About Sacred Heart · Boise, Idaho
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish serving the Central Bench neighborhood of Boise, Idaho, at 811 S. Latah Street. Founded in 1952 and dedicated in June 1953, the parish is part of the Diocese of Boise and traces its origins to Bishop Edward D. Kelly's vision of bringing a church and school to the Bench. Today the community celebrates weekend and weekday Masses, runs a parochial school, and remains actively engaged in faith formation for children, youth and adults, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and ecumenical outreach like the Bench Community Supper.
- Established
- 1952
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Fr. Hippolytus Ezenwa
- Diocese
- Diocese of Boise (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
Sacred Heart offers a full Catholic life on Boise's Central Bench: weekend and weekday Mass, weekly Confession, and First Friday Adoration; a parochial school and a full faith-formation program for children, youth and adults (including OCIA/RCIA for those becoming Catholic); a St. Vincent de Paul Conference that runs the food pantry, dining room and free-medication services at 3209 Overland Rd.; and outreach such as the ecumenical Bench Community Supper and a prison-to-children reading ministry. For families looking for a parish rooted in more than seventy years of Boise history, with a school, multiple deacons, and a strong service tradition, Sacred Heart is a fitting home.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 6:00 – 7:00 pm
- Tuesday – Friday by appointment only
Adoration times
- First Friday Adoration (following the First Friday Mass, to 5:00 pm)
Welcome & Mission
Sacred Heart describes itself as a Catholic community on Boise's Central Bench called to help each person encounter the living Christ through vibrant worship and prayer, deepening understanding of the Gospel, and reaching out to those in need. The parish website greets visitors with weekend and weekday Mass times, Reconciliation and First Friday Adoration, and a clear invitation to newcomers.
- Mission statement: encounter Christ through worship, Gospel witness, and service
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 am–3:00 pm (closed Fridays in July)
Parish History
Founded in 1952 by Bishop Edward D. Kelly on land at Latah and Cassia Streets, Sacred Heart was built by the architectural firm Hummel, Hummel, and Jones and dedicated June 14, 1953, after its first Easter Mass on April 5, 1953. Under founding pastor Father James T. Hallissey, the parish grew a school staffed by Benedictine Sisters from Cottonwood, Idaho, a rectory, and — eventually — a parish hall, convent, park, and a fully renovated church rededicated by Bishop Sylvester W. Treinen in 1984.
- 1951 — Bishop Kelly purchases the Latah & Cassia site
- 1952 — Parish officially established
- April 5, 1953 — First Easter Mass
- June 14, 1953 — Church dedicated
- 1958–1979 — Benedictine Sisters (led by Sister Mary Amada) staff the school
- 1960 — Co-builds Bishop Kelly High School with other Boise parishes
- 1965 — Lower-grade overcrowding leads to an extra second-grade building
- 1979 — Master building plan begins (parish hall, patio, park)
- June 29, 1984 — Renovated church rededicated by Bishop Treinen
- December 1993 — Parish office and Faith Hall occupied
- 1998 — Christian Action Program becomes a St. Vincent de Paul Conference
Architecture of the Church
Built on a ten-acre parcel, the original 1952–53 church cost $150,000 to construct and was designed by Hummel, Hummel, and Jones. The red-brick exterior gives the church an old-fashioned look that contrasts with a pipe organ and stained glass inside. A 1984 remodel — also by Hummel, Hummel, and Jones — was carefully matched to the original, making the additions nearly invisible.
- Architects: Hummel, Hummel, and Jones (original 1952–53 and 1984 remodel)
- Original construction cost: $150,000
- Exterior: traditional red brick
- Interior features: pipe organ and stained-glass windows
- Adjacent gymnasium: repurposed airline hangar from Gowen Field Air Force Base
Parish School & Faith Formation
Sacred Heart runs a parochial school that grew out of the original school staffed by the Benedictine Sisters from 1958 to 1979. The 'Foundation of the Sacred Heart' was founded to provide financial support for the school, and parish teams, music programs, the Hallissey Basketball Tournament, and an Art and Computer Center added in 2004 have shaped its identity over the years.
