Sacred Heart Catholic Church - Springfield, MO
Posted by: 
silverquill
N 37° 13.650 W 093° 17.034
15S E 474815 N 4120147
This church building was originally built in 1882, but was extensively reconstructed just two years later having been nearly demolished by a tornado. Formerly known as St. Mary's, this was the second Catholic Parish to be organized in Springfield.
Waymark Code: WMJPKH
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 12/13/2013
Views: 4
This historic church building is located across from
Washington Park and just south of the
Commercial Street Historic District, and the railroad which contributed largely to the initial group of parishioners in this north part of Springfield, Missouri.
Among it's features is a bell that was installed in 1890, several years after major reconstruction of the building after severe damage from a tornado in 1884.
The following account is taken from a history written by Rev. Father Daniel L. Healy, appearing in the Springfield-Greene County Library District history section.
"According to Rev. Father O'Neill, November 4, 1884, two years after his arrival, must ever remain a memorable date, both in the annals of Springfield, and in the archives of the new parish, for at two o'clock p. m., Tuesday, November 4, 1884, an irresistible cyclone frightfully shattered the west wall of St. Mary's church, partially burying the tabernacle, demolishing upper portions of the side walls, uplifting and hurling the church roof to Locust street, and leaving an appalling wake of wreckage, destruction and death, to perpetuate its unannounced and unwelcome visitation.
The rebuilding of the church necessitated appeals to other cities, where Charity, with sympathetic encouragement, opened Her loving, consolatory hands, and pastor, friends and people were profoundly and gratefully rejoiced to witness the reconstruction of the recently seriously damaged St. Mary's church.
Pending the undoing of those cyclonic ravages in St. Mary's parish, Rev. Father O'Neill continued to reassemble his severely afflicted congregation at the pastoral residence for Sunday services, and, having expended several thousand dollars, collected here and elsewhere, in the noble work of reconstruction, the glorious occasion of re-entering the renovated church edifice arrived; thereafter the parish formerly called St. Mary's, was dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus."