Statement on historic Sacred Heart Church in Phoenix
PHOENIX (May 19, 2021) — Fr. Paul Sullivan, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Phoenix, released the following statement regarding the return of the historic Sacred Heart Church for use by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix:
“I give praise to God that the historic Sacred Heart Church can be restored to its original purpose and mission: a Catholic Church for the families of our faith community that has roots in the Golden Gate Barrio and surrounding neighborhoods dating back to the 1950s. Sacred Heart is a point of pride for families and the heartbeat for the neighborhoods west of what is now Sky Harbor Airport, and I am grateful to the people of this great community for their years of faith, prayer and sacrifice. I wish to also express my thanks to the City of Phoenix, the Federal Aviation Administration, Chicanos por la Causa and the Braun Sacred Heart Center for the combined efforts of the past few years that will allow the parish to once again care for the church. We look forward to continuing as a working group to further promote communication and collaboration among the long-standing religious, cultural and historic voices of the community.
“There is much work to be done, and I am eager to work hand-in-hand with the parishioners to restore the historic church for God’s glory.”
Background Information
The faithful of Sacred Heart Parish, with the guidance of Franciscan Father Albert Braun, built their original parish church in the 1950s to serve their largely Hispanic community. In the mid 1980s the church and parish buildings — along with 6,000 surrounding residences of the Golden Gate Barrio — were taken through eminent domain for the expansion of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. With the exception of the historic church, all structures were demolished.
Through the efforts of many dedicated members of the community, the historic church was preserved and an annual Christmas Mass continued to be celebrated. In May 2018 the Phoenix City Council unanimously approved the reopening of the building as a consecrated Catholic Church according to the laws of the Roman Catholic Church. Recently, the lease with the City of Phoenix with FAA approval was finalized.
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Media Contact
Robert DeFrancesco
Director of Communications
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix
rdefrancesco@dphx.org
(602) 354-2130
