Welcome to Sacred Heart of Jesus Church on historic "Catholic Hill".

Herz Jesu Gemeinde was founded by German immigrants in 1875 and Fr. Paul Geyer (1875 - 1877) from Saint Patrick Congregation (1865), itself formed from St. Peter's Mission, established in 1854 by the noted Fr. F.X. Goldsmith of Notre Dame Parish, Chippewa Falls. In 1880 the parish of 60... $15,000.00 with two 105 foot towers but evidently above a faulty substructure. Clerstory windows along the ceiling were transferred to the present church as well as the Paschal Candle stand. [We still use Msgr. Orthen's chalice.]

A parish school (first of three) with instruction in German began in 1893 with 350 students. Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration replaced School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1910 and also ran Sacred Heart Hospital to the north. The parish had its own junior high school until 1943 when they joined St Patrick High School. In 1956 Fr. Pittz dedicated the current $320,000 school now serving as the new Genesis Child Development Center.

In 1928 German-born Msgr. F.X. Orthen (1921-1943), replaced the first church with a $142,000 Romanesque style building (Hoeppner-Bartlett Co, general contractor) modeled after the famous Benedictine Abbey of Maria Laach (Rheinland) and paid for by Oct 1936. Dedicated on Christmas Eve 1938, it seats 700 and measures 168 x 62 x 48 high. 45 tons of Italian marble compose the altars inlaid with delicate "cosmatesque" mosaics. Above the high altar hover Fra Angelico's ";Musical Angels". The sixteen windows and magnificent Rose window from Innsbruck Austria, are beautiful in any light. A Schaefer pipe organ was added in 1949 and the main altar in 1982 by Fr. Peter Eiden who again redecorated after a Saturday evening fire destroyed the baptistery during bingo. Listen to those three bells - they're the real thing!

Buildings reflect faith; the parish has given the Church over 12 priests and 30 sisters.

On January 1, 1999, after 124 years, Sacred Heart Parish was united with Saint Patrick Parish under Fr. John Steiner to become Sacred Heart of Jesus - Saint Patrick Parish. Fr. Paul Gitter became pastor later in 1999. With Fr. William Dhein as pastor, the Benedictine Room in the Parish Center was dedicated as a Chapel in 2008. Fr. George Thayilkuzhithottu, MSFS, became pastor in 2012. In January of 2015, Deanery Eucharistic Adoration began in the Benedictine Chapel. Fr. Brian Jazdzewski became pastor in 2018.