Sacred Heart of Jesus

Parish History

Sacred Heart of Jesus was founded in 1892 by about twenty Catholic families who built a small frame church on Soo Avenue; the present brick church was completed in 1903 under Fr. S. A. Leinfelder and, by 1906 under Fr. Francis Bourg, a parochial school had been opened and the parish was debt-free. The school — staffed first by the Sisters of the Divine Savior, then the Servite Sisters of Ladysmith — operated until 1966. In 1931 Fr. Roman Fassbender arrived and built gardens so famous tour buses would stop to see them. Clustering with St. Ann (Turtle Lake) began in 1983 and with St. Anthony the Abbot (Cumberland) in 1997, producing today's three-parish ACT collaboration.

• 1892 — first frame church built by ~20 families
• 1901 — groundbreaking for the current brick church
• 1903 — brick church completed
• 1906 — parochial school opens with the Sisters of the Divine Savior
• 1931 — Fr. Roman Fassbender assigned; designs the famous gardens
• 1951 — school closes, then reopens with Servite Sisters of Ladysmith
• 1966 — school closes for good
• 1983 — clustered with St. Ann, Turtle Lake (Fr. William Cary)
• 1997 — clustered with St. Anthony the Abbot, Cumberland
• 2002 — St. Ann formally joins the cluster
• 2004 — parish center dedicated (Dec. 4)
• 2024 — 100th anniversary of the 1924 Schaefer pipe organ celebrated

Worship & Liturgy

Weekend Mass is celebrated Sunday at 8:30 AM, with an additional weekday Mass on Friday at 8:30 AM. The liturgy retains many traditional elements — the historic altars, statues, Stations of the Cross and stained-glass windows — and the choir sings a mix of newer hymns and traditional songs many visitors know and can join in singing. The music is led from the 1924 Schaefer pipe organ in the choir loft by organist Kathy Rockow.

• Sunday Mass: 8:30 AM
• Friday Mass: 8:30 AM
• Traditional altars, statues, Stations of the Cross
• Stained-glass windows bearing century-old donor names
• 1924 Schaefer pipe organ (Slinger, WI)
• Choir blending newer and traditional hymns

Sacred Heart Architecture & Pipe Organ

The present church is a stately 48-by-96-foot brick structure completed in 1903, described at the time as the finest and largest building in Barron County. Visitors still remark on the traditional altars, statues, Stations of the Cross and stained-glass windows bearing the names of donors from more than a century ago. A pipe organ built in 1924 by the Schaefer Pipe Organ Company of Slinger, Wisconsin, anchors the choir loft. Originally set in front of the pipe housing with a mirror so the organist could see the altar, the organ was later moved to the far corner of the loft for a direct line of sight. After roughly thirty years of silence, current organist Kathy Rockow had the organ restored and plays it for regular Masses, with spring and fall tuning. On June 9, 2024, the parish hosted a centennial concert in the organ's honor, featuring a welcome from a descendant of the Schaefer Organ Company's founders and a visit from Sr. Dominica Effertz, OSM, who taught at the parish school from 1950 to 1955.

• 1903 brick church, 48 × 96 ft, traditional altars and stained glass
• 1924 Schaefer Pipe Organ (Slinger, WI)
• Centennial organ concert held June 9, 2024
• Current organist: Kathy Rockow

Parish Ministries & Groups

Despite its small size, Sacred Heart sustains an unusually active lay life, with both a Council of Catholic Women and a Knights of Columbus council rooted in the parish.

Faith Formation & Religious Education

Religious-education classes meet on Thursday evenings at 7:00 PM and are held in the 2004 parish center at 114 Soo Avenue. The parish center — dedicated December 4, 2004 — was built in large part by parishioners themselves, who spent many hours providing classrooms and a place for fellowship, the annual dinner, and other parish events.

