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PARISH PROFILE
 Sacred Heart, South Richmond: a Catholic Tradition south of the James
By Steve Neill
Of The Catholic Virginian
Parishioners of Sacred Heart Church in South Richmond are proud of their 106-year-old history which makes it the fourth oldest parish in Richmond.
Both St. Edward parish and St. Augustine parish were spun off from their mother church in 1959 and 1973, respectively, and are now much larger.
Some of the long-time parishioners are concerned, however, about the shrinking number of English-only members who no longer worship at the red brick church which is located at 1401 Perry St. in the city’s Bainbridge neighborhood.
The parish now has three Sunday liturgies in Spanish which draw a large crowd of people, many with young children. The two Masses in English (Saturday at 5:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m.) combined draw normally a few more than 100 people.
“The Hispanic population, based on the numbers coming to Mass, is now 89 percent,” says Jesuit Father Shay Auerbach, administrator of Sacred Heart since June.
While there is no tension between the Anglo and Hispanic populations of Sacred Heart, the inner city parish has recently initiated an ad hoc committee to try to increase numbers at the English-speaking Masses.
 “We’re asking ‘What can we do to rebuild the English-speaking community at Sacred Heart?,’” said Dr. Gregory Toler, a life-long parishioner of Sacred Heart who is part of a five-generation family who continue to worship there. His grandfather and father, then a young boy, were present at the dedication of Sacred Heart Church in 1901.
Dr. Toler, an optometrist whose wife Mabel also worships at Sacred Heart, says he recently looked at the parish’s Centennial directory from 2001.
“I counted 23 or 24 families who don’t go to church there anymore for whatever reason,” he said.
“There is an equal number in the parish bulletin who are on the sick list and a number of them are not able to get to church,” he added.
Perhaps the key to drawing newcomers to Sacred Heart will be informing new residents to the area of the existence of Sacred Heart which is tucked on Perry Street located off busy Cowardin Avenue just a few blocks from the Lee Bridge which crosses the James River. Young singles and families are moving into nearby loft apartments which once served as factories in the Mancester area of South Richmond. Many new townhouses have been built just over the Lee Bridge on the south side of the river.
“We’re trying to reach out to people who do not know us or who may have, for whatever reason, stopped coming,” Father Auerbach said.
Father Auerbach says those who regularly attend the two English liturgies are “a good mix of whites and blacks and Africans.”
Ricky de Jesus, who chairs the parish pastoral council and is an active member of the Hispanic community, feels that Sacred Heart has done “a very good job of integrating the two cultures.”
He suggested that perhaps a sign could be erected at the entrance to Perry Street from busy Cowardin Avenue which would let more people know about the presence of Sacred Heart Church.
 Until July 1990 Sacred Heart had been staffed by diocesan priests. At that time three Jesuits from the Maryland Province arrived, and the Jesuit influence remains to the present day. In addition to Father Auerbach, the parish clergy includes Father G. Harry Hock, who is in residence.
The Hispanic presence at Sacred Heart officially got started in 1992 when Father Ricardo Seidel began having Mass on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Spanish. In April 1996 Father David Stokes, who spoke fluent Spanish, arrived to serve as pastor. The numbers of Hispanics coming for Sunday Mass continued to grow so a second Mass in Spanish was added to the liturgy schedule.
Father Shay, who keeps a weekly count of the five Sunday Masses, says that 709 attended the three Spanish liturgies the weekend of Nov. 10–11. There were 95 people at the two English liturgies. A third Sunday Mass in Spanish was added at 5 p.m. this fall because of the large numbers of Hispanics attending the two liturgies then being held..
“The Sunday Mass at 11 is the most vibrant Mass,” Father Shay said, citing as reasons “the music, the energy, the kids.”
Despite the smaller numbers at the two Masses in English, there is something to be said for it as well, some said.
 “It’s a close-knit community with a lot of different cultures,” said John Guidon who normally attends the Saturday vigil Mass with his wife and three children.
“It makes it easier for the kids to get involved in Mass because the congregation is so small,” he added.
His son, J.P., a sixth grade student at St. Michael’s Episcopal School, is an altar server, who said he got credit for this role as part of community service with his school.
“We’re not going anywhere,” Mr. Guidon said of Sacred Heart. “We’re committed here.”
Deacon Mark Matte, a member of Sacred Heart for 17 years, is frequently present on the altar, but his ministry extends to inside prison walls.
“One of the most rewarding things I do is preach the Gospel and taking the Gospel from the sanctuary outside to the inmates, to the sick and shut-ins and anyone who will listen,” he said.
 One big advantage Sacred Heart has over larger suburban parishes is that it is debt-free.
“The people are very generous,” Father Shay told The Catholic Virginian.
“We get checks from parishioners who are in retirement homes and can’t get to Mass anymore. That’s how devoted they are,” he said.
The former Sacred Heart School, which was once staffed by the Benedictine Sisters of Virginia, closed in June 1987. It was a sad time for long-time parishioners and former students when the brick building, which had opened in 1931, was emptied of desks and other furniture and a “For Lease” sign was posted in front.
The building remained vacant for three years, but came to new life with the arrival of the Jesuits in July 1990 and the Sacred Heart Center was opened.
 The building is owned by the Diocese of Richmond which allows a neighborhood center to operate there under the leadership of an independent board with Dawn Crutchfield, director of the Office for Black Catholics, as diocesan representative.
Since the arrival of Father Shay this past June more parish activities, including religious education classes and dinners, are now being held in the center which is normally vacant on Sundays and on most weeknights.
“We have a great working relationship with Tanya Pleasant, the center’s director,” said Joe Ondishko, a parishioner of Sacred Heart since 1976. He and his wife, Sandy, live in the city’s Woodland Heights neighborhood, eight blocks from the church.
Sacred Heart recently started a Hispanic young adults group which now meets each Sunday at 2:30 p.m. in the White House, an old building behind the church where most parish activities outside of Mass are held. There are about 30 young people who come for the gatherings where Spanish is spoken.
“It’s a small church which has an old comfortable feeling to it,” Mr. Ondishko said.
 He acknowledges there is some concern by long-time parishioners that the parish might cease having Mass in English. He would not want this to happen.
“There’s an uneasy concern about the declining numbers of English-speaking people with the explosion of more Hispanics coming to the parish,” he said.
“A lot of people are worried that the church might become a Spanish-speaking only parish.”
Father Auerbach says he has been impressed by the warmth and friendliness of the people of both communities.
“What has struck me is that they are the nicest people I’ve ever run into in a parish,” he said.“
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Copyright © 2006 The Catholic Virginian Press. Articles from Catholic News Services, including Fr. Dietzen’s column, may not be reproduced here due to copyright considerations.
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