Our Heritage

Sacred Heart began from the desire of nine lay Catholics to organize an English speaking parish.  Bishop James Ryan granted permission and formally opened the church in 1892 with Fr. Patrick Ducey as its first pastor.  Under the tenure of Fr. Gerald Wiegand, Sacred Heart Parish outgrew the original church and nearly eight decades later, established a new home for parishioners.  In 1969, Bishop William O'Connor dedicated the current church in the round located at the corner of Fayette & Keller Avenue in Effingham.

In 2011, Fr. David Hoefler became pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Effingham, along with three Parochial Vicars: Fr. Brian Alford, Fr. Sunder Ery, and Fr. Dominique Rimaz. They, along with our parish family, are working to make God's presence a greater felt reality among us - a presence in both word and deed.