by L. Burkhart, Parish Pastoral Support Services Department
Photo Credit: Sharon Bender, Parish Pastoral Support Services Department
The beginnings of Sacred Heart Parish were on April 28, 1904, listing Ossa as the parish with Father Michael, M.S. as pastor. On December 9, 1913, the first mass of Sacred Heart Parish in Benson was celebrated. The parish continuously grew and in 1921 a choir loft was added to the church. Through lean and bountiful times, the parish continued to thrive. In 1948 the community joined together to commence the plans to build a new larger church with a functioning banquet center in the basement of the church. The first mass was celebrated on June 16, 1950.
After much discernment, the parishioners of the parish made the difficult decision to close the church. On June 15, 2025, 112 years after the first mass, the decommissioning mass was held. It was on this hot spring day. At 10:00 a.m. the quiet sounds of birds chirping and leavings rustling. As the clock moved closer the 11:00 a.m., the time of the mass, the surrounding courtyard and church overflowed with conversation and joyous greetings as current and former parishioners filled the church. Archbishop Don Bolen presided over the ceremony with Father Anthony Tran, pastor, concelebrating.
Joyous musical sounds filled the church and parishioners participated in all aspects of the liturgical ministry. Those present remembered with fondness the many masses celebrated, sacraments received, weddings witnessed, and the funerals. Participants experienced the emotions of joy, sadness, and hope.
The bells at Sacred Heart parish rang for the final two times, once as parishioners individually venerated the altar and during the recessional song as parishioners went out into the community to continue to spread the words of Jesus.
