About Sacred Heart · Emmett, Idaho
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is a small historic Roman Catholic parish serving the community of Emmett, Idaho, in the Diocese of Boise. The parish traces its origins to 1875, when Father Alex J. Archambault began traveling from Idaho City to celebrate the first regular Masses for local Catholics. Today's church — a stately Mission Revival building designed by the renowned Boise firm Tourtellotte and Hummel — was built in 1928 at the corner of 1st Street and Hayes Avenue, dedicated under the patronage of the Sacred Heart by Bishop Kelly. Sacred Heart was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and continues to serve about 200 worshippers each week through daily and Sunday Mass, Wednesday Eucharistic Adoration, a Saturday Vigil Mass, and a Spanish-language Mass. The parish runs religious education for children, supports a Knights of Columbus council, and reaches out to neighbors through ministries such as Caring Carts.
- Established
- 1890
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Father Germán Ruis Rebollo (Parish Administrator, appointed 2024)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Boise
Why belong here
Sacred Heart offers a warm, intergenerational Catholic community in the heart of Emmett's historic downtown. The parish gathers daily for Mass — including a Spanish-language Saturday Vigil Mass — and devotes Wednesdays to Eucharistic Adoration. Strong lay-led ministries such as the Knights of Columbus, Music Ministry, Welcoming Committee, and K–12 Religious Education give parishioners of every age a place to serve, while the parish's Caring Carts ministry reaches neighbors facing food insecurity. Visiting or joining means stepping into one of Idaho's most architecturally significant small country churches — a 1928 Mission Revival landmark on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- Wednesday 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
About the Parish
Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Emmett, Idaho, is a small but historic Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Boise. From this rich heritage the parish community joins together to worship God by experiencing Christ as the transforming and comforting Healer of all people, to share the Gospel with neighbors, and to serve the community in response to people's most pressing needs.
- Diocese of Boise
- Sunday Mass at 9:00 AM
- Welcomes English- and Spanish-speaking parishioners
Parish History
The Catholic community in the Emmett Valley dates to 1875, when Father Alex J. Archambault traveled from Idaho City for the first regular services. After years of worship in private homes, a modest church was dedicated in 1890 under the patronage of St. Anthony at 211 West 2nd Street. In 1927 Father Michael Keyes became the first resident pastor, and the parish moved to its present site on First and Hayes in 1928 — a Mission Revival church designed by Tourtellotte and Hummel and dedicated by Bishop Kelly. The 1958 parish hall and the 1977 connecting addition rounded out the physical plant, and in 2009 Father Oscar Jaramillo led a major sanctuary restoration. The church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1875 — First regular Masses celebrated by Father Alex J. Archambault
- 1890 — Original St. Anthony church dedicated at 211 W. 2nd Street
- 1927 — Father Michael Keyes arrives as first resident pastor
- 1928 — Current Sacred Heart church built for $9,286
- 1958 — Parish hall built under Father Mercwyn Nuxoll
- 1977 — Hall connected to church under Father W. Thomas Faucher ($124,000 project)
- 1980 — Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- 2009 — Sanctuary restoration begins under Father Oscar Jaramillo
- June 2024 — Father Jaramillo retires; Father Germán Ruis Rebollo succeeds him
Architecture & Historic Significance
The present church is Emmett's only full-scale example of the Mission Revival (Spanish Revival) style. Designed by the prominent Boise firm Tourtellotte and Hummel and built in 1928 by contractor L. S. Mallory, the building presents a front-facing gabled roof culminating in a baroque-curved bell tower, a round-arched entrance, and stucco fabric enriched with wrought-iron ornament. The 1977 addition — designed by the successor firm Hummel, Hummel, Jones and Shawver — was carefully executed to respect the original architectural character.
- Architectural Style: Mission / Spanish Revival
- Architect: Tourtellotte and Hummel (1928); Hummel, Hummel, Jones and Shawver (1977)
- NRHP listing: #80001323 (added 1980)
- Original nave: 35 × 50 feet; seats approximately 200
- Listed under the 'Early Churches of Emmett' thematic nomination
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious Education runs every Sunday during the school year. Preschool-age children meet during the 9:00 AM Mass; Kindergarten through 12th-grade classes are held after Mass from 10:15 AM to 11:45 AM. Registration is $25 per student with a $50 family maximum, and volunteer catechists and assistants are always welcome.
- Grades K–12: Sundays 10:15 AM – 11:45 AM
- Preschool: during the 9:00 AM Mass
- Director: Debbi Roeper — (208) 365-0063 / [email protected]
- $25 per student / $50 per family max
Parish Ministries
Sacred Heart supports an active slate of lay-led ministries that welcome men, women, young adults, and seniors into service and fellowship.
- Knights of Columbus — meets 1st Wednesday at 7:00 PM in the church hall; contact Matthew Dodson
- Music Ministry
- Welcoming Committee
- Caring Carts — food assistance for neighbors in need
- Elderly Connections — outreach to homebound parishioners
- Coffee Hour — Sundays after the 9:00 AM Mass
Knights of Columbus
The Emmett Knights of Columbus council is a Catholic family, fraternal, and service organization open to all men 18 years of age and older of the parish. They are involved in special Church, community, and family activities and have been recognized for outstanding achievement in membership, insurance, programming, and overall operations, including participation in the Catholic Family of the Month Program.
- Meetings: 1st Wednesday of every month at 7:00 PM in the church hall
- Contact: Matthew Dodson
- Mission: volunteer service to Church, community, families, and young people
Sacraments & Ceremonies
The parish maintains a dedicated Sacraments and Ceremonies page for parishioners preparing for Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Matrimony, or Anointing of the Sick. An Examination of Conscience is also posted online to help parishioners prepare for Reconciliation.
- Baptism preparation
- First Communion and Confirmation preparation
- Marriage preparation
- Anointing of the Sick
- Examination of Conscience resource (parish website)
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is administered by Father Germán Ruis Rebollo, a priest of the Archdiocese of Morelia, Michoacán, who succeeded Father Oscar Jaramillo in mid-2024 after Father Jaramillo's retirement. Father Jaramillo, ordained in 1990 at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Boise, served Sacred Heart for 16 years and guided its 2009 sanctuary restoration. Religious Education is coordinated by Debbi Roeper.
- Father Germán Ruis Rebollo — Parish Administrator (since 2024)
- Father Oscar Jaramillo — Pastor Emeritus (2008–June 2024)
- Debbi Roeper — Religious Education Coordinator
Visiting & Contact
Visitors and parishioners can reach the parish office by phone or by submitting the contact form on the parish website. The church sits on the corner of 1st Street and Hayes Avenue in downtown Emmett, across from the Baptist church.
- Address: 211 E 1st St., Emmett, Idaho 83617
- Phone: (208) 365-4320
- Website: www.sacredheartemmett.com
- Languages: English and Spanish
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Alex J. Archambault1875–
Traveled from Idaho City to celebrate the first regular services for Emmett Valley Catholics.
- Father Michael Keyes1927–
First resident pastor; oversaw the move to the new Sacred Heart church on First and Hayes, dedicated 1929.
- Father Mercwyn Nuxoll1958
Directed construction of the parish hall.
- Father W. Thomas Faucher1977
Directed the $124,000 building project connecting the hall to the church.
- Father Oscar Jaramillo2008–June 2024
Guided the 2009 sanctuary restoration; ordained for the Diocese of Boise in 1990; retired in June 2024.
- Father Germán Ruis Rebollo2024–
Succeeded Father Jaramillo as parish administrator; priest of the Archdiocese of Morelia, Michoacán, México.