Sacred Heart Church at 400 Nilles Road, Fairfield, OH 45014 US - About Our Parish

OUR PARISH MISSION STATEMENT
We, the People of God, living in the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Fairfield, Ohio, declare that our mission is to grow in communion with the Father and to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ whom we recognize and acknowledge as the Living Savior of all humanity. As baptized people, we are called to be Christians who witness to Christ's presence and his ongoing ministry in our parish, community, and world at large. United in this belief, we are challenged to be a listening, worshipping, serving and loving people. We intend to be open to the various ways that the Spirit renews us and draws us together in a supportive community.

We shall pursue this mission faithfully through the power of the Holy Spirit and the gifts and talents of our members.

OUR PARISH HISTORY
Sacred Heart Church was founded in 1957 by Archbishop Karl J. Alter, with Father Hugo Mentink as first pastor. The first church and school were dedicated in January of 1960. Six additional classrooms were built in 1963 and a small gym in 1980. The present church was completed in 1989, with modifications in the liturgical environment in 1993-94.

The pastors have been Father Mentink (1957-74), Father John Roettele (1974-84), Father John Wall (1984-90), Father Harry Gerdes (co-pastor, 1987-90), Father Norman Langenbrunner (1990-2006), and Father Larry Tharp (2006-present).

Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, Indiana, staffed the day-school and taught CCD classes for many years. A long litany of laymen and women have served the day-school, religious education programs, and other parish ministries and organizations.

OUR PARISH TODAY
Sacred Heart parish has nearly 2100 Catholic households with a congregation in excess of 7000 members. The three main parochial departments are church, school, and religious education/formation.

The church staff meets weekly to assess and plan a variety of parish activities and to address parish needs and requests. Parish Council meets six times annually, and serves as a consultative body of seven elected representatives to assess parish life and to recommend policy.

Day-school has grades one through eight, with a total of 465 students. Religious education classes for public grade school children are held on Monday nights. Junior high and high school students meet on Thursdays. Early childhood religion readiness classes are held on Sunday morning for pre-schoolers. Adult education programs are scheduled throughout the year.

The three parochial departments (church, school, and religious education/formation) and the five elements of the Church’s mission and ministry (institution, community, sacrament, herald, and servant) are given life and flesh in parish council, education commission, finance committee, mission commission, peace and justice commission, worship commission, PTS, boosters, scouts, young adult ministry, small faith communities, health ministry, blood bank, bowling teams, lector and communion distributor ministry, prayer chain, St. Vincent de Paul conference, ushers, lay liturgical presiders, funeral coordinators, care-giver support, liturgical environment ministry, gardeners, Arimatheans, wedding coordinators, summer festival committee, Marthas, collection counters, newsletter mailers, altar servers, Women Together and more.

Among the annual celebrations and observances at Sacred Heart are Parish Penance Services in Advent and Lent, First Communion Sundays in spring, Parish Summer Festival in August, renewal of covenant with Habitat for Humanity of Hamilton in September, Mission Cooperative Collection in Summer, and Confirmation in the late Winter, early Spring.