Church of the Sacred Heart

The Church of the Sacred Heart was the first church to be organized in Rush City.

It was Fr. Maurice Murphy from Stillwater who came here on occasions and presided over Eucharistic celebrations in private homes in the 1860’s. By the initiative of Fr Murphy the first log church was built in the fall of 1870 in the present landed property, but on the southwest corner. A resident priest in the person of Fr. William Carey was accorded to this community in 1874. Subsequently, a rectory was built and a cemetery was organized. From 1874 to 1889 the parish was part of the vicariate of Northern Minnesota and then got transferred back to the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis. The second church was completed in the year 1887 during the pastorate of Fr. P. Carey. It was during the time of Fr. R. V. Kennedy that the present church building was erected in 1905. The building suffered serious damage to the interior during a fire in 1939, but was restored and redecorated in the following year. The parish has had different rectories through the years and the present one was completed in 1969. The priests who resided here used to be responsible for services in the different neighboring churches and among them the last one to become independent was St. Gregory’s in North Branch.                    

Now, Church of the Sacred Heart, Rush City is the northernmost parish church belonging to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. There are 300 families that belong to this worshiping community. The summer festival celebrated here, started in the 1920s, has been a great attraction in Rush City. It has been revived again in 2002.

The Sacred Heart Men’s Club, The Circle of Catholic Women and The Youth Group are very active in the parish. This parish community caters to the spiritual needs of the Catholic inmates of the Minnesota Correctional Facility - Rush City.