About Sacred Heart · Lawrenceburg, Tennessee
Sacred Heart Church (officially the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus) is a Roman Catholic parish in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, founded by German Catholic homesteaders who migrated from Cincinnati in 1869-70. The parish serves southern middle Tennessee as part of the Diocese of Nashville and is paired with Sacred Heart Catholic School, a PreK-8 institution that shares the same Berger Street campus. The historic 1887 brick church, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1984, stands as one of the most recognizable landmarks in Lawrenceburg. Current pastor Rev. Andrew Forsythe leads the parish alongside parish secretary/bookkeeper Jillian Lumpkins, and the community is known for its annual Labor Day Festival and deep roots stretching back to 19th-century German immigrant families such as the Niedergeses, Mahr, Rohling and Wolz clans.
- Established
- 1872
- Patron
- The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Andrew Forsythe
- Diocese
- Diocese of Nashville
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is a small but deeply rooted Catholic community with a remarkable 150+ year history, where members of founding German families still worship alongside newer arrivals. Parishioners can attend Mass in the historic 1887 brick church, send their children to the on-site PreK-8 Sacred Heart School, gather for the annual Labor Day Festival, send their high-schoolers to CYO on Sunday nights, and receive the Anointing of the Sick by calling the rectory (with a 24/7 emergency line at 615-965-5105). It is a place where the same parish that produced a Bishop of Nashville and a Bishop of Knoxville still rolls up its sleeves and takes care of one another in the same Berger Street neighborhood it has called home since 1872.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 9:30 am - 10:30 am (in the school lobby)
- 30 minutes before Masses
- Anytime by appointment (call the Parish Office)
History of Sacred Heart Parish & School
The parish was founded in 1869-70 by the Cincinnati Homestead Society, a German Catholic land-buying cooperative formed by Father Joseph Busse of the Precious Blood order in 1868. The first fifteen families arrived with Rev. J. H. Heuser on November 14, 1870, settling in a two-story brick house on what is now Fain Court. The first frame church on Berger Street was dedicated May 18, 1872, and the present brick church was begun with a cornerstone laid on May 3, 1887 and dedicated May 8, 1890. The old frame church was converted into a school, and the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood came to teach there. Today the school enrolls 184 students in PreK-8 and is supported by tuition, the parish, the annual Labor Day Festival, and an endowment fund established in 1982.
- 1868: Cincinnati German Catholic Homestead Society formed in Cincinnati by Father Joseph Busse, C.PP.S.
- Winter 1869-70: Society purchases 25,000-30,000 acres in Lawrence County, TN
- Nov 14, 1870: Rev. J. H. Heuser arrives with first fifteen families
- 1872: Frame church on Berger Street dedicated by Bishop Patrick A. Feehan; Calvary Cemetery blessed
- Feb 1872: Fathers Francis Xavier Griessmeier and Rochus Schuele, C.PP.S. arrive
- 1887: Cornerstone of new brick church laid May 3
- 1890: Grand dedication of current brick church, May 8
- 1911-12: Two-story brick school built
- c. 1918: Sisters of Mercy succeed the Precious Blood Sisters
- 1984: Church added to the National Register of Historic Places
- 1991: New gymnasium, classrooms and concession area added
- 1996-97: Last sister-principal departs the school
Architecture of the 1887 Church
The Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, completed in 1887, is described by the National Register of Historic Places as an excellent example of Victorian ecclesiastical architecture featuring elements of the vernacular Gothic and Romanesque styles. It is a massive brick structure with a square bell tower topped by a tall copper steeple centered on the southwest facade, a large rose window over the arched central entry, stepped corner and wall buttresses, and a corbel table of dogtooth brick. The c. 1898 rectory next door is a two-story, ell-shaped dark-red-brick building with a cross-gable roof. Although various aspects have been upgraded and remodeled, the basic design has remained essentially unchanged and the church remains one of the most beautiful and recognizable landmarks in Lawrenceburg.
