Our Vision When We Began Planning to Build the New Sacred Heart Church  (2017)

As a Catholic parish in the small town of Strathmore (est. 13,500), we desire to retrofit a former IGA building into a beautiful church, dedicated to Our Lord’s Sacred Heart, for the worship and service of God. We see the location of the new church as a sign of God’s loving providence, as it is located at the core of downtown Strathmore, and only a block from the Catholic primary and secondary schools (700+ K-12 students). Not only will this allow the parish and school to be closely linked, but we would hope that our church can be the spiritual heart of our town. In terms of design, we plan to build a church that uses the best of modern construction techniques and materials, but also one that demonstrates an appreciation for the wisdom and beauty of the entire Catholic architectural and artistic tradition.

We seek to build a new church that will be… 

• A spiritual home for the Catholics of the Strathmore area, and for any visitors who come our way.
• A temple of worship that brings together the past, present and future of Sacred Heart Parish, uniting generations of parishioners in Christ, who is ever ancient and ever new.
• A worthy sanctuary for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass / Supper of the Lamb, and a place of refuge for the wounded and the penitent.
• A place of prayer and silence, offering all who enter an encounter with Our Loving Redeemer in adoration and other devotions.
• A space that inspires full and active participation of the laity in the liturgy, as called for by Vatican II, helping us to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, united to Our Lord, in worship of the Father.
• A place of joy and celebration: where the feasts and solemnities of the liturgical year bring God’s people together in worship with the entire Communion of Saints; where God’s abundant grace is shared with His people through the Sacraments; and where the milestones of life’s pilgrimage (birth, childhood, marriage, family life, death) are observed.
• A house of God that inspires us by the beauty and noble simplicity of its architecture and sacred art, (in keeping with Church tradition and the reforms of Vatican II) to know, love and serve God, who is Truth, Beauty, Goodness and Love.
• A centre of Christian service, helping parishioners to grow in faith, hope and love through the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.
• A base for the New Evangelization, offering the good news of the Gospel to all, and inspiring parishioners to heed the call of Christ to become missionary disciples in the world.
• A school of holiness, forming hearts and minds of all through such means as catechesis and retreats.

Scriptural Texts that Inspire our Vision:

"Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain." (Psalm 127:1)

"Come to him, to that living stone, rejected by men but in God’s sight chosen and precious; and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ". (1 Peter 2:4-5)

"Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool; what is the house which you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things are mine, says the Lord. But this is the man to whom I will look, he that is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word." (Isaiah 66:1-2)