Parish History
Sacred Heart in Enumclaw is a small rural parish in the growing town of Enumclaw, Washington. There are currently about 700 people that attend Sunday Mass. The parish has a deep history rooted in the Faith of parishioners in Enumclaw and the surrounding towns.
Established in 1888, Sacred Heart was originally a mission church of Holy Family parish in Krain (10 miles to the north). It became a parish in its own right in 1898. Eventually, the railroad came through Enumclaw and both the town of Krain and Holy Family church gradually diminished. Now only the Holy Family Cemetery at Krain remains near the site of the old Krain church.
Settled by Eastern European Catholics, Sacred Heart continued many of their strong traditions & devotions. Even now, more than a hundred years later, one old world tradition still survives: every year on November 1st, the Feast of All Saints, candles are lit on all the graves in the old Holy Family Cemetery at Krain and the rosary is said as darkness falls.
The original Sacred Heart church was downtown at Griffin and Porter. It was built in 1887-9 but sadly burned down in 1911. Rebuilt on the same site, Sacred Heart remained there until the parish outgrew the building. In 1973, the parish moved to its current site but brought along the steeple from the old church as a memorial to our history and to the faith of those who came before us.
Fr. George Rink was pastor during the building and relocation. We have him to thank for a job well done. Monsignor Farrelly is our best known and remembered pastor (1934-1970 AD) — partly because of his longevity (he was pastor for 36 years!) but also because of the strong impact he had on people. For example, he loved little children and always carried Tootsie Roll candies in his pocket as a little treat. The long driveway behind the parish office is named Tootsie Roll Lane in his memory.
Other more recent pastors have included: Fr. Bill Hausmann, Fr. Dick Basso, and Fr. Gary Zender. It was Fr. Gary who renovated the current church adding a skylight and baptismal font along with removing the “wonderful” orange carpet that once covered both walls and floor. Thank you, Father Gary.
In more recent years, Father Jim Northrop brought his strong faith and amazing singing voice to our parish from 2000 to 2005. Father Victor Olvida followed: broadening our understanding of the Church throughout the world as he shared stories of growing up in the Philippines. He was followed by Father Jose C Chavenia, Jr., also from the Philippines, who liked to be called Father Junn. Father Junn brought a quiet, healing presence to Sacred Heart at a time when we most needed it. Unfortunately, he was only able to stay with us for two years. Father Anthony K.A Davis under his dynamic leadership, has renewed its desire to be placed of welcome and loving service from 2011-2021.
Today, Father Louis Cunningham is our priest administrator. Father Lou grew up in the South Seattle area, and was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Seattle in 2018. He prays as we continue to delve into the love that Jesus has for us, we deepen our communion of Faith, Sacrament, and Charity. Now, as in years past, our parish strives to live out our faith and share our love as disciples of Jesus under the mystery of his most Sacred Heart.
