About Sacred Heart · White Deer, Texas
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is a small but historically significant parish serving the Polish-American farming community of White Deer, a town in Carson County in the Texas Panhandle. Founded in 1913 by Polish settlers descended from the Panna Maria colony — the oldest Polish settlement in Texas — it is the only identifiable Polish settlement in the Panhandle and falls under the Diocese of Amarillo. The parish grew with the area's oil boom, survived a 1951 tornado that turned its buildings into a temporary school, and is today supported by roughly 40 farm families, while drawing hundreds back each year for its legendary Polish Sausage Festival.
- Established
- 1913
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Fr. Guadalupe Mayorga
- Diocese
- Diocese of Amarillo
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is a living piece of Texas Polish heritage — the only identifiable Polish settlement in the Texas Panhandle — and offers an intimate, family-sized parish experience rooted in a century of tradition. Visitors and parishioners are welcomed into a community that still gathers for the beloved annual Polish Sausage Festival, prays the Stations of the Cross together during Lent, and keeps the memory of its 13 founding families alive through its 'Roots of Faith' history book and Texas Historical Marker. Whether you're Polish by ancestry or simply seeking a faithful, neighborly Catholic home in the Panhandle, Sacred Heart offers a warm, enduring place to worship and belong.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 10:15 AM – 10:30 AM (before Mass)
- By appointment (per parish listing on DiscoverMass)
Parish History & Polish Heritage
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is the spiritual heart of White Deer's Polish-American community — itself the only identifiable Polish settlement in the Texas Panhandle. Founded in 1913 by descendants of the Panna Maria colony (the oldest Polish settlement in Texas, established in 1854), the parish grew out of necessity as twelve families settled the Panhandle and gathered for prayer in one another's homes before a church could be built. The first Mass on May 30, 1913 — the Feast of the Sacred Heart — was offered in a wood-frame church the settlers had built and paid off themselves for under $4,000. Father C.J. Bier presided, and the first baby baptized in the new church was Charles Casimer Warminski. For its first fourteen years the parish was served by visiting priests; Father M. French became Sacred Heart's first resident pastor in 1927.
- 1909 — Henry Czerner and Ben Urbanczyk scout Panhandle land from Panna Maria.
- 1913 (Feb) — Father C.J. Bier purchases land for the church.
- 1913 (May 29) — Original wood-frame church completed.
- 1913 (May 30) — First Mass, on the Feast of the Sacred Heart.
- 1914 (Aug 18) — First wedding: Louis and Agnes Haiduk Bednorz.
- 1916 (Sep 22) — First funeral: Mrs. Jacob Tuleja.
- 1927 — Father M. French becomes first resident pastor.
- 2012 — Texas Historical Marker erected.
- 2013 — Centennial celebrated with 'Roots of Faith' book and Mass by Bishop Zurek.
The Polish Sausage Festival
The annual Polish Sausage Dinner is Sacred Heart's signature tradition and the engine that built the present church. It was established in August 1939 by Father Zienta as a way to preserve Polish heritage and raise parish funds. The first dinner was held in the open pasture because there was no parish hall yet; women of the colony made the sausages themselves, and the event grew from there. It was suspended during World War II, revived in 1957, and its proceeds underwrote construction of the current church completed in March 1962. The dinner has been paused and restarted several times over the decades — most recently revived after a brief disbanding — and still draws 300 to 400 attendees each year, many of them descendants returning from across the country.
- Founded August 1939 by Father Zienta.
- Originally held in the open pasture.
- Suspended during WWII; revived 1957.
- Proceeds funded the new church (completed March 1962).
- Still draws 300–400 people, mostly returning descendants.
Buildings, Architecture & Memorials
The present Sacred Heart church replaced the original wood-frame building in March 1962. Adjacent to it stands the rectory, and between them a statue honors Robert Lane McCreary, who died at sea on October 27, 1964. The parish hall, still in use, has an unusual origin: it was a surplus hospital unit purchased from Pampa Air Force Base on May 5, 1948 and converted by the parish committee into a community gathering space.
- Original 1913 church: wood-frame, slate grey with white trim, cost under $4,000.
- Current church: completed March 1962, funded by Polish Sausage Festival proceeds.
- Parish hall: surplus military hospital unit from Pampa AFB (acquired May 5, 1948).
- Memorial statue of Robert Lane McCreary (d. Oct 27, 1964) between church and rectory.
Clergy, Staff & Pastoral Succession
Sacred Heart's pastoral history reflects both the mobility of Polish-American priests in Texas and the parish's transition from mission-status (served by visiting priests) to a full resident parish in 1927. The current pastor at the time of the 2013 centennial was Father Mieczyslaw 'Mitch' Przepiora; the centennial Mass was concelebrated with Father Frank Kurzaj of San Antonio and Bishop Patrick Zurek of the Diocese of Amarillo. Deacon John Peters, originally from Sacred Heart White Deer, now serves at St. Mary's Cathedral in Amarillo and presided at the 2013 'coming home' reflection.
- Father C.J. Bier — founder/first celebrant (1913).
- Father M. French — first resident pastor (1927).
- Father Zienta — founder of the Polish Sausage Festival (1939).
- Father Mieczyslaw "Mitch" Przepiora — pastor at 2013 centennial.
- Father Frank Kurzaj (San Antonio) — centennial concelebrant.
- Deacon John Peters (St. Mary's Cathedral, Amarillo) — native son, 2013 'coming home' reflection.
- Bishop Patrick Zurek (Diocese of Amarillo) — presided at centennial Mass.
Mass, Sacraments & Devotions
Sacred Heart celebrates Mass in English on a small but steady weekly schedule suited to its rural Panhandle setting, with opportunities for confession before Sunday Mass and by appointment. During Lent the parish gathers for Stations of the Cross following Friday Mass.
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00 PM (English).
- Sunday Mass: 10:30 AM (English).
- Confessions: Sundays 10:15–10:30 AM and by appointment.
- Friday weekday Mass: 9:30 AM (subject to change during Lent).
- Stations of the Cross following Friday Mass during Lent (6:00 PM).
- Baptism, Marriage, and Funeral ministries offered; the parish's earliest records show baptisms, weddings, and funerals dating back to 1913–1916.
Visit, Contact & Location
Sacred Heart sits at 613 N. Main Street in White Deer, Carson County, in the Texas Panhandle — at the corner of N. Main and Hwy. 60. The parish office can be reached at (806) 537-3677, with an alternate line listed at (806) 883-4781, and full Mass and confession information is posted at sacredheartwhitedeertx.com. As with many small rural parishes, email and active social-media channels are not currently published.
- Address: 613 N. Main Street, White Deer, TX 79097.
- Phone: (806) 537-3677 (parish); alt (806) 883-4781.
- Website: http://sacredheartwhitedeertx.com/
- Located at N. Main Street and Hwy. 60.
- Diocese: Amarillo.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father C.J. Bier1913 (founding)
Purchased land for the church in February 1913 and offered the first Mass on May 30, 1913, the Feast of the Sacred Heart. Visiting priest from the region.
- Father M. French1927
Became Sacred Heart's first resident pastor.
- Father ZientaAugust 1939
Established the Polish Sausage Festival/Dinner to preserve Polish tradition and raise funds; suspended during WWII.
- Father Mieczyslaw "Mitch" Przepioraat least through 2013
Pastor at the time of the parish's 100th anniversary celebrations.