Members of the parish Building Committee, who worked many fiestas and countless breakfast fundraisers and offered their own donations of hard-earned money along with endless prayer, presented Bishop Garcia, on behalf of the parish, with the keys and blueprints to the new church.

“These keys symbolize our trust in God as we entrust this house of worship to the Diocese of Austin and to the church,” committee members Minnie and Rudy Gómez told the bishop. “Thank you to the Diocese of Austin for making this day possible.”

“Do not leave this space empty; come often to pray,” Bishop Garcia told the gathered parishioners. “Come as individuals, come as families, so that the Word may dwell fully within you and within your homes.”

The new church is the fourth built for this Catholic community, which began gathering for worship around 1870. Sacred Heart’s long history, including the presence of Spanish-speaking families since its earliest days, deepens parishioners’ sense of tradition and continuity.

In 1906, Pablo Rosas and his family moved from Manor to Elgin and sought a place to worship. Mexican American families — including the Garcias, Galvans, Rangels, Rosales, Hankes, Chavarrias, Santos, and others — worked on ranches, in brick factories and in coal mines. Rosas led the effort to build a church, purchasing a lot on Third Street. The community raised enough money to buy lumber, and Rosas, a carpenter, built the church with the help of his neighbors. Priests traveled from Austin to provide the sacraments.

During World War II, the federal government built Camp Swift, located 11 miles south of Elgin. At its peak, the camp had a population nearing 100,000. As the war ended and the camp downsized, officials agreed to sell a chapel to the Elgin Catholic community. In 1948, the structure was moved to a larger property on 11th Street. The chapel was destroyed by fire in 1955, four years after Sacred Heart was elevated to parish status. A new church was built and consecrated in 1956.

A beloved feature of the 1956 church was a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that stood in front of the building. Father Paul Hudson, current pastor of Sacred Heart, said the statue is being reconditioned and will once again greet visitors at the new church.

“There is great excitement about the new church, but also some sadness because [the old church] is where many parishioners were married,” said Pete Vega, a lifelong member of Sacred Heart who received all his sacraments at the parish.

“Many longtime parishioners have passed away in recent months and did not live to see the new church,” Vega said, echoing remarks made by Father Hudson during the Mass. “While many parishioners are aging, there is also a growing number of young families, including new arrivals, who are actively involved in parish ministries.”

Father Hudson credited his predecessor, Father George Joseph, with providing the momentum behind the building project. “I told you at my first Mass, ‘It’s going to happen,’” Father Hudson told parishioners. “And here we are, in our new church.”

The pastor thanked the Building Committee, the Catholic Union of Texas (KJT), the Knights of Columbus, the Sacred Heart Society, the St. Vincent de Paul Society and many others who supported the effort.

He paid special tribute to Archbishop Joe Vásquez, who served as bishop during the project’s planning stages, and to Bishop Garcia for continuing that support. This was Bishop García’s first church consecration since his installation.

Father Hudson also recognized Father Zack Rodriguez, the only priestly vocation to come from Sacred Heart in its long history. Father Rodriguez currently serves as parish pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Temple and as a tribunal judge for the Diocese of Austin. Father Hudson urged young men to consider the priesthood.