First church built at 6th and Elm in 1881
The second church was built at the same site in 1902
The Present (stone) church was completed at the same site in 1966
The first Mass in the Eureka community was celebrated in a stone house on the corner of Seventh and Elm in the year 1872 by Fr. Paul Ponziglione, a Jesuit missionary from the Osage Mission (now St. Paul) in southeast Kansas. Even though the first Mass was offered in 1872, the parish did not begin until 9 years later in 1881, when Franciscan priests from Emporia and Olpe agreed to start a parish in Eureka. In 1881, Sacred Heart parish began when a small frame church was built on the southeast corner of Sixth and Elm, named St. Paul’s.
The Franciscan priests from Emporia served the parish until 1901, when it became a mission attached to St. Mary’s in Moline, following the transfer of Greenwood County from the Leavenworth-Kansas City to the Wichita dioceses. A second church, a larger frame building with a bell tower, was completed and dedicated in 1902, when the name of the parish changed from St. Paul to Sacred Heart. The church was twice as large as the first church and was dedicated on November 16th 1902, renamed in honor of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus to which Bishop Hennessy, who dedicated the building, had great devotion. The original church was sold to Francis Moss and moved to a site on Oak street to be converted into a dwelling. It has been torn down but stood at a site just East of the Senior Citizens Center. Unfortunately, there are no known pictures of the very first church building but the house where the first 1872 Mass was offered is still standing at 618 N. Elm (a block north of the present stone church). It is one of the oldest brick and stucco homes in Eureka and well over 135 years old.
Priests from Moline assigned to Eureka included Fathers Patrick McCullough, Timothy J. O’Sullivan, Thomas Meehan, Dennis Healy, Joseph Bogner and David Egan. In October of 1921, Fr. Edward Gunning was appointed the first resident pastor of the parish, with St. John’s in Hamilton as a mission. Oil was discovered in the area, and the number of parishioners grew rapidly. Fr. Gunning lived in a small house at 510 North Elm, which was purchased by the parish in the early 1920’s/. This house became known as the “little house” for many years to come. Construction began on the present two-story rectory at 514 North Elm and Fr. Gunning moved into it in October of 1927, after it was completed. In the meantime, the “little house” was renovated into a small hall for the parish.
Two lots and a house south of the were purchased in 1922. The house was used as a rectory until 1927. Another house was purchased in 1926 and converted into a small parish hall. It is still used today. A year later, the present two-story rectory was completed.
Until 1953, the parish was served by Fathers Leo Kelty, A.J. Van Speybroeck, Daniel Lynch, and LeRoy Downs, who purchased the property east of the church and built a school with a basement social hall in 1952. The former school building, which served as a kindergarten building for USD 389, is now a vacant building. Made obsolete by the construction of the new Eureka grade school, its usefulness is over. The building had been sold to the school district shortly before construction of the new Sacred Heart Parish Hall began. It is very likely that the building will be dismantled some day soon and the land it occupies at the present time will probably be put to another use. The Sisters Adorers of the Blood of Christ staffed the school until it closed in 1966. Father William Cremin was pastor from 1953 until the arrival of Father David O’Leary in 1960. During Fr. Cremin’s stay, the small parish hall (“little house”) was remodeled into a convent for the Sisters who were teaching at the parish school. After the Sisters left in 1966, the little convent became a hall again until it was razed in 1990 to make way for the new parish hall, which was completed in 1992.
The sad news came on Thanksgiving Eve in 1964 when the large frame church was severely damaged by fire. It had been a landmark at the corner of 6th and Elm for nearly 64 years. The parishioners launched a building project right away, under the direction of Fr. O’Leary. The damaged old church was razed in January 1965 and the groundbreaking for the new building took place in September of the same year. In the meantime, Masses and other services were held in the school basement.
The present stone church was completed and dedicated on March 13th, 1966. It is a stone building, with some of the walls consisting of colored glass windows. Several of the stones from the foundation of the old church were used in the building of the stone walls in the new building, while some other items saved from the fire, such as the altar bells, sanctuary lamp, relics, some vestments, and the gold tabernacle, were all incorporated into the new structure. The floors of the new church feature Vermont slate with light blue carpeting for the sanctuary area, while the ceiling beams consist of some quotes from Sacred Scripture, painted by Fr. O’Leary himself. The new and present church is of modified Spanish style architecture.
Recent pastors include Fathers Eugene Komer, Harold McCormick, Michael Peltzer, Leo Kerschen, Michael Klag and Stephen Gronert. During Fr. McCormick’s time here, due to water drainage problems, the organ was moved from its original location on the west side to its present location in the back of the church. He also saw to improved lighting for the building.
Fr. Michael Peltzer arrived on February 10, 1987 and left Eureka on August 2, 1998, to begin his new assignment at the newly formed St. Joan of Arc Parish in Harper County (utilizing the former parish sites of Harper, Danville and Anthony) after serving as the pastor of Sacred Heart parish and the missions of Hamilton and Madison for 12 years. He was succeeded by Father Leo Kerschen, who served in Greenwood County until the arrival of Father Michael Kalg on June 29th 2005, when Father Kerschen began a well-deserved retirement after 43 years of service in the priesthood. Fr. Dominic Potnuru is the present pastor.
During Fr. Kerschen’s time as pastor, improvements were made to the rectory kitchen and on the roof of the church. At the same time, the parking lot east of the church was repaired and resealed. He also saw to the installation of added security lighting in front of the rectory area. Father Klag’s arrival also saw several improvements made toward the parish facilities. Four women from the parish have become members of religious congregations. Sister Carolyn Teter joined the Sisters of St. Joseph at Concordia and Sisters Patrice Kennedy and Callista Schadegg are members of the Sisters Adorers of the Blood of Christ in Wichita. In the meantime, Sr. Madeleine Harper, a convert to the Catholic faith from the Severy community, had joined the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She later transferred her profession to the Association of the Apostles For Jesus Christ. Through the years of our history, the story above has been one of great self-sacrifice, for which God blesses the generous, and keeps us all in the warmth of His love as we continue our services to Him in the years ahead. AMEN!
In 1872 Father Paul Ponziglione, SJ, visited Eureka, celebrating Mass in a house at Seventh and Elm. Missionaries who followed were Fathers Hyde, Perrier and Meier. In 1881 the first church was built at Seventh and Elm. It was dedicated by John Welling off and served until 1900 by Fathers Alexius, Schmidt, Huber and Herman. A second church was built in 1902 for the sum of $4000 by Father Patrick McCullough and dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Priests who served until 1921 were Fathers Healy, Bogner and Egan, In 1921 Father Edward Gunning became first resident as a mission. Two lots and a house were purchased in 1922 for $2400 and served as a rectory until 1927. The property was obtained in 1926 and was used as a parish hall. In 1927 the present rectory was built and furnished for $10,000.
Until 1953 the parish was served by Fathers Leo Kelty, Van Spreybroeck, Daniel Lynch and LeRoy Downs who built a school with a basement social hall in 1946. The sisters Adorers of the Blood of Christ, taught the school children.
The bad news came on Thanksgiving eve, 1964 when the church was partially destroyed by fire. The parishioners launched a building project right away under the direction of Father David O’Leary who had come in 1960. Ground was broken for a new church which was blessed by Bishop Byrne in 1966. Total cost was $81, 613 including furnishing. Building committee members were John Basham Wilbur Marshal, Glen Lemieux, Francis Perrier and George Straight.
Succeeding pastors were Fathers Francis Hay, Eugene Grabner, Eugene Comer, and presently Father Harold McCormick.
