Sacred Heart Church (Portland, Maine)

Sacred Heart Church is an historic church building in Portland, Maine owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland. Built between 1896 – 1915, it was designed in the Renaissance Revival style by architects Francis H. Fassett and Edward F. Fassett. It is modeled after the Marseille's Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica. It was Francis Fassett's final commission before his 1906 death. It was the city's third Catholic parish. Bishop James Augustine Healy appointed Irish-born Father John O'Dowd as its first pastor. The building's first mass was held on April 4, 1897.[1]

Sacred Heart Church
General information
TypeChurch
Location65 Mellen Street, Portland, Maine
Construction started1896
Completed1915
OwnerRoman Catholic Diocese of Portland

In 1997, the Diocese closed nearby St. Dominic's Church and merged the parish into Sacred Heart to form the Sacred Heart/St. Dominic Parish.

Located in Portland's densely-built and primarily residential Parkside neighborhood, the Church was founded to serve the city's large Irish-American population. However, by the 2000s, the parish has grown to include a significant population of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers from Sub-Saharan Africa and Central America.[2]

Renovation

In 2013, a $200,000 capital campaign began to raise funds to restore the church’s bell tower, repair its bell, and repaint the window sashes. However, when renovations began, engineers discovered that more money was needed to repair the roof over the altar.[2] In 2015, local historic preservation organization Greater Portland Landmarks placed Sacred Heart on its "Places in Peril" due to years of deferred maintenance and repairs and urged its supporters to help fund renovations.[3]

References
  1. Barker, Matthew Jude (2014). The Irish of Portland, Maine: A History of Forest City Hibernians. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1-62584-512-2.
  2. Guthro, Dave (January 27, 2016). "Portland Parish nears capital campaign goal to complete repairs on historic church". Bangor Daily News.
  3. "Sacred Heart Church". Greater Portland Landmarks.

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