- Parish-supported school
- Foundation of the Sacred Heart (school fundraising arm)
- Art and Computer Center added behind the school in 2004
- Hallissey Basketball Tournament hosts 7th- and 8th-grade teams
Faith Formation — Children, Youth & Adults
Faith formation is offered for every age. Children in grades K–6 meet Sunday mornings 9:40–10:45 am. Youth Night for grades 6–12 is held Wednesday evenings with separate junior-high and senior-high breakout sessions. Confirmation preparation serves grades 9–12 through in-home small-group faith sharing plus retreats and service projects. OCIC ministers to unbaptized children, and OCIA ministers to unbaptized adults, baptized Christians seeking full communion, and baptized Catholics completing initiation.
- Children's Faith Formation (K–6), Sundays 9:40–10:45 am
- OCIC — Order of Christian Initiation of Children
- Youth Ministry / Youth Night (grades 6–12), Wednesday evenings
- Confirmation Preparation (grades 9–12)
- OCIA for Teens
- Adult Faith Formation and OCIA
- Intergenerational Faith Formation (monthly parish event with dinner, prayer and catechesis)
Becoming Catholic (OCIA)
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) walks inquirers through a gradual process of conversion and initiation into the Catholic community. It serves the unbaptized, baptized Christians from other denominations seeking full communion, and baptized Catholics who have not yet received Confirmation and Eucharist.
- OCIA inquiries: [email protected] or 208-344-8311
- OCIA & Confirmation Registration Form available online
- Sponsors for Sacraments program
St. Vincent de Paul — Sacred Heart Conference
Since 1998 Sacred Heart has hosted a St. Vincent de Paul Conference that operates the St. Vincent de Paul Center at 3209 Overland Rd., which provides a food pantry, free medication for those who qualify, a dining room and educational classrooms. Conference members also run a city-wide helpline, make home visits to assist with rent, utilities and food, and coordinate Thanksgiving food boxes each year.
- Food pantry and free-medication program
- Dining room and educational classrooms at 3209 Overland Rd.
- Helpline and home visits
- Thanksgiving Food Boxes
Outreach & Community
Beyond St. Vincent de Paul, Sacred Heart's outreach includes the ecumenical Bench Community Supper, served the second Friday evening of each month in collaboration with other Bench-area churches, and a prison-to-children reading ministry that lets inmates in the Idaho prison system record a storybook to be sent to their children.
- Bench Community Supper (2nd Friday evening, monthly)
- Prison-to-children reading ministry (volunteers trained through Idaho Department of Corrections)
- Ecumenical collaboration with other Central Bench churches
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is served by a pastor, a retired priest in residence, several deacons (active and retired), and a staff that includes adult-formation and youth-ministry coordinators, a children's religious education and office administrator, a business manager, music ministry coordinator, and a maintenance supervisor.
- Fr. Hippolytus Ezenwa — Pastor
- Fr. Oscar Jaramillo — Priest in Residence (Retired)
- Deacon Dan Vawser
- Deacon Sal Carranza
- Deacon Jude Gary (Retired)
- Deacon Jim Ineck — Youth Ministry contact
- Debbie Fischer — Coordinator of Adult Formation & Ministries
- Chris Nichol — Coordinator of Youth Ministry (7–12, Confirmation)
- Erin Rosenkoetter — Coordinator of Children's Religious Education & Office Administrator
- Janet Rollinger — Business Manager
- Susan Daly — Music Ministry Coordinator
- John Pettinger — Maintenance Supervisor
Visit, Contact & Location
Sacred Heart is at 811 S. Latah Street on Boise's Central Bench, with the parish office open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm (closed Fridays in July). Phone: 208-344-8311. Detailed driving directions from Nampa, Mountain Home, and I-84 are posted on the parish website's Contact Us page.
- Address: 811 S. Latah Street, Boise, ID 83705
- Phone: 208-344-8311
- Office hours: Mon–Fri 9:00 am–3:00 pm (closed Fridays in July)
- Driving directions from Nampa, Mountain Home and I-84 published on the website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. James T. Hallissey1953–first pastor
Sacred Heart's founding pastor; co-founder of the annual Hallissey Basketball Tournament for 7th- and 8th-grade teams.