About Sacred Heart Parish · Loretto, Tennessee
Sacred Heart Parish is a Roman Catholic congregation in Loretto, Tennessee, in the Diocese of Nashville. Founded in 1872 by German immigrant settlers from the Cincinnati area, it serves the people of southern Lawrence County and operates in tandem with its mission church, St. Joseph, in the nearby town of St. Joseph, Tennessee. The parish shares a pastor and one staff with St. Joseph, publishes a unified schedule online, and is best known for its historic 1912 brick church — added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 — and its long-running parish school, which after 152 years concluded operations at the end of the 2024-2025 school year.
- Established
- 1872
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Daniel Steiner
- Diocese
- Diocese of Nashville
Why belong here
Sacred Heart Parish in Loretto is a small, historic congregation at the heart of southern Lawrence County, serving both Loretto and the neighboring St. Joseph mission. Parishioners worship in a 1912 brick church listed on the National Register of Historic Places and gather for daily and Sunday Masses celebrated in English, with Wednesday and Friday morning adoration and regular Saturday and weekday confession times. Faith formation has been a hallmark of the parish for 152 years through its Catholic school; even with the school's recent closure, the parish continues its ministries of music, faith formation, Communion to the homebound, online giving, and community-wide events such as the annual Mardi Gras celebration and cemetery projects.
Mass times at Sacred Heart Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 7:00 AM – 7:45 AM (Sacred Heart)
- Friday 7:00 AM – 7:45 AM (Sacred Heart)
- Saturday 4:30 PM – 5:20 PM (Sacred Heart)
- Sunday 7:20 AM – 7:50 AM (Saint Joseph)
- 1st Saturday 7:00 AM – 7:45 AM (Saint Joseph)
- Or by appointment (call Fr. Steiner at 931-853-4371)
Adoration times
- Wednesday 7:00 AM – 7:45 AM (Sacred Heart)
- Friday 7:00 AM – 7:45 PM (Sacred Heart)
- 1st Saturday 7:00 AM – 7:45 AM (Sacred Heart)
Parish History
Sacred Heart Parish was founded in 1872 by Fr. John H. Hueser (also spelled Heuser) and a lay teacher named Bernard Klaholz, among German Catholic immigrants who had come from the Cincinnati area to farm and trade in Lawrence County, Tennessee. The town was originally called Glen Rock; Father Heuser renamed it Loretto after the holy city in Italy. Daily Mass and school were first celebrated in the parish residence until a small frame church in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was completed in February 1872.
Early Foundations (1872–1904)
The first Sacred Heart School was a one-room building staffed by Sisters of the Precious Blood from Maria Stein, Ohio, who taught until 1904, when poverty forced them to return to their motherhouse. A 14-year gap in formal schooling followed for the parish.
20th-Century Growth and the 1912 Church
In 1905, Reverend Louis Kempheus began planning a new school building, completed in October 1907. Three Sisters of Mercy reopened Sacred Heart School on October 22, 1907 (Sister Mary Stanislaus, Sister Mary Veronica, and Sister Mary Elizabeth). A modern brick school was built in 1945 and blessed by Bishop W. L. Adrian on December 8, 1947. The current brick church — replacing the original frame structure — was begun in 1910 and dedicated in May 1912; it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Sisters Who Served the Parish
Two religious communities served Sacred Heart School across its history: the Sisters of the Precious Blood (Maria Stein, Ohio) from 1872 to 1904, and the Sisters of Mercy (1907–1994). From fall 1997 through spring 1999, Sisters of the Sacred Heart from Kerala, India, sent a nun to teach religion in the school. Since the Sisters of Mercy's withdrawal in 1994, the school was staffed primarily by a Catholic lay faculty.
Recent Milestones and School Closure (2025)
In March 2025, citing just nine PreK-K students enrolled and six signed up for the following year, then-pastor Rev. Delphinus "Delly" Mutajuka announced that Sacred Heart Catholic School would close at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year, ending 152 years of parish-run Catholic education in Loretto. Superintendent Shana Druffner praised the generations formed by sisters, administrators, teachers, parents, and parishioners over those 150+ years.
Parish Staff and Leadership
Sacred Heart and St. Joseph are served together by a single pastor and shared parish office. Fr. Daniel Steiner is the current pastor; Amy Brown serves as Office Manager.
- Rev. Daniel Steiner — Pastor — 931-853-4371 — [email protected]
- Amy Brown — Office Manager — 931-853-4370 — [email protected]
- Emily Gillespie — Parish Council Chair
- Finance Board Chair (name not listed on site)
- Dianne McMasters — Music Ministry — 931-853-4984
- Tim & Connie Lamprecht — Music Ministry — 931-845-4947
Sacred Heart Catholic School (1872–2025)
Sacred Heart Catholic School served Pre-K through grade 8 for 152 years. Located in southern Lawrence County in Loretto, it also drew students from Saint Joseph Parish. Notable campus additions over the decades include a 1954 basement cafeteria (with near-100% lunch-program participation), a 1963 multipurpose gymnasium behind the school, renovated in 2003-2004, and a 2004-2005 Parish Life Center (PLC) that housed Pre-K (January 2007) and Kindergarten (August 2007). The school closed at the end of the 2024–2025 academic year due to declining enrollment.
- 1947 brick school building blessed by Bishop W. L. Adrian
- 1954 basement cafeteria opens — near 100% lunch-program participation
- 1963 multipurpose gymnasium built behind school
- 2003-2004 gymnasium-cafeteria complex renovated
- 2004-2005 Parish Life Center constructed and dedicated
- 2014 large classroom split into 5/6 and 7/8 classrooms
- 1997-1999 Sisters of the Sacred Heart (Kerala, India) taught religion
- 2011, 2014, 2018 computer lab expansions
- Summer 2019 window updates
- March 2025: closure announced for end of 2024-2025 school year
Ministries and Parish Life
Although a small parish, Sacred Heart maintains an active mix of liturgical, administrative, and community ministries and regularly convenes committees for projects such as cemetery landscaping.
- Music Ministry (Dianne McMasters; Tim & Connie Lamprecht)
- Parish Council (Chair: Emily Gillespie)
- Finance Board
- Online Giving (Sacred Heart and Saint Joseph, via the parish website)
- Homebound Communion Ministry
- Sacred Heart Cemetery maintenance / landscaping (current bid opportunity)
- Annual Mardi Gras Celebration (2nd Annual held in 2026)
Sacraments
Detailed sacramental preparation is handled through Fr. Steiner and the parish office; the parish strongly encourages early contact for weddings and outreach at the first signs of serious illness.
- Baptism: contact Parish Office to schedule with Fr. Steiner
- Marriage: arrangements at least four months in advance; contact Parish Office (931-853-4370)
- Anointing of the Sick: contact Fr. Steiner (931-853-4371) for the seriously ill or those facing surgery
- Holy Communion to the Homebound: ministers visit homes and residential facilities; contact Fr. Steiner or the Parish Office
Visit, Contact & Support
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone, email, or in person at the address below; online giving and event sign-ups are managed through the parish website.
- Address: 305 Church Street, Loretto, TN 38469
- Office phone: 931-853-4370
- Pastor phone: 931-853-4371
- Email: [email protected]
- Pastor email: [email protected]
- Website: https://shsjparishes.com/
- Online Giving (Sacred Heart): linked from parish website
- Online Giving (Saint Joseph): linked from parish website
- Forms & Registrations: linked from parish website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. John H. Hueser (Heuser)1871–1880s (founder)
First priest in Lawrence County; came from Indiana in 1869 and founded Sacred Heart Loretto in 1872. He also founded the mission at St. Joseph and renamed Glen Rock as Loretto after the Italian holy city.
- Reverend Louis Kempheus1905–
Upon becoming pastor in 1905 he began building a larger school; the new Sacred Heart School reopened with the Sisters of Mercy on October 22, 1907.
- Rev. Delphinus "Delly" Mutajukathrough 2024–2025
Pastor during the 2024–2025 school year; in March 2025 he announced the closure of Sacred Heart Catholic School after 152 years.