. In June of 1958, ground was broken for a parish hall and rectory, both buildings were dedicated December 14, 1958. Classrooms were added to the parish hall and it became a school. The school was staffed by Sisters of St. Francis, Nevada, Mo. The school closed in the spring of 1969.
Pastors were: John J. Murphy (1962-1963), Ernest J. Fiedler (1963-1969), who led the parish into the liturgical changes called for by Vatican II with a complete interior renovation of the church, Leo J. Ruggle (1969-1970), A.F. McGuire (1970-1972), Patrick J. Gillgannon (1973), C. Michael Coleman (1973-1979), Hugh F. Monahan (1979-1983), Charles P. Tobin (1983-1989).
During Fr. Tobin's pastorate and as preparation to celebrate the centennial of the parish church, the interior was completely renovated.
In July, 1989, Fr. Bill Walter, C.PP.S., was appointed pastor, marking a new transition for the parish, now under the care and guidance of the Society of the Precious Blood.
In March, 1997, construction began on a new Parish Worship Space, meeting rooms, class space and office complex. To help accomplish this construction, all Sacred Heart properties were sold to Central Missouri State University. The new church and building was blessed and dedicated on December 8, 1998 by Bishop Raymond J. Boland.
The most recent pastors were: Fr. Dennis Schaab, C.PP.S. (1999-2008), Fr. James Urbanic, C.PP.S. (2008-2011), was also provincial of the Society of the Precious Blood, so he served as a part-time pastor, and current pastor is Fr. Joe Miller, C.PP.S., started here July 1, 2011.
It was early nineteenth century. A lonely man rides across the hilly fields through Lee's Summit. His name is Fr. Bernard Donnelley. Fr. Donnely came to Warrensburg every once and a while to perform the duties of a Catholic Priest. It was a long trip and very dangerous too. Many priests had their fair share of traveling to Warrensburg to perform religious ceremonies. From May of 1859- July of 1865 Fr. Edward Hammil traveled to Warrensburg and in his travels he performed 58 baptisms and 7 marriages. He would offer mass at Mr. James Daly's house in "old town". According to Ewing Cockerell, Johanna Crowley and Ambrose Daly were the first recorded baptisms in Warrensburg in May 1859. Tim Hanovan and Mary Conran were the first recorded marriage in Warrensburg on April 22, 1864.
When the new railroad had finally been completed from Jefferson City to Warrensburg in June of 1866, Land was finally purchased by Reverend John Grvender and the corner stone was laid on the North side of Culton between Warren and Mulberry to begin the first Catholic church in Warrensburg.
While work had begun on the new church, James Daly and John Kline provided mass in their houses. Finally $3,000 later on July 4, 1866 the first Catholic church was completed. Mass had begun and a church committee was appointed. The chairman was Joseph Logsdon, treasurer, Edward Kelly and committee members John Burns and George Reiter. Services were held the first and third Sabbath's day each month and the church recorded 130 members in the first year. The first marriage of the new church was the marriage of Michael Farrell and Margaret Burns on January 25, 1869.
The years passed by and soon in 1887 a new church was built near the corner of Washington and Ming. It cost $6,000 to build. The rectory was built on the east side of the church while Fr. Andrew G. Clohessy was the priest from 1889-1891.
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| Miss Mary Ellen Daly, Warrensburg, MO Confirmation Sacred Heart |
In 1961 a elementary school was built.
It was dedicated by Bishop John P. Cody. The school was located on the corner of Washington Ave. and Ming and cost about $73,000. The school has four classrooms and an office for the principal and storage space. It also has a gymnasium and kitchen facilities. The school can fit about 200 children in it and has enrolled about 165 students in grades 1 through 8.
It was dedicated by Bishop John P. Cody. The school was located on the corner of Washington Ave. and Ming and cost about $73,000. The school has four classrooms and an office for the principal and storage space. It also has a gymnasium and kitchen facilities. The school can fit about 200 children in it and has enrolled about 165 students in grades 1 through 8.
