Parish History

(Updated from East Grand Forks Centennial Book 1887-1987 and 1999 Dedication Book)

Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church is located at 200 Third Street N.W. in East Grand Forks. It presently has about 1,200 registered families (about 4,200 individuals) as members from the greater East Grand Forks area.

Because of the rapid growth of northwestern Minnesota, Catholic priests and bishops frantically worked to provide for the religious needs of the pioneers. The first recorded religious service in East Grand Forks was a Catholic Mass held in July 1883 by Father Jacob Schirra in the public school house. Father Schirra resided in East Grand Forks for some time.

The Catholics of East Grand Forks had many discussions about the organization of a parish of their own. East Grand Forks Catholics attended occasional services held by visiting missionaries such as Fathers Schirra and Bauluff. During the late 1880's, Catholics attended Mass at St. Michael's Church of Grand Forks and in July 1891 assisted in raising funds for the frescoing of the church.

It seems that five attempts were made to build a Catholic church in East Grand Forks. Such strong feelings grew about the delay that a local Catholic threatened to build a church on the Minnesota Point if the townspeople did not build one soon.