Sacred Heart

The history of Sacred Heart parish began in 1941, when Bishop Paul Schulte started a capital campaign within the Diocese of Leavenworth, which later became the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. The purpose of the campaign was to raise funds to construct a Shrine in Mound City as a memorial to Blessed Rose Philippine Duchesne. Bishop Schulte made an appeal to all the parishes in the Diocese to share in the fund raising effort. Construction began on the rectory and Shrine on September 7, 1941, and was completed in less than twelve months. On September 7, 1942, the newly constructed Shrine was dedicated as Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

Father Gerald O’Shea, who took a very active role in the Shrine’s construction, and early parish development became the first pastor of the parish. Several generous gifts were made by faithful Catholics throughout the Diocese and beyond, which provided funds for the Shrine’s beautiful stained glass windows that depict the life and ministry of St. Rose, and other features including a marble sanctuary, and a statue of St. Rose. Original art murals and Stations of the Cross panels where painted by two nuns from the Ursuline community of Paola and have been a beautiful feature of the Shrine.

The church hall was built in 1992, in time for Sacred Heart’s Parish Golden Jubilee celebration, and was dedicated as the St. Rose Philippine Duchesne Memorial Center, to be used for religious education and adult formation classes, parish and family gatherings, and as a place of rest and refreshment for the people who would visit the Shrine and the Duchesne Memorial Park.

Today, Sacred Heart Catholic Church serves Catholic families of Linn County, and receives visitors from varied places who come as pilgrims to visit the hallowed Shrine of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne.