Sacred Heart Catholic Church will celebrate its 110th Anniversary with a Mass on June 22. (Mary Meaux/The News)

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Sacred Heart Catholic Church will celebrate its 110th Anniversary at 10 a.m. June 22 with Bishop David Toups as the principal celebrant and Rev. Anthony Afangide.

 

The church is located at 920 Booker T. Washington Ave. The theme is 110 Years of God’s Grace and Blessings. The celebration aims to honor the church’s rich history and bring the community together to inspire future generations, according to information from the church.

 

During the Spindletop oil boom there was a large influx of African Americans of Catholic faith moving from southwest Louisiana to southeast Texas. Under the Diocese of Galveston, Bishop Gallager felt the need to send the Josephite priests which had been serving black and Native missions, to consider establishing missions in southeast Texas.

 

Sacred Heart Catholic Church is the second oldest African American parish in the Diocese of Beaumont and oldest African American parish in the city of Port Arthur, according to the church.

 

The church was born during a hurricane in 1925. When Rev. Alexis LaPlante arrived in southeast Texas  he learned many of the parishioners in Port Arthur spoke French more fluently than English. Being a native of Canada he was bilingual in both languages. 

 

Masses were celebrated in Port Arthur in the Longshoreman’s Hall and the congregation grew in population. Through donations LaPlante was able to build a small wooden church which began the history of Sacred Heart Church.