Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Tampa, FL

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Sacred Heart Catholic Church was founded in 1905 in downtown Tampa, Florida, and is one of the oldest churches, and is the oldest Catholic church, in the city of Tampa.^{[1] [2] [3]} Many prominent families have been married in this church since its founding. The church, located at 509 N. Florida Avenue, is predominantly a Romanesque structure, with other elements. The parish was established in 1860 with a smaller building called St. Louis Church, and was run by the Jesuit order, until a transition to the Franciscans. Sacred Heart Academy on Florida Avenue in Tampa, is the parish school. The Tampa school currently known as Jesuit High School was originally affiliated with Sacred Heart Parish when the school was founded in 1899.

Construction on the church began with a groundbreaking on February 16, 1898, with the laying of the cornerstone taking place on February 4, 1900. The building itself was dedicated on January 15, 1905. The stained glass windows were designed and manufactured for Sacred Heart by the Mayer Company in Munich, Germany. ^[4] The structure includes a 135 foot dome, 17 stained glass windows, solid oak pews and doors, porcelain tiles, and a Carrara marble altar. ^[5]

In 2005, after the 100th anniversary of the church, the Jesuit community which had long served the parish withdrew in order to concentrate on their academic institutions throughout the South. The fourth bishop of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Most Rev. Robert Lynch, invited the Franciscan Friars of the Most Holy Name of Jesus Province to assume the pastoral responsibilities for the parish. The current pastor is Rev. Andrew Reitz, OFM.

[edit] External links

• Sacred Heart Catholic Church - Official Web Site
• Photo of the West Edifice
• Photos of Sacred Heart's Stained Glass Windows
• Holy Name Province - Official Web Site of the parish Franciscans

[edit] References