Dedication of new
Sacred Heart Church, Prince George
BY JULIE BUCHANAN
STAFF WRITER
Progress-Index,
PRINCE GEORGE — After almost a year-and-a-half of construction, hundreds of
parishioners and guests gathered last night for the blessing of the new Church
of the Sacred Heart on U.S. Route 460.
The Most Rev. Francis X. DiLorenzo, bishop of the
Diocese of Richmond, officiated the dedication
It was a special evening for many church members who had helped over the last
six years to raise funds and plan the new $1.1 million addition to the old,
1950s-era building.
“I can sum it up in one word,” said Jim Merhout, a
member of the church for 40 years. “Wow.”
Merhout and his family have had a long history at the Church of the
Sacred Heart. His parents were married in the original, wooden church that was
located not far from the current building. He is now an active volunteer in the
parish.
“We are all very excited,” he said as he stood at the door to pass out programs
for the event.
Karen Amirault, the church’s minister of religious
education, said it was important to the church community that the addition be completed
this year — the 100th anniversary of the church.
On the weekend of Oct. 1, the church will host its annual St. Wenceslaus festival, which will double as a grand
centennial celebration.
“This was a dream that was started six years ago to renovate the church,” Amirault said. “We were anxious to get this finished to
coincide with Oct. 1.”
Over the last few years, the Church of the Sacred Heart has grown to include
about 400 families. Therefore, additional space was needed.
The new worship space can seat about 375 people comfortably, while the old
church, which will now be used as a chapel and a gathering hall, sat a maximum
of 200 people.
The new space also houses eight new stained-glass windows created by artist
Mary Ellen Howe, a member of the church. She spent about one year working on
the windows, some of which commemorate the Czech and Slovak heritage of the
parish’s founders.
“It’s been an exhausting year with ups and downs but always moving forward with
work from the whole church community,” she said.
Howe noted that the Church of the Sacred Heart is “not a rich church.”
“We just had so many people involved to get this church finished,” she said.
The original Church of the Sacred Heart was built in 1906 by Czech and Slovak
families who had settled in the New Bohemia section of
In 1950, when the old, wooden church began to age, parishioners decided to
build a new church. It was completed in 1952.
Today, the Church of the Sacred Heart has a diverse membership and even offers
Spanish-language Masses for its growing number of Hispanic families.
The building was designed by Robert Winthrop & Associates of Farmville and
constructed by Emerson Construction Co. of Chester.