Archives and Records
1889: Sacred Heart Church, Enumclaw
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Sacred Heart Church (c.1907) |
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Fr. Fafara and 1st Communicants (c.1907) |
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The Catholic Church in the Pacific Northwest had only been established for 34 years when the first missionaries began ministering in the coal mining towns of the Black Diamond area. The opening of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1884 paved the way for increasing visits by priests to minister to the Catholics of Enumclaw.
The first Mass celebrated in Enumclaw was officiated by the Rev. John Baptist Boulet in the O’Neil family home. In addition to Father Boulet, priests from St. George Indian Mission in Milton attended to the spiritual needs of the predominantly Irish-born community. In nearby Krain, a group of Slavic homesteaders established a church and cemetery in 1887. In that same year, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Stevenson donated a city block where the first Sacred Heart Church would be built, and five acres for a cemetery. Construction of the mission church was completed in 1889.
It was not until 1895 that the Rev. Michael Fafara was appointed the first resident pastor, although Fr. Fafara had been traveling the area’s back roads in his horse and buggy since 1891. Sacred Heart was elevated to parish standing in 1898. The parish proceeded to take on missions in the towns of Franklin and Black Diamond as well as property for a cemetery.
After Fr. Fafara, Father Metz became pastor for a mere three months in 1908. He was succeeded by the Rev. Aloysius Mlinar under whom Black Diamond’s St. Barbara Church was erected in 1910. Father Mlinar would move to Black Diamond in 1911 to become the church’s first pastor. It was also in the beginning of this year that Sacred Heart Church burned to the ground. Father Mlinar’s successor, the Rev. John Tscholl, labored diligently to rebuild the church. It was during the brief term of the Rev. L. Rozanski from 1912 to 1913 that the new building was completed. A rectory stood at the site next to the new church under the pastorate of the Rev. E. T. McCarthy (1913-1915).
Between 1915 and 1917, the Rev. W. Fisser was pastor at Sacred Heart and worked closely with Father Mlinar at St. Barbara. From 1917 to 1924, the multi-talented Rev. Nicholas O’Rafferty served as pastor, and was recognized by two popes for his writings. The years 1924 to 1934, under the Rev. J. A. O’Hagen, saw a large increase in the population of Enumclaw as evinced in the greater number sacramental records entries. The Rev. A.H. Allard served as interim pastor and administrator in 1934 and was succeeded by the Rev. Patrick Farrelly, who would serve until his death in 1970.
Father Farrelly began modernizing the church facilities in 1935. In 1938 construction of the parish hall took place. The fine modern hall would become a center of social and fraternal life in the city for years to come. Groups such as the Holy Names Society, the Altar Society, the Holy Childhood Society, and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul were nurtured in this period. Throughout his career Fr. Farrelly observed the growth of Sacred Heart Church, and in 1958 he purchased 20 more acres for the parish.
After the death of Msgr. Farrelly, his assistant, the Rev. George Rink, was named pastor in 1971. Father Rink built a new parish plant on the new property that Msgr. Farrelly had purchased. Solemn dedication took place in 1973.
In its recent history, Sacred Heart Church has forged an enduring tradition of ecumenism. In the 1980s parishioners were active in ecumenical prayer groups while pastors attended meetings in ministerial associations. Later in the decade, new visions and directions in youth ministry and religious education resulted in vibrant, popular activities among the entire community. The growing Hispanic population in the 1980s and 1990s influenced the way the community worshipped and gathered through celebrations such as Our Lady of Guadalupe Masses and fiestas, or in launching Mission Treks to Yakima and Mexico.
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