Sacred Heart

Sacred Heart Parish was established in November of 1912, with Father Matthias Kreutzer as pastor. Mass was celebrated in a rented space above a feed store until the first church was completed in July of 1913. That building served the community's needs until growth necessitated a larger structure.

In 1924, the two-storey Sacred Heart School was built. The upper story became the parish hall and the ground floor housed four class rooms. In 1929 the school opened under the direction of the Sisters of Providence. During the years of WWII the increase of families made it necessary to enlarge the school - the parish hall was converted into four extra classrooms.

The present church and rectory were built in 1954. The church building was extensively renovated in 1978. A small chapel to Our Lady of Guadelupe was added in 2006.

From 1961 to 1978 the Pastor, Father James Hamilton, took particular pride in the school and demonstrated a great love for the children. He managed to keep the school open in the face of increasing financial burdens. Until its closure in 1980, the Providence Sisters and dedicated lay people provided for the education and faith formation of the children of the area. The building is now is used for Religious Education and other community activities.

In 1983 the parish welcomed the Hispanic community of Tacoma and surrounding area and shared with them the church facilities. The Vietnamese Community joined in 1995.