Our Parish History

On the Celebration of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Sacred Heart Church in 1970, a testimonial dinner was held.  The information that follows was documented for that event, and serves as a written history for our parish.  We thank the members of that committee for taking the time and effort to create such a comprehensive document … to serve as testament to the history of Sacred Heart Church.  Additions have been added in brackets [] where necessary.

Though records indicate that some Catholic families settled in the area of Bath as far back as the late 1700’s, it was not until 1920 that a Catholic Parish was established here.  Prior to that time, Catholics who wanted to practice their religion had to journey to Easton, Catasauqua, Bethlehem, or other neighboring towns, posing a trip of some magnitude in those days.

The building also served as a schoolroom for “Sunday” school conducted on Saturday afternoons by the Nazareth Mission Sisters of the Sacred Heart.  After a period of religious training, those of age were prepared to receive the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion.  Many of us celebrating this fiftieth anniversary were in the groups that made their first Confession and first Holy Communion oat the Holy Family Church.  What a thrilling experience it was to travel to Nazareth on the Bath-Nazareth trolley line for this great occasion.

In the fall of 1920 Monsignor Masson of Allentown dedicated the building as the Church of the Sacred Heart.  For two years the parish had no resident pastor and continued to be served by the kindly Father Greifenberg of Nazareth.  Then in June 1922 our first resident pastor, the Rev. Father Jacob William Post, was appointed to the parish.  He worked with fervor and zeal in those early trying days, conducting both German and English services, and in 1931, after nine years of dedication to the welfare of our parish, he was transferred to the pastorate of St. Joseph’s Parish in East Mauch Chunk, PA. 

With Father Post’s arrival in 1922, the needs of our parish became glaringly obvious – a rectory, school, convent and cemetery.  With no living quarters available to him, Father Post took a room at the American Hotel while the house on the corner of the parish grounds was being converted into a pastoral residence.  In September of 1922 some two acres of ground on Penn Street were purchased for a parish cemetery. 

Shortly thereafter, having obtained permission from the Archbishop of Philadelphia, a fine modern school building suited to the needs of the parish was begun.  It was dedicated by Monsignor Masson of Allentown when partially completed in the late spring of 1925 and by fall was ready for classes.  The school, which contained four large classrooms, an auditorium and stage, was placed in charge of the religious Sisters of Mercy, whose Motherhouse is in Dallas, PA.  Because they arrived at the parish prior to the building of a convent, house was a problem which was solved by changing the rectory into a convent for the Sisters .  As a result, Father Post took up residence in the school building itself.  The schoolroom on the northwest corner was altered to provide a small office, a living room and a bedroom.  Father Post resided there until completion of the new convent late in 1926.

 Father Post’s successor at that time was the young and energetic Rev. Father Edward B. Burkhart, who tackled the almost insurmountable job of guiding the parish through troublesome times with new zest and vigor.  With the help and cooperation of the parishioners, he was able to meet the demands of the parish budget and make progress in spite of adverse conditions.  He, too, continued the German prayers and hymns along with the English, and for many years the sermon at the Sunday High Mass was delivered in both languages. 

In 1937 the Borough of Bath observed the bi-centennial anniversary of its founding.  Our parish contribution to the observance of this historic occasion was the holding of a gigantic Field Mass on Fehnel’s Field on August 22, 1937, in which other Lehigh Valley Catholics also participated.  Father Burkhardt was the celebrant of the Solemn High Mass, assisted by Father Post and other neighboring priests, and Monsignor Leo G. Fink of Allentown delivered a stirring sermon on the history of Northampton County.  The men’s choir of St. Joseph’s Church, East Mauch Chunk, augmented by members of the Sacred Heart Choir, sang for the occasion.

The Mass was one of the few, and probably the first Field Mass ever celebrated in this area and was attended by hundreds of Catholics and just as many Protestants.  It was a beautiful sunny day – practically made to order for the occasion – ad all the bleacher seats were filled to capacity, with hundreds utilizing standing room on the well-groomed field.  The celebration of this Mass was one of the highlights of the religious observance of Bath’s 200^th Anniversary, and was shared by all in a spirit of brotherliness.

Twenty years later, in the fall of 1957, Father Burkhardt held another Field Mass adjacent to the Penn Allen Grove for a Boy Scout Jamboree that was being held there.  This was apparently another “first” for the Sacred Heart Church of Bath.

 The present Church is an enlargement of the original, having been altered over the years by first extending the back to add a new sanctuary and sacristies in 1938, and later by expanding and rebuilding the front in 1953.  In the early Church the altar stood where the first pews are now located, and the two naves on either side were the sacristies.  Lengthening this part of the Church added greatly to the seating capacity, which had become a dire necessity.