- Style: Victorian ecclesiastical (vernacular Gothic / Romanesque)
- Construction: 1887 brick church, built largely with donated labor and on-site bricks
- Tower: square bell tower with tall copper steeple
- Front facade: large rose window over arched central entry
- Walls: stepped corner and wall buttresses, corbel table of dogtooth brick
- Rectory: c. 1898 two-story dark red brick, ell-shaped, cross-gable roof
Parish Staff & Pastoral Council
Sacred Heart Parish is currently led by Rev. Andrew Forsythe, Pastor, with Jillian Lumpkins serving as Parish Secretary and Bookkeeper. The Parish Pastoral Council is presided over by Lee L. Piovarcy and includes Father Forsythe, Marian Pickett (Principal), Gary Rohling, Jacob Whitehead, Lane Rohling (representing the SHCCW), Ben Beckman, and Grace Coleman. The parish office is staffed Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm (or 7:30 am per the contact page) at 221 Berger Street.
- Rev. Andrew Forsythe — Pastor
- Jillian Lumpkins — Parish Secretary & Bookkeeper
- Lee L. Piovarcy — Parish Pastoral Council President
- Marian Pickett — Principal (school liaison)
- Gary Rohling, Jacob Whitehead, Lane Rohling (SHCCW), Ben Beckman, Grace Coleman — Council members
Sacred Heart Catholic School (PreK-8)
The parish school has operated continuously since the 1870s, when the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood first taught children in the original frame church building and convent. Today Sacred Heart Catholic School serves 184 students in PreK through 8th grade on the same Berger Street campus, with Julie Owens as principal and Tina Harris as athletic director. The school is supported by tuition, parish contributions, the annual Labor Day Festival, and an endowment fund. Students in athletics compete as the Lions and Lady Lions in red, white and gold.
- Principal: Mrs. Julie Owens
- Athletic Director: Tina Harris
- Mascot: Lions / Lady Lions
- Colors: Red, White, and Gold
- Enrollment: 184 (PreK-8)
- Address: 220 Berger Street, Lawrenceburg, TN 38464
- Phone: 931-762-6125
- Fundraisers: Annual Labor Day Festival
- Endowment fund established in 1982
Sacraments at Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart celebrates all seven Sacraments instituted by Christ: Anointing of the Sick, Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Matrimony, Penance, and Holy Orders. The parish website describes the sacraments as the continuing actions — words and deeds — of Jesus Christ through which Our Lord continues His work of sanctification of the human family. Prayer requests can be submitted by calling the rectory at 931-762-3183 or emailing [email protected]; names to be published in the bulletin must be requested by the person, a relative, or caregiver.
- Anointing of the Sick
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- Eucharist
- Matrimony
- Penance (Reconciliation)
- Holy Orders
Youth Ministry & CYO
Sacred Heart Parish Youth Ministry, directed by Samantha Benefield, runs the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) for high-school students every Sunday night at 7:00 pm in the Sacred Heart School. The group gathers to learn about the Catholic faith, have fun, and prepare for diocesan events such as SEARCH retreats and the annual March for Life pilgrimage. The parish also sends youth to the National Catholic Youth Conference (NYCy).
- Youth Ministry Director: Samantha Benefield
- CYO meets Sundays at 7:00 pm in Sacred Heart School
- Diocesan SEARCH retreats
- March for Life
- National Catholic Youth Conference (NYCy)
Visiting Sacred Heart for the First Time
Newcomers are warmly welcomed and invited to register as parishioners by walking into the parish office or downloading the Parish Registration Form online. Confession is available 30 minutes before Masses or by appointment. Non-Catholics are welcome to attend Mass and follow along using the Missalette; they may also come forward in the Communion line to receive a blessing from the priest (but should not receive Holy Communion). Contributions to the offering are appreciated but never required.
- Location: 221 Berger Street, Lawrenceburg, TN 38464
- Registration: walk-in to parish office or download Parish Registration Form
- Attire: come as you are
- Communion: open to practicing Catholics; non-Catholics may receive a blessing
- Offerings: voluntary and appreciated
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. J. H. Heuser (Father Henry Hueser)1870 (three months)
Arrived November 14, 1870 from Millhousen, Indiana with the first fifteen German Catholic families; celebrated the first Masses in the Simonton-Fain-McDougal house.
- Rev. Francis Xavier Griessmeier, C.PP.S. and Rev. Rochus SchueleFebruary 1872
Precious Blood order fathers who arrived with lay Brothers to take over after Father Heuser's departure and oversaw construction of the 1872 frame church.