Sacred Heart of Jesus

History of Sacred Heart Parish

Sacred Heart of Jesus traces its origins to 1874, when Monsignor John Baasen blessed a log-cabin chapel on land donated by the Kyle, Madden, and Osborn families to Bishop John Quinlan of Mobile. After the German-speaking circuit priest Fr. James Meurer settled in on October 30, 1877, the chapel was formally erected as a parish two days later. Through two more church buildings, the arrival of the Benedictines, a stone Romanesque revival, and seven generations of pastors, the parish has served as Cullman's Catholic heart for a century and a half.

• April 9, 1874 — First log-cabin church blessed by Msgr. Baasen
• Oct. 30, 1877 — Fr. James Meurer arrives; Sacred Heart formally becomes a parish on Nov. 1, 1877
• Dec. 16, 1878 — Notre Dame Sisters from Milwaukee open Sacred Heart Elementary School
• 1878 — Mission church St. Boniface established in Hanceville
• 1887/1888 — Benedictine priests from St. Bernard begin pastoring Sacred Heart
• 1891 — St. Bernard Abbey founded outside Cullman; 1892 — Sacred Heart Convent
• Oct. 24, 1910 — Groundbreaking for the present stone church
• July 3, 1913 — Cornerstone laid
• 1915/1916 — Current stone church dedicated (German Revival of the Romanesque)
• 1920 — German-stained-glass windows installed (designed 1914, buried during WWI)
• 1948–March 21, 1950 — Matching stone parish school built and dedicated on the feast of St. Benedict
• 1961 — Current rectory constructed
• 1977 — First German Festival held at Sacred Heart School; 1979 — Cullman's Oktoberfest born
• 1991 — Family Life Center opened under then-pastor Fr. Cletus Meagher O.S.B.
• 1999 — Stained-glass spires and roof restored; gold crosses installed
• 2013 — Centennial of the current church building
• 2024 — 150th anniversary celebrated year-round; parish archivist Mary Hayden Hovater leads the commemoration
• June 2025 — Fr. Linus Klucsarits O.S.B. installed as the new pastor

Parish Staff

Sacred Heart is staffed by a pastor (a Benedictine monk of St. Bernard Abbey), an associate pastor for Hispanic ministries, two deacons, and a strong lay office, school, music, and maintenance staff.

• Rev. Linus Klucsarits, O.S.B. — Pastor
• Rev. Patrick Egan, O.S.B. — Pastor Emeritus (2009–2025)
• Rev. Raul Posada Valencia — Associate Pastor for Hispanic Ministries
• Deacon Ken Kreps — Stewardship of Ministry Committee chair
• Deacon Philip J. Frappaolo — Parish Finance Committee chair
• Pam Rice — Parish Office Secretary ([email protected])
• Yuri Orona — Hispanic Secretary/Liaison
• Fharis Richter — Director of Religious Education (PSR, sacramental prep)
• Jacqueline Hill — Youth Director
• Barry Stoner — Director of Music
• Jean Brooks — Parish Office Manager/Bookkeeper
• Shawna Norman — Sacred Heart School Principal
• Kristi Wilson — School Secretary
• Ron Gates — School Bookkeeper
• Mary Hayden Hovater — Church Archivist
• Jimmy Gregory — Maintenance Chief

Architecture and the Historic Building

The present church is a German Romanesque Revival basilica of hand-cut stone, with twin spires, soaring German stained-glass windows, an ornate pipe organ built in 1921, and a landmark set of gold-cross-topped steeples. Designed in 1914 and installed in 1920, the windows are a remarkable WWI survival story, having been buried near the German factory during the war.

• Style: German Revival of the Romanesque
• Construction: load-bearing stone, each face hand-cut by a parishioner
• Stained-glass windows: German-made (1914 designs, buried during WWI, shipped and installed in 1920)
• Pipe organ: built 1921, acquired by the parish 1959, overhauled 1988 — among the largest in northern Alabama
• Twin spires with gold-leaf crosses: restored 1999
• Cornerstone laid July 3, 1913; dedicated 1915/1916

Sacred Heart School

Founded in 1878 by the Notre Dame Sisters of Milwaukee, Sacred Heart School is a Catholic elementary school serving 3K through sixth grade. It was accredited in January 1973 as the first church-affiliated elementary school in Alabama and the second private elementary school in the state. The current matching stone school building was dedicated on March 21, 1950 (the feast of St. Benedict) and continues to be staffed in part by religious sisters, including LIHM (Leaven of the Immaculate Heart of Mary) Sisters who teach religion and assist homeschool families.

• Principal: Shawna Norman
• School Secretary: Kristi Wilson
• Bookkeeper: Ron Gates
• LIHM Sisters: Sr. Adrienne and Sr. Frances
• Annual German Festival / Oktoberfest bingo fundraiser

Faith Formation & Religious Education

Religious education is offered through the Parish School of Religion (PSR) for grades K–12, sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation, and a Youth Ministry program that meets Wednesday evenings during the school year.

• Director of Religious Education: Fharis Richter
• PSR K–7: Sunday mornings 10:30–11:30 AM
• PSR grades 8–10: Wednesday 6:15–7:15 PM in the Family Life Center
• Confirmation Prep: 3-year program beginning in 8th grade
• Youth Ministry (grades 6–12): Wednesday evenings starting 6:00 PM

Ministries and Outreach

The parish is organized around four ministry pillars — Education, Outreach & Evangelization, Liturgy & Worship, and Communications — and a Stewardship of Ministry Committee that matches volunteers to parish needs. Sacred Heart's outreach includes the St. Vincent de Paul Society and Knights of Columbus (Cullman hosts the Diocese of Birmingham's first KC council, chartered in 1910). Hispanic Ministries provides Spanish-language Masses, prayer groups, sacramental prep, and translation help.

• Altar Servers (boys and girls, post-First Communion through high school)
• Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Ushers, Music Ministry
• St. Vincent de Paul Society
• Knights of Columbus (Cullman Council)
• Hispanic Ministries — Yuri Orona, liaison
• Communications Committee / Digital Communications
• Parish Finance Committee (chair: Phil Frappaolo)
• Parish Council (chair: Bob Wasilewski)
• Stewardship of Ministry Committee (chair: Deacon Ken Kreps)

Family Life Center

The parish's Family Life Center, opened in 1991 under then-pastor Fr. Cletus Meagher O.S.B. (later Abbot of St. Bernard Abbey), is used by virtually every ministry of the parish and by the broader Cullman community. It serves as the venue for the parish school's annual Oktoberfest bingo fundraiser.

Benedictine Heritage & Sister Parish

Since 1887/1888 Sacred Heart has been pastored by members of the Benedictine community at St. Bernard Abbey, founded just outside Cullman in 1891. Sacred Heart Convent (Benedictine sisters) was founded in 1892, and since 1898/1899 the school has been staffed by those Benedictine sisters. The parish also serves as the mother parish of St. Boniface Catholic Church in Hanceville (mission established 1878).

• St. Bernard Abbey, Cullman — founded 1891
• Sacred Heart Convent — founded 1892
• St. Boniface Catholic Church, Hanceville — mission established 1878

Oktoberfest and the German Festival

Since 1977 the parish school has hosted an annual German Festival; two years later the City of Cullman formed a committee and the tradition expanded into what is now the city-wide Cullman Oktoberfest. Sacred Heart continues to anchor the celebration, including the popular all-day bingo in the Family Life Center.