In the old Church, the present wooden ceiling beams were hidden by a plaster ceiling, which in time began to crumble and fall, causing some anxiety during service.  Later a metal panel ceiling was put up, but finally that was removed and the rafters exposed as they are now with the ceiling raised up to the roof – of course, the beams had to be made presentable and attractive.

From the middle of the old ceiling a spider-like chandelier was suspended – it hung directly over the heating grille of the pipe-less coal furnace in the basement below.  Heat coming up from the furnace caused the chandelier to sway from side to side, but no matter how noticeably it swayed, there was never quite enough heat to warm the Church on a cold winter’s day.  The opposite was true in the summertime, for the Church first had clear glass windows that permitted the direct sunlight to come in hot and bright.  Winter heating of the Church was improved later when hookup was made with the coal-fired Spencer boiler in the school building.  Though this boiler was efficient and a self-feeding type, nevertheless it required constant attention and much ash handling, and so in 1961 the coal boiler was converted to an oil burning system.

In the old Church the confessional was located at the southwest corner of the building.  At the northwest corner there was a slightly elevated platform with a banister enclosure, which served as the choir loft.  It was considered an honor to be permitted to take one’s place there.  A good choir has been synonymous with the Sacred Heart Church throughout its history.  The members of this parish love to sing, and so there was also a good source of recruits for the choir.  We were fortunate, too, in having pastors with good singing voices who took interest in training the choir.  Both Father Post and Father Burkhardt spent endless hours directing the choir at weekly rehearsals, especially in the weeks prior to special Easter and Christmas services.  The present trend to congregational singing is a natural for the Sacred Heart Parish, although it may in time eliminate the need for the type of choir we have known in the past.

For many years after the parish was started, it was the annual custom on Christmas Eve to have the Kris Kindle group of singers visit the homes of the parishioners.  St. Joseph and the Blessed Mother, accompanied by shepherds and angels, on of whom carried the manger with the Christ Child – all dressed in appropriate costumes – went from home to home singing carols and bringing the Infant Savior’s blessing to the families.  No matter how cold or inclement the weather, the group made its rounds and mostly on foot.  Donations were accepted and generally there was a worthwhile and welcome collection to add to the usually insufficient funds of the parish.  [Sacred Heart's Parish Youth Group continues this tradition; albeit not on Christmas Eve.]

Decorating the Church for Christmas was always an exciting time.  Choir and Sodality members generally pitched in to set up the Nativity Scene, which years ago were very elaborate and used to be placed in the Sanctuary beside the Altar.  Later it was moved outside the sanctuary, with the stable and trees being erected over the St. Joseph altar.  In the earlier years, the ladies would get together several evenings, a wee or so before Christmas, to fashion a long garland of evergreens, and this was then hung across the top and sides of the sanctuary opening.  Christmas Mass was held at 6 o’clock in the morning on Christmas Day and the Church was always jammed for this special and inspiring observance of the birth of Christ.

During the trying years of the Great Depression all sorts of fund raising ventures were resorted to, primarily to help raise the money needed just to pay the interest on the parish debt.  There were picnics, ice cream festivals, cart parties, dances in the auditorium, particularly an annual Halloween Ball that drew large numbers of masqueraders from surrounding communities to vie for the prizes awarded for the most outstanding costumes.  There were also musicales ad plays.  Especially effective for many years in raising funds and providing an interest outlet for the young people of the parish was the Sacred Heart Dramatic Society.

This society got its start under the direction of Father Post and continued for a long time under the guidance of Father Burkhart.  The society staged numerous plays, ranging from comedies to religious drama.  It was the custom to put on a Lenten Play each year, with rehearsals being held during the Lenten season when other forms of entertainment were considered taboo.  The society had the reputation of staging fine productions and presented several of these in other localities including Pottsville, Hazleton, Mauch Chunk, Aston and Philadelphia.  The presentations included such plays as Hansel & Gretel, The Prodigal Son, Barter, Pilate and The Cross, Apple Blossom Time, Dust of the Earth, The Fourth Wise Man, Dumb Dollivar, Happy Landings, Polishing Papa, The Ghost Parade, and others.  The Dramatic Society was particularly proud one year to clear over $1,000 for the Parish, and in those days that was considered a great deal of money.

