Sacred Heart

About Sacred Heart Parish

Founded in 1893, Sacred Heart Church continues to be an anchor in the neighborhood known as the Segundo Barrio (Second Ward) of El Paso. The parish serves a border community with roots in Mexico and in El Paso's Segundo Barrio; most parishioners are immigrants facing the challenges of displacement. Along with the Jesuit community and many friends, benefactors, and volunteers, the parish has been able to respond to neighborhood needs through social services, catechesis, and charitable outreach. Its pastoral vision focuses on three major areas: a vibrant and integral sacramental life; Catholic formation (social justice, fostering family life, and educating the youth); and solid spirituality (living moral lives, education and human development, and defending life at all its stages).

History of Sacred Heart

The parish was a gift to the Diocese of El Paso by Fr. Carlos Pinto, SJ, the "Apostle of El Paso." In 1892, Padre Pinto built two churches with schools — Sacred Heart for Spanish-speaking Catholics and Immaculate Conception for English-speaking Catholics. The original church was dedicated on June 9, 1893, and the rectory was completed in November 1898. A second story was added to the rectory in 1911, enlarging the Jesuit residence to 22 rooms. Sacred Heart has been continuously staffed by Jesuits since its founding. It was administered by the Mexican Province until 1944, when it was returned to the New Orleans Province; on July 31, 2014, the newly formed Central and Southern Province took over administration of this frontier mission. Today the parish is known as the "Heart of the Barrio" and celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2018.

• 1892 — Fr. Carlos M. Pinto, SJ arrives on the border; founds Sacred Heart School.
• June 9, 1893 — original Sacred Heart church dedicated.
• November 1898 — rectory completed on the SE corner of Oregon and 4th St.
• 1911 — second story added to rectory (22 rooms total).
• 1928–29 — original church replaced by present church (capacity ~2,000).
• 1944 — administration transferred to the New Orleans Province.
• July 31, 2014 — Central and Southern Province assumes administration.
• 2018 — 125th anniversary celebrated.

Clergy & Staff

Sacred Heart is led by a Jesuit pastoral team and a lay staff who coordinate the parish's many social ministries and religious formation programs.

• Fr. Rafael Garcia, SJ — Pastor (Párroco)
• Fr. Mike Chesney, SJ — Vicar (Vicario)
• Fr. Michael Gallagher, SJ — Vicar and Migrant and Refugee Ministry
• Deacon Cruz Torres
• Jaime Garcia — Coordinator, Social Ministries
• Efren Loya-Gomez — Director of Religious Formation
• Suamy Meza — Coordinator, Adult Education Ministry
• Esperanza Santoyo — Coordinator, Project Gabriel
• Rosa Orozco — Coordinator, St. Vincent de Paul

Social Ministries (Centro Pastoral Social)

At the Sacred Heart Centro Pastoral Social, the parish strives to turn fear into hope by helping individuals and families rise out of poverty through immediate assistance and practical, accessible, and affordable education courses. The Social Ministries Office is open to the public only on Mondays and Fridays from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm, coordinated by Jaime Garcia.

• St. Vincent de Paul Society — Sacred Heart Conference (915-861-1037); Friday 9:00–11:00 am; assists with rent and utilities (79901 zip code).
• Project Gabriel — support, care, and material/emotional/spiritual help for women in crisis pregnancies; coordinator Esperanza Santoyo.
• Food Pantry (Despensas) — grocery bags for families in the 79901 zip code; Friday 9:00–11:00 am.
• La Tilma — food preparation project serving to-go meals, street ministry, and catering; provides community employment.
• Adult Education — citizenship classes, ESL, computer literacy, GED; coordinator Suamy Meza (915-341-2928); Saturday 8:30 am–12:00 pm.

Migrant and Refugee Ministry

Because the parish is the closest Jesuit ministry to the Mexican border — pedestrians crossing the Rio Grande on the Paso del Norte bridge can see the Sacred Heart tower as soon as they exit customs — it carries a long and trusted relationship with parishioners who are undocumented. The parish welcomes newly arrived migrants and reaches out to unaccompanied minors in detention. The ministry is directed by Vicar Fr. Michael Gallagher, SJ.

Religious Formation (Catecismo)

Catechism classes prepare the youth of the parish to receive the sacraments. The Religious Formation Office is led by Director Efren Loya-Gomez and operates on a regular weekly schedule.

• Office phone: (915) 920-8349
• Monday and Wednesday: 10:00 am–5:00 pm
• Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday: 9:00 am–3:00 pm
• Saturday and Sunday: Closed

Capital Campaign: Church Restoration

A fundraising campaign is currently underway to rehabilitate Sacred Heart Church, the adjoining building (formerly the parish school, now serving as the pastoral center), and the building housing the Jesuit residence and parish offices.