About Sacred Heart · Caruthersville, Missouri
Sacred Heart Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Caruthersville, Missouri, located at 605 Ward Avenue in Pemiscot County in the state's southeast Bootheel region. It belongs to the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau and is currently served by Rev. Suresh Samala (pastor) and Deacon James D. Darter, who also minister to Immaculate Conception Parish in nearby New Madrid. The parish gathers for a Saturday Vigil Mass, a Sunday morning Mass, and weekday Masses on Thursday and Friday, with Thursday evening set aside for Eucharistic Adoration, the Rosary, and Confession. Rooted in devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the parish carries on more than a century of Catholic life in the Mississippi delta country of southeast Missouri.
- Established
- 1897
- Patron
- Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Suresh Samala
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is a small, welcoming Catholic parish in the Bootheel of southeast Missouri with a more-than-125-year history of worship and service. Worship is centered on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with a steady weekly rhythm of a Saturday Vigil Mass, Sunday morning Mass, and weekday Masses on Thursday and Friday, plus a Thursday evening hour of Adoration, Rosary, and Confession that makes the Sacrament of Reconciliation easy to access. The parish is supported by a dedicated staff — a pastor, deacon, secretary/bookkeeper, and Director of Religious Education — and shares pastoral ministry with Immaculate Conception Parish in nearby New Madrid.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (before the 6:00 PM Mass)
Adoration times
- Thursday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (with Rosary and Confession)
Parish Overview
Sacred Heart Parish is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, located at 605 Ward Avenue in Caruthersville, Missouri. The parish serves the Catholics of Pemiscot County and the surrounding Bootheel area under the pastoral care of Rev. Suresh Samala and Deacon James D. Darter, who also minister to Immaculate Conception Parish in New Madrid. Parish staff also includes secretary/bookkeeper Jane Medlin and Director of Religious Education Susan Faulkner.
- Parish: Sacred Heart Parish, Caruthersville, MO
- Diocese: Springfield-Cape Girardeau
- Pastor: Rev. Suresh Samala
- Deacon: James D. Darter
- Secretary/Bookkeeper: Jane Medlin
- DRE: Susan Faulkner
- Mailing address: 605 Ward Ave., Caruthersville, MO 63830-1663
History of the Parish
Catholic life in the Caruthersville area stretches back to 1542, when the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto is believed to have planted a cross and led a prayer near present-day Caruthersville. By the late 1700s the French settlement of La Petite Prairie (Little Prairie) downstream had a Catholic population of 78, served from New Madrid; the village was destroyed in the New Madrid Earthquake of 1811. The first Mass in Caruthersville was celebrated in the home of Dr. Palmer in 1876, and in 1877, non-Catholics Clement and Sally Nanson donated land for a Catholic church.
- 1542 — De Soto plants a cross near present-day Caruthersville
- 1793 — Fr. Pierre Gibault serves New Madrid and dependencies including La Petite Prairie
- 1811 — La Petite Prairie destroyed in the New Madrid Earthquake
- 1876 — First Mass celebrated in the home of Dr. Palmer
- 1877 — Clement and Sally Nanson donate land for a Catholic church
- 1892 — First Catholic church in Pemiscot County built (24' x 40' frame, 48' belfry tower), dedicated to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
- 1897 — Fr. William Schulte appointed first resident pastor by Archbishop John Joseph Kain of St. Louis
- 1900 — First rectory built
- 1905 — Sacred Heart Catholic School opens
- 1913 — Present church constructed
- 1925 — Present rectory built
- 1937 — Ursuline sisters from Crystal City replaced at the school by Sisters of the Most Precious Blood
- 1956 — New school building constructed; Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau established
- 1971 — Sacred Heart Catholic School closes
Faith Formation
Religious Education at Sacred Heart is coordinated by Director of Religious Education Susan Faulkner. While the parish school itself closed in 1971, faith formation for parishioners continues through the parish's DRE and sacramental preparation programs.
- Director of Religious Education: Susan Faulkner
- Religious Education / Faith Formation programs for parishioners
- Sacramental preparation
Parish Staff
Sacred Heart Parish is served by a small, dedicated staff shared with Immaculate Conception Parish in New Madrid. The pastor, a deacon, a secretary/bookkeeper, and a Director of Religious Education care for the parish's spiritual, administrative, and educational life.
- Pastor: Rev. Suresh Samala — [email protected]
- Deacon: James D. Darter — [email protected]
- Secretary/Bookkeeper: Jane Medlin
- Director of Religious Education: Susan Faulkner
- Parish email: [email protected]
Visiting and Contact
Sacred Heart Parish welcomes visitors, returning Catholics, and those seeking a parish home. The parish office can be reached by phone, mail, or email, and the parish's own website and the diocesan Find-a-Church page publish the latest Mass and confession schedule.
- Address: 605 Ward Ave., Caruthersville, MO 63830-1663
- Phone: (573) 575-4030
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://sacredheart-semo.org/
- Diocesan page: dioscg.org — Find a Church — Sacred Heart Parish, Caruthersville, MO
- GPS: N36° 11.387', W089° 39.394'
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William Schulte1897–
First resident pastor of Sacred Heart, appointed by Archbishop John Joseph Kain of St. Louis.