 Ever since the opening of the Sacred Heart Parochial School in 1925 the eight elementary grades have been taught.  Its motto is “Pro Deo et Patria” (“For God and Country”).  It aims to educate the children of the parish for time and eternity, to teach them to “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s”.  To the “ of Reading, ‘Riting and ‘Rithmetic, it adds the fourth “R” of Religion.  Through the generosity of the good people of the Sacred Heart Parish and their friends, the school has prospered and proven successful.  In recent years a lay teacher was added to the faculty, and just within the past year or so some financial aid for the first time has been budgeted for parochial schools by the State government, but it is limited exclusively to helping defray a part of the cost of teaching secular subjects.

 Over the years the Sacred Heart School has always fulfilled all the requirements of the State as to standards for studies and qualifications of teachers, and many of its graduates have gone on to schools of higher learning and have earned degrees in various professions.  Four of its graduates have become Nuns in the Service of Christ – they are:  Sister Reginata, SCC (the former Dorothy Marschang); Sister Mary Electa, RSM (the former Marie Gunther): Sister Mary Franka, MSC (the former Anna Erkinger); and Sister Marie Dolores, IHM (the former Elizabeth Remsing).  Through its own school the parish hopes to give its children every opportunity of growing into upright and honest men and women who will be faithful in the service of their God and Country.  [On October 7, 2004, Sister Agnes Mary (the former Amy Quarteraro) entered the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, NY.]

The parish was indeed fortunate in securing the services of such able teachers as the Sisters of Mercy.  The convent, which was erected in 1926, faces on Northampton Street, and although it is not pretentious, it is complete in every detail.  It contains a Chapel of Prayer, music room, study room, parlor, dining room, kitchen, and all the necessary conveniences for the Sisters who spend their lives in teaching the grade-school children.

In 1964, the convent was completely remodeled and an addition added.  All who have seen the Convent have been delighted with it, and the Sisters are always happy to show their home to interested visitors.  At first we had five Sisters assigned to our parish – four teachers, including the principal, and one Sister in the house – but in recent years the shortage of nuns has reduced our quota to three, who have to take care of their own domestic duties in addition to their task of teaching.

During the late 1920’s and early 30’s, a rather sizeable group of young people were interested in the creation of tennis.  A court was maintained on the grounds directly behind the Church (which then was not used for parking) and weekend matches were played regularly.  Father Burkhardt was an exceptionally find player and was always ready to join in a set.

 Not only was the number of parishioners growing steadily over the years, but also the territory of our parish was also greatly expanded, so that from time to time improvements and additions to the Church were found necessary to accommodate the ever-increasing numbers attending services on Sunday.  Even though the extension to the back of the Church provided space for more pews and others were placed wherever possible, the congregation continued to outgrow the buildings.  It was a common sight for the ushers to bring in chairs and place them up in the middle aisle and along the side aisles.  For many years it was the practice to have only two Masses on Sundays and Holidays, but in recent year san earlier Sunday morning Mass was added for the convenience of the parishioners – this entails the services of a visiting priest coming here each Sunday.

In 1953 the parish decided to enlarge the Church for the second time.  The outside front steps were eliminated and the building was extended out to the sidewalk.  This permitted the erection of steps inside the Church, making it much easier and safer to enter in bad winter weather.  The upper vestibule was extended the full width of the Church to take care of more people.  The choir loft was enlarged so as to accommodate over a hundred people when necessary.  A new organ was placed in the choir loft.  New aluminum doors were installed in the front of the Church.  As the Church stands today, it will seat in comfort over five hundred people.

        Not long thereafter, in January 1958, the parish acquired a 4½-acre tract of land, consisting of the greater portion of the former Fehnel Athletic Field.  This tract lies adjacent to the properties along the east side of Wabash Avenue and extends eastward to the Greenmount Cemetery.  With the northwest section fronting the Northampton Street, that corner was macadamized for automobile parking for the convenience of parishioners attending Church services – about 80 cars can be accommodated.  The remainder of the area is grass-covered and is utilized as a playground for the pupils of the Sacred Heart School.

Located between the macadamized parking lot and the Church grounds stands the former Kunkle farm equipment building.  In 1966, this large barn, fronting on Wabash Avenue, was purchased mainly for the storage purposes.  In 1968 the property just across the narrow alley to the south of the Church was purchased to give the parish more space around the Church and to provide enlarged school playground area, as well as additional parking space. [This building is currently known as the Father Burkhardt Building.  It currently houses the Fr. Post and Monsignor McHale meeting rooms, the Bath Federal Credit Union (in the Fr. Marciano Room) and our Pre-Kindergarten Room.]

