Parish History

The early history of Sacred Heart Parish, Royersford, began with an intertwining of her sister church, St. Joseph, in Spring City. The first Mass was celebrated in this twin-borough area at the residence of Mrs. Frances Sherry on Pikeland Avenue in 1891. It was determined at the time that Mass would be celebrated at least monthly at the Sherry residence and then in various locations around Spring City and Royersford.  Winter's Hall on Second Avenue and Main Street became the first tentative location for the Royersford community of worshippers. In 1916 the St. Joseph and Sacred Heart missions formed separate worship communities; at that time the priests from St. Ann Church in Phoenixville assumed the spiritual duties for Sacred Heart parishioners. As the number of Catholics steadily increased, property for a larger house was purchased at Fifth and Walnut Streets in 1923. This location was considered the original Sacred Heart Church, with 95 worshippers present for the opening Mass. 

Following the five-year administration of the parish by Reverend Bernard J. McGinnis, Reverend Joseph J. Conway was named administrator in 1930, serving in that role until 1954. During his tenure, plans and arrangements for the construction of a new Sacred Heart Church, a parish school and convent, got underway.  Land was purchased in 1953 at a very low price from the Bard Family on Lewis Road and Walnut Street. Ground was broken in April 1954, just two short weeks following the transfer of Father Conway to St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Phoenixville as its new pastor. Reverend Laurence F. Kelly briefly served as administrator for one year and was the first to celebrate Mass in the newly constructed half-million dollar Church on December 4, 1955. The official dedication and laying of the cornerstones for the new Church, school, and convent occurred on April 15, 1956.  The mass was presided over by then-Archbishop of Philadelphia, John Cardinal O'Hara.  Anticipating the realization of a parish school, the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Chestnut Hill were invited by Father Kelly to begin instructing children at the Friendship Fire House on Green Street as early as 1954. Three Sisters commuted from St. Francis of Assisi Convent in Norristown, instructing 141 students in grades 1-6 that year. At last, the new Sacred Heart elementary school was officially opened in January 1955 and the convent opened on March 19th of that year, on the Feast of Saint Joseph. An increase in enrollment would continue steadily for the next 25 years. 

During the1960s and 1970s, as the population surrounding the Royersford area continued to flourish, neighboring parishes became independent. Thus, in 1973 Sacred Heart Church became an independent parish with Reverend Daniel Sheehan becoming the first pastor of the new Sacred Heart parish. He believed that whatever you give with your heart will come back to you tenfold.  His seventeen years as pastor reflected this motto. As the parish witnessed significant change, growth, and development.

In 1986, the parish once again purchased property from the Bard family and their home became the new parish rectory. The personal generosity of Fr. Sheehan was noted by the many people whom he served, both spiritually and financially.  He was particularly solicitous toward the needs of the Sisters of St. Joseph, who served the school and parish until 1989 when the school began to reflect a diminishment in numbers. Likewise, with fewer vocations for the Sisters of St. Joseph, they could no longer staff the school. Father Sheehan's long tenure as pastor concluded in 1990 when he was reassigned to serve as chaplain at Camilla Hall in lmmaculata, PA. The new pastor, Reverend Thomas Doyle immediately set to work to stabilize the parish's finances and raise some much-needed funds for internal projects.  A significant initiative on his part was the idea of having an annual Parish Fair. Beginning as a small-scale barbecue and hayride, this little weekend event has blossomed into a popular four-day extravaganza, complete with rides, food, games, and entertainment.  Now, approximately 800 "work slots" are filled with parishioners who offer their time and talent in the preparation of the Fair, working at booths, and offering hospitality and fellowship. Bringing the Royersford community together continues to be an important contribution offered by the Parish Fair in addition to being a quality fundraiser for the parish.

Early in 2000, in order to attract the involvement of youth and their sports' teams, parishioners urged Father Doyle to begin the construction of a gymnasium. The gym was completed in 2005, two years before his seventeen-year tenure as pastor ended.  In 2007, Reverend Timothy Judge was named the third pastor of Sacred Heart parish. This would be Father Judge's second appointment to the parish. He first served our community from 1979 to 1982 as a newly ordained priest. Although his pastorate only lasted three years, he is remembered for his spiritual guidance, especially toward the sick and those with special needs. With the Church beginning to show signs of wear and tear, Father Judge initiated projects to not only repair and update the Church but to beautify it as well.  After having a new Church roof installed in 2008, Father Judge turned his attention to the interior of the Church. Three of his noteworthy initiatives toward beautification were the commissioning of murals of angels to adorn the sanctuary walls, the relocation of the Tabernacle to the center of the sanctuary, and the addition of marble behind the altar surrounding the crucifix.

Following Father Judge's reassignment in 2010 as Chaplain in the Holy Redeemer Health System, the parish was ready to welcome its new shepherd and fourth pastor, Reverend Peter J. DiMaria. Having a pastoral vision that sees God as our final end, Father DiMaria emphasized the need for all to place Almighty God at the center of their lives.  In January 2012, Father DiMaria had the sad duty of assisting in the school restructuring plans set forth by the Archdiocese for the closing of the Sacred Heart School and its merging with St. Eleanor's School. Holy Cross Regional Catholic School opened in the Fall of 2012 with some 615 students from grades K-8.  Continuing with the necessary internal projects, such as the renovation and repair of the Church interior, Father DiMaria also undertook some new initiatives which would bring about community building and various opportunities for outreach. Emphasizing the importance of spiritual development, he quickly established the location of the Little Flower Perpetual Adoration Chapel, adjacent to the rectory. Small group sharing meetings in parishioners' homes, a yearly Triduum in honor of St. Therese of Lisieux, parish missions, outreach to the needs of the people in Appalachia, and Date Night for married couples, were just some of the many newly initiated programs, some of which were modeled after the ideas established in the Rebuilt program started by the Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Maryland. In addition to continuing to repair and beautify the Church interior, a noteworthy improvement took place in the former school cafeteria. January 2015 marked the opening of the Fellowship Café — a meeting place where parishioners could now gather before and after all of the Sunday Masses for food, conversation, and camaraderie as well as periodic presentations by invited speakers.  Many experience the room as a comfortable, welcoming space for regular worshippers as well as those who may be returning to the Church after years of absence. 

In May of 2017, Fr. DiMaria was named the Associate Director of Spiritual Formation at St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in Indiana.  The following month, Sacred Heart welcomed Rev. Tadeusz Gorka as our fifth Pastor.  Fr. Gorka continued the beautification of Sacred Heart by adding a Grotto honoring Mary as Our Lady of Lourdes on the side of the rectory as well as a koi pond with a statue of St. Francis on the rectory patio.  As a native of Poland, Fr. Gorka has a strong devotion to St. Faustina.  He had an image of St. Faustina and a copy of the Divine Mercy Image installed by the statue of St. Joseph in the church.  The Parish Pilgrimage was also instituted under Fr. Gorka with visits to holy sites in Poland, Spain, and Portugal among others.

Looking ahead to the future, Sacred Heart parishioners are filled with hope, dedication, joy, and faith, along with the accompanying daily challenges and important decisions. A vibrant pastoral council, a talented financial team, a dedicated staff, a thriving Religious Education program, long-time parishioners as well as new young families, choir members, and liturgical ministers paint the picture of a parish that is enthusiastic, supportive, generous, and God-centered. Truly, Sacred Heart Parish strives to live its mission statement which reads: Love God, Love Others, Make Disciples!