Sacred Heart Church history

GAFFNEY, HAYES, OFARRELL, TRACY, HEELAN, RYAN, BOWEN, WOLFE, CRANEY, MULLEN

Posted By: Anne Hermann (email)
Date: 6/17/2008 at 08:05:30

Jackson Sentinel
1954 Centennial Edition

The present Sacred Heart parish in the town of Maquoketa was established in 1873

First Church

In the spring of that year Father J. B. Gaffney, pastor of St. Lawrence parish at Otter Creek organized the first Catholic parish here. A brick structure 30 by 70 feet was erected in the south-east corner of the town at a cost of $5,000. Once a month Father Gaffney came from Otter Creek to celebrate mass and administer sacraments. On August 22, 1873 John Thomas Hayes was the first to be baptized in the new church.

In 1878, Father John J. O’Farrell of Charlotte came to Maquoketa on the second Sunday of each month and in that year the balance of the debt was paid. Father Thomas Tracy was appointed to the parish in 1880 and he became the first resident pastor remaining until 1883 when he moved to Delmar and attended Maquoketa from there.

Purchase Property

In 1887 he was succeeded by Father D. J. Heelan who remained six years and in 1893 was followed by Father Cook. He was followed in six months by Father J. W. Ryan who served until June 1900. Then came Father Bowen who remained until 1913. Under his administration property at the corner of Platt and Eliza streets was purchased and also several acres of land for a cemetery just south of Mt. Hope cemetery.

New life came into the parish with the arrival of Father John M. Wolfe, Ph. D., in February of 1913. At this time Maquoketa was a mission of Delmar. Father Wolfe severed the ties with Delmar, took on the Andrew parish as a mission, and laid plans for a new church and rectory more centrally located. He solicited funds in Maquoketa and neighboring parishes and in the following year started work on the new church and rectory. For lack of funds the tower was not finished and the sanctuary and the sacristy were omitted.

Dedicate Building

Sunday morning October 17, 1915, the new Sacred Heart church was solemnly dedicated by Archbishop James J. Keane. After mass the sacrament of confirmation was administered to a class of fifty-six parishioners. In May of 1916 Father Wolfe was transferred to Loras college, Dubuque, and was succeeded by Father Lawrence Craney. Today Msgr. Wolfe heads the mission society of the archdiocese.

Father Craney paid the debt of $3,000 and made various improvements. He also served Holy Trinity parish, Baldwin, as a mission. He died suddenly in October, 1929. After his death no appointment was made immediately and his brother, Father James B. Craney, an instructor at Loras college, administered the parish. On October 1, 1930 Father James A. Mullen was appointed pastor.

In August of 1931 Holy Trinity parish, Baldwin, was made a mission of Andrew and this enabled the people of Maquoketa to have two masses on Sunday.

Parish Hall

During the administration of father Mullen many improvements were made. In 1931 an addition was built on the church and the tower was erected. The basement was converted into a hall. These improvements cost the parish $17,000.00 and left an indebtedness of $9,000 which was retired in 1942.

On April 29, 1932 the enlarged church was rededicated by Archbishop Francis Beckman. Later in the day the sacrament of confirmation was administered to a class of forty-one by the Archbishop. One daughter of the parish entered the convent of the Sisters of Charity. On August 19, 1944 friendly Father Mullen died while convalescing from an operation.

Father Kunkel

Father William Kunkel was appointed in September of 1944 as Father Mullen’s successor. During Father Kunkel’s administration the parish grew and various improvements were made. Beautiful light fixtures were placed in the church and the porch on the rectory was enclosed.

Due to ill health Father Kunkel relinquished the administration of the parish to Father Donald Sweeney while he remained as pastor emeritus. Father Kunkel died on March 5, 1951 and was the first priest buried in Sacred Heart cemetery. Father Sweeny was then appointed pastor of the parish at Plymouth Rock, Iowa.

Plan School

Father E. W. Loosbrock, present pastor, came to Maquoketa on April 4, 1951. Shortly after his arrival plans for an expansion program were projected. Approximately four acres of land lying between and touching Vermont, Eddy and Jones streets were purchased from Joe Marcus as a school site. A fund raising campaign was launched and parish officials hope that soon a grade school will be built.

The church basement was renovated and painted and the upper church redecorated. Due to the ever increasing number of parishioners a third mass on Sunday was added. Father Charles La Barge of Loras college assists with the services over, the weekend and also serves the Baldwin parish which again has been attached to Maquoketa.

Michael Hoffman and Frank McLaughlin are the lay directors of the corporation assisted by a finance committee composed of Kenneth Skelly, Joe Manning, William Burke, M. W. O’Connor and Haven Kendall. Enrollment of the parish is now over 1,000 members.