Today the school is still there, but it is used for a police academy.
Around the year 1996 the parishioners of Sacred Heart Church decided that the church that was presently being occupied was becoming old and unstable. The congregation was also growing and the church was becoming too small. So they decided to build a new church.
The ground breaking for the new church was held in August of 1996. Land for the project was donated by parishioners, Dr. and Mrs. Edward Robinson. The church sold their old property, along with the old church, to Central Missouri State University. They did this to help finance the project. The new church was expected to hold approximately 475 families representing more than 1,200 parish members.
The church was completed then dedicated on December 8, 1998. The new church is located on the corner of south Ridgeview and Montserrat Park Rd. in Warrensburg. The new church cost about $4 million.
Bibliography:
-The Daily Star Journal, Warrensburg, Mo., January 6, 1961
-The Daily Star Journal, Warrensburg, Mo., November 22, 1966
-Sacred Heart Church, Warrensburg, Mo; Commemorative Booklet Tuesday December 8, 1998
-The Daily Star Journal, Warrensburg, Mo., December 10, 1998
Johnson County Historical Museum
This page was made by: Leanne, Bob, and Lindsey
Parish History
The history of Catholicism in Johnson County and Sacred Heart Parish began with the pioneer priests of the early nineteenth century. A tradition of the parish is that Fr. Bernard Donnelly, not long after he came to the Kansas City area (1845), rode horseback from Lee's Summit to Warrensburg to baptize a baby. It is known that Fr. Donnelly visited the County and recorded the baptisms and marriages he witnessed at St. Mary's Church in Independence, though none can be positively identified with Warrensburg. Beginning in May of 1859 until July of 1865, Fr. Edward Hammill, pastor of Lexington, visited Warrensburg and Knob Noster from time to time. Travel was not easy and during the Civil War, it was not safe.
Johanna Crowley and Ambrose Daly, who were both baptized on May, 1859, are the first baptisms in Warrensburg attested to by records. Tim Honovan and Mary Cournan married April 22, 1864 is the first marriage. Fr. Hamill baptized 58 infants during this time and witnessed 7 marriages of families whose names subsequently appear in Warrensburg records. When in Warrensburg, Fr. Hamill offered Mass at James Daly's home in "Old Town" (Ewing Cockrell, "History of Johnson County" 1918).
In the archives of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, there are compilations of the annual reports of the parishes then in the Archdiocese. The church at Warrensburg, called St. Mary's, was first mentioned in 1865; it was noted that the parish was attended from Tipton. On June 21, 1866, this source shows, land was purchased and on July 4, 1867, a Rev. John Gruender laid the corner stone for a church (said to have been adobe and cost $3,000) to be built under the auspices of Rev. H.V. Kalmer of Tipton. The church was located on the north side of Culton between Warren and Mulberry Streets, Lot #63.Records relating to Warrensburg were found at St. Andrew's Church in Tipton, and include 51 baptisms and 5 marriages. In 1867, Fr. Hugh Murray, a newly ordained priest, was made pastor. He lived at St. Patrick's Parish in Sedalia, and recorded there the 108 baptisms and 8 marriages celebrated with Warrensburg families. The first marriage in the new church was that of Michael Farrell and Margaret Burns on January 25, 1869.
The next priest, Fr. Michael G. Mackin was named pastor here and also of Holden in 1870. He lived in Holden. For part of the years, 1871-1873, Fr. Eberhard Gahr, OSB, served both parishes and began our own parish records with the baptisms of Thomas Daly, son of James Daly and Helena O'Neil, on November 12, 1871.
Parish records show: "April 1st, 1871. We the undersigned do agree and promise to pay the sum opposite our names for the purpose of supporting a priest. the said priest to be stationed at Warrensburg, MO: James Conroy, Joseph Logsdon, S. Logsdon, Ambrose Logsdon, James Kline, William Burns, John Moynahan, James E. Negley, Edward Kelly, John Cahill, James Daly, James Logsdon, Joseph Weldick, Thomas Lawler" (local church records).
These men pledged $188 annually. The request was presented to the Archbishop of St. Louis, but was not granted until 1885.
In 1873, Fr. James Phelan became Pastor, and attended the parish from Holden until early 1882. From February 1882 to August 1885, the parish was served by Fr. Joseph Ascheri, from Holden and the records for this period are at Holden. In 1880, the parish became a part of the newly established Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese.
In 1885, Fr. William T. Sherry was assigned to Warrensburg as the first resident pastor. Before Fr. Sherry came, the first church had been condemned and Mass was being held in a hall over the Gilkeson store. The parish purchased the property at Washington and Ming Streets and began the building of the church. It was completed in 1887, at the cost of $6,000.
While Fr. Andrew G. Clohessy (1889-1891) was pastor, a rectory was built on the east side of the church. After Fr. Colhessy, the pastors were Frs.: John J. Hogan (1891-1893), James T Walsh (1893-1894), George B. Curry (1894-1896), Thomas F. Prendergast (1896-1905), Peter Kilkenny (1905-1908), Dennis J. O'Driscoll (1808-1913), and M.J. Lyons (1913-1916).
At the turn of the century, in conjunction with a national trend of more Catholics attending state schools, the Newman Apostolate was begun for students attending what is now University of Central Missouri. Together with missions of LaMonte and Knob Noster, this constitutes much of the history of the parish.
After Fr. Lyons, the pastors were: Francis S. McCardle (1916-1920), Patrick J. Kennedy (1920-1936), John A. Biter (1936-1940), Peter J. Donahue (1940-1942), Valentine A. Schroeger (1942-1944), Edward M. Owens (1944-1948), and Lawrence W. Burk (1948-1957).
Fr. John S. Murphy became pastor in March, 1957 and in April, 1958, the parish received its first assistant, Fr. Donald Sturm. With the formation of the Diocese of Jefferson City in 1956, the mission of LaMonte became part of Sacred Heart Parish in Sedalia. With a permanent chaplain at Whiteman Air Force Base the mission church in Knob Noster was closed in August, 1958. In June of 1958, ground was broken for a parish hall and rectory, both buildings were dedicated December 14, 1958. Classrooms were added to the parish hall and it became a school. The school was staffed by Sisters of St. Francis, Nevada, Mo. The school closed in the spring of 1969.
Pastors were: John J. Murphy (1962-1963), Ernest J. Fiedler (1963-1969), who led the parish into the liturgical changes called for by Vatican II with a complete interior renovation of the church, Leo J. Ruggle (1969-1970), A.F. McGuire (1970-1972), Patrick J. Gillgannon (1973), C. Michael Coleman (1973-1979), Hugh F. Monahan (1979-1983), Charles P. Tobin (1983-1989).
During Fr. Tobin's pastorate and as preparation to celebrate the centennial of the parish church, the interior was completely renovated.
In July, 1989, Fr. Bill Walter, C.PP.S., was appointed pastor, marking a new transition for the parish, now under the care and guidance of the Society of the Precious Blood.
In March, 1997, construction began on a new Parish Worship Space, meeting rooms, class space and office complex. To help accomplish this construction, all Sacred Heart properties were sold to Central Missouri State University. The new church and building was blessed and dedicated on December 8, 1998 by Bishop Raymond J. Boland.
Merry Christmas to you from 70 years ago at the Sacred Heart Church of Warrensburg.
That's all the Christmas negatives I have from the Simmons Studio collection, so for your additional viewing enjoyment, here's a blurry picture of the inside of a church.
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Merry Christmas
That's all the Christmas negatives I have from the Simmons Studio collection, so for your additional viewing enjoyment, here's a blurry picture of the inside of a church.
From the choir's point of view.
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| 1877 Original Sacred Heart Church Site, Warrensburg, MO |
