1907 - "The Johnny Appleseed" of Western Massachusetts Polish Parishes,
Rev. Wladysaw Kielbasinski, says the First (Nov. 10, 1907) Mass
in the Easthampton Town Hall . . . with the first parish collection
of $9.97 - opening the Parish Fund!
1908 - Reverends Leon Jandy Marcin Piechota of the St. John Cantis
Church of Northampton become"Liaison Pastors" for the newly forming
Sacred Heart Parish.
1909 - November 18th - Rev. John Mard becomes the first Resident Pastor
- a tenant in a parishioner's home! The church is built - from
this church, Rev. John Mard issues his first financial report
December.
1911 - Rectory is completed by Rev. Waclaw Lenz.
1914 - 1915 - Pastorship of Rev. Bartholomew Slawinski, "The Young Builder
of the Sacred Heart Parish" - (the school & the convent).
1925 - First Parish Mission given by the Jesuit Fathers
1918 - 1988 - The School Years
1918 - July 14th the cornerstone is laid for the Sacred Heart School.
The Architect: Bruno Woz - the Contractor & Builder, a parishioner,
Jan Topor - cost: $60,000 - $78,000 (all furnished)
1919 - August 31 - Bishop Thomas Beaven blesses the school - September
- Doors open to 400 students and 8 Franciscan Sister Teachers
of the St. Joseph Order - from Buffalo, N.Y.
1921 - June - 21 students graduate from the Sacred Heart School whose
motto was: "For God and Country" - Dla Boga i Ojczyzny (as of
1989 the first Sister of the graduating class celebrated her Diamond
Jubilee - Sister Mary Melania! As of 1989, two of the graduates
are a part of the Parish, one is a member of the Immaculate Conception
Parish, one is living in Connecticut,the remaining are deceased.
September enrollment increases to 500 students.
1921 - 1922 - Construction of the Convent
1922 - Franciscan Sisters move into the new convent - leaving their
living quarters onthe third floor of the school.
1923 - Franciscan Sisters leave Sacred Heart - they are called to
teach in the Conventual Franciscan Fathers' Parishes. The Felicians
from Lodi, N.J. take over the school. The first Sister principal
was Sr. Mary Alexa, C.S.S.F.
1944 - The School celebrates its Silver Jubilee.
1969 - The School celebrates its Golden Jubilee.
1986 - The Class of '85-'86 is the last class to graduate from Sacred
Heart.
1987 - Grade eight is phased out.
1988 - Grade seven is phased out - There is the June closing of Sacred
Heart School - In Spetember the students of Sacred heart are assigned
to attend: NDIC School of Easthampton; Mater Dolorosa School of
Holyoke; and the Easthampton Public School System.
September 10, 1908 - recorded with the Registry of Deeds - Northampton - approximately,
two acres of land, along Knipfer Avenue to the corner of Franklin
Street, and along Franklin Street to the present driveway of the
convent area, are purchased by the Bishop of Springfield for $1200.00
from Oscar W. Knipfer and Bertha J . Knipfer - Fr. Marcin Piechota,
of St. John Cantius Church of Northampton, was the liaison pastor
of our newly forming Sacred Heart Parish.
July 10-11, 1916 - recorded with the Registry of Deeds - Book #723 - Northampton
- in consideration of $1.00 and other valuable considerations,
two lots are purchased by the Bishop of Springfield from Bertha
J. Knipfer - land, from the Sacred heart Center driveway (present)
along Franklin Street to the corner of Davis Street and up Davis
Street to the Alexander Popielarczyk property. - This is the land
on which stand the Sacred Heart School (Tri-County High School),
The Sacred Heart Center and the garage. Rev. Bartholomew Slawinski,
Pastor, 1914-1925 foresaw the need of land for a Parochial School
and a Convent. - There is no document record about some land donated
to the parish by Stanislaw and Katarzyna Popielarczyk at the time
the rectory was being built in 1911, family members inform us
of such a transfer of land as a goodwill gesture. The first resident
pastor, Rev. Jan Mard, was a tenant in the Popielarczyk home!
September 4-6, 1923 - recorded with the Registry Of Deeds - Book #795 - - Northampton
- eight acres of land, Mayher-East Streets, purchased by Rev.
Bartholomew Slawinski, Pastor, from Wincenty and Walerya Tomaszewski
for the St. Stanislaus Cemetery. The chapel on the cemetery dates
to 1954, under the pastorship of Rev. Stanislaw Zdebel.
November 7, 1946 - recorded with the Registry Of Deeds - Book #1012 - Northampton
-two lots on Knipfer Avenue and Franklin Street (across from the
church) were purchased by Rev. Stanislaw Zdebel from Michael and
Ludwika Niemiec, for the present parking area. Michael was the
well known photographer of all church activities.
July 10-14, 1980 - land, on Knipfer Avenue, across from the rectory, was purchased
by Rev. Ladislaus Szymczyk, from Joseph and Anne Block, parishioners,
for a parking area. This purchase was made possible through the
estate donation of $10,000.00 of Rev. Stanislaus Wojcik, a popular
Assistant of the parish, 1953-1965. Total cost of land as recorded
in the deed was $12,000.00.
We Celebrate Jubilee Years Of The Sacred Heart Parish: 1935 the Silver Jubilee - Pastor,
Rev. Dr. Andrew Lekarczyk; 1958 the Golden Jubilee - Pastor, Rev.
Stanislaw Zdebel; 1984 the Diamond Jubilee - Pastor, Rev. Ladislaus
Szymczyk; 1989 the Eightieth - Pastor, Rev. Ronald Sadlowski.