Also affiliated with the parish is Troop 43 of the Boy Scouts of America.  Its charter dates back to 1934.  Our Scouts have received many awards over the years for their outstanding achievements in scouting such as Klondike derbies, summer camps, and jamborees.  The troop has the honor of having fostered nine Eagle Scouts, which is a rare achievement.  It is of some interest to note that early in the history of our parish the Knights of St. George sponsored a form of scouting throughout the so-called Knights of St. George Cadets.  This was open to boys of the parish 12 years and older and was quite an impressive group.  They wore snappy uniforms with peak military caps, and looked very much like little soldiers.  There are also a good number of Cub Scouts in Pack 43 and they have been in existence since 1952.  They too are very active in carrying out their scouting deeds and have won numerous honors over the years.  The Scoutmasters and Den Mothers are to be commended for their unselfish sacrifice of time and effort in supplying the leadership required to carry on our parish scouting so successfully.

An impressive representation of the men of our parish also belongs to the Knights of Columbus.  This is probably the best-known organization within the Catholic Church and those representing the Sacred Heart Parish are members in the Easton, Nazareth, or Northampton Councils.  The purpose of the Knights of Columbus is to defend the principles of the Roman Catholic Faith and to protect the clergy in case of need.  [In 2008, Sacred Heart became to our own chapter of the Knights of Columbus; the Father Jacob W. Post Chapter #14464.]

Another active organization in our parish in The Bath Catholic Federal Credit Union (Local #4304).  It was chartered in 1942 and was organized to afford the members of the parish with a convenient means of saving and also to provide the opportunity of securing quick small loan financial assistance when needed.  It has been of real value to its members.

There is also a Teachers’ Aid Society affiliated with our parish school.  This society is made up of the parents and friends of our parish school children.  They assist the Sisters and teachers in issues that arise, as well as with the various school projects that are undertaken. [This organization is now known as the Sacred Heart School Home and School Association.]

The Sacred Heart Parish has grown extensively during these fifty years and has prospered with God’s blessings.  The Church is an indispensable part in the daily life of its parishioners, who are justly proud of the progress they have made since the congregation was founded.  Many have found comfort in knowing that the church always has their spiritual welfare at heart.  All through life, from birth to the grave, the Church strives through the Sacraments to mold the hearts of men after the pattern of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for which the Church was named.  Since 1920, when the Sacred Heart Church was erected, 1,642 souls have received the cleansing water of the Sacrament of Baptism.  The Bishop of our diocese has visited our parish sixteen times during the past 50 years to confer the Sacrament of Confirmation on 1,401 parishioners.  Times without number, members have approached the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion, either to thank God for His blessings, or through these channels of Grace to seek strength and courage to face the daily trials of life.  The frequency of receiving these Sacraments has grown greatly over the years, and while in the earlier years receiving Holy Communion once a month was the accepted standard for fulfilling one’s spiritual obligations, now weekly or even daily reception of Holy Communion is considered the devout practice to follow. [These numbers have increased since the original publication of this document.]

During these fifty years, 525 couples have stood before the altar to make the solemn vows of Matrimony.  The parish records indicate that 408 members of our Sacred Heart Parish have received the last consoling Sacraments of the Church and have found a final resting place in “God’s Acre” the parish cemetery.  [These numbers have increased since the original publication of this document.]

Conditions and times change, of course, and to those of the older generation it seems somewhat regrettable to note the passing of so many of the fine old traditions and customs.  This historical account should not come to a close without noting that our parish did have some difficulties of organization in what was a strongly Protestant community.  There was open antagonism by the Ku Klux Klan, evidenced by cross-burnings and threatening letters, but all in all there was generally a good rapport between the members and pastors of the other churches in town and our own.  Our Protestant friends attended many of our social gatherings and supported our plays and special Church services.  Though we always had organists from members of our parish over the years, on many special occasions, the late Mr. Frank S. Graver, the organist of the Christ Reformed Church, volunteered his professional services.  Rev. Reginald H. Helfferich, formerly pastor of the Christ Reformed Church, and Father Burkhardt were close friends and spent many hours together discussing matters of mutual interest.  A fine spirit of cooperation between the Protestants and Catholics of Bath ahs been prevalent throughout the history of Sacred Heart Church, and as Rev. Helfferich so succinctly stated in answering our Parish invitation to attend Father Burkhart’s 40^th Anniversary in the Priesthood in 1969:  “I remember with a happy heart the evenings the good Father and I spent discussing all manner of joys and problems … the high experience of ecumenical exchange during the Bicentennial – long before Pope John XXIII opened the doors to fullest cooperation.”

IN MEMORIAM