• Faith Formation classes: Thursday 7:00 PM
• Classes held in the parish center (114 Soo Avenue)
• Center built largely by parishioner labor; dedicated Dec. 4, 2004

Health Ministry (Cluster-Wide)

In 2016, Mary Freitag approached then-pastor Fr. Tom Thompson about starting a health ministry at St. Anthony the Abbot. After a pandemic hiatus the team now serves all three ACT parishes (Cumberland, Almena and Turtle Lake). The ministry offers monthly blood-pressure screenings at the three cluster churches and has fundraised to place AEDs in each parish. Roberta Braml, a Sacred Heart nurse, helps lead the Wisconsin-Institute-for-Aging 'Stepping On' falls-prevention program, which in spring 2024 had 14 participants and a waiting list. Other offerings include end-of-life presentations with Catholic United Financial, a friends-and-family CPR course, faith-based healthy weight-loss programming led by Mary Ricci, and AED/CPR training for parish ushers.

• Founded 2016 by Mary Freitag with Fr. Tom Thompson
• Monthly blood-pressure screenings at each cluster church
• AEDs in each parish
• Stepping On falls-prevention course (with parish nurse Roberta Braml)
• Faith-based weight-loss program (Mary Ricci)
• CPR training for ushers
• End-of-life presentations with Catholic United Financial

Pastoral Staff & Leadership

Sacred Heart is pastored as part of the ACT cluster of three parishes. Fr. Tom Thompson — ordained in 1992 for the Diocese of Superior after twelve years in the U.S. Navy and studies at the Sacred Heart School of Theology — serves as pastor. He also serves as the Diocese of Superior's vocation director and has been active with Catholic United Financial and the National Federation of Priests' Council. Deacon Steve Linton serves as Parish Life Coordinator, and Deacon Greg Ricci assists with the cluster's pastoral ministry.

• Fr. Tom Thompson — Pastor (ordained 1992, Diocese of Superior)
• Fr. Tom also serves as Diocese of Superior Vocation Director
• Deacon Steve Linton — Parish Life Coordinator
• Deacon Greg Ricci

Sacraments

Information on the sacraments is available through the parish office and the cluster website at actinfaith.net. Faith formation for First Reconciliation and First Communion is provided through the parish's Thursday religious-education program.

• Baptism
• First Reconciliation / First Communion (via Faith Formation)
• Confirmation
• Marriage
• Anointing of the Sick
• Funeral rites

Parish Life & Fellowship

Sacred Heart describes itself as 'an aging parish, but strong in our faith.' Fellowship is central: the CCW hosts Fellowship Sunday the first Sunday of every month, the Knights host an annual dinner honoring parish widows, and the parish gathers each year for a St. Patrick's Day Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner — a beloved tradition despite the community's strong German heritage. At Christmas and Easter flowers from the parish are delivered to homebound parishioners.

• Fellowship Sunday (1st Sunday)
• Knights of Columbus widows' dinner
• St. Patrick's Day Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner
• Christmas and Easter flower delivery to the homebound

Cluster of ACT Parishes

Sacred Heart is one of three parishes in the 'ACT' cluster (St. Anthony the Abbot in Cumberland, Sacred Heart of Jesus in Almena, and St. Ann in Turtle Lake), formed under the motto 'Three Catholic parishes ACTing In Faith together, sharing God's gift of salvation with all people.' The cluster shares pastoral staff and collaborates on faith formation, health ministry, and other parish programs.

• St. Anthony the Abbot — Cumberland, WI
• Sacred Heart of Jesus — Almena, WI
• St. Ann — Turtle Lake, WI
• Shared pastor and pastoral staff
• Joint ministries (Faith Formation, Health Ministry, etc.)

Contact & Visit

The parish office is reachable through the cluster's main number and email; the mailing address uses the Cumberland PO Box. Visitors are warmly welcomed — many summer travelers stop to see the steeple, which is visible for miles around, and to tour the historic interior.

• Address: 114 Soo Avenue, Almena, WI 54805
• Mailing: PO Box 548, Cumberland, WI 54829
• Phone: (715) 822-2948
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: actinfaith.net/sacred-heart-of-jesus