A Growing Metropolis and the Construction of Sacred Heart

Sacred Heart, as we know it today, was once the hallmark of a rapidly growing Tampa metropolis. In just a few decades following the Civil War, the city population grew exponentially, from around 750 residents in 1880 to more than 37,000 in 1910. At that time, Tampa’s Catholics had outgrown their original house of worship, St. Louis Parish, built in 1859 and expanded twice in the ensuing decades. When Sacred Heart was dedicated on January 15, 1905, the neighboring block to the south of the newly constructed church featured an uncommon downtown element: trees and green space, along with its predecessor, the small, wood-framed St. Louis Parish. 

Taking nearly seven years to complete, the marble-clad, Romanesque structure of Sacred Heart was immediately considered one of the country’s “most beautiful churches south of Baltimore,” according to the Tampa Morning Tribune. The church’s central rose window on the front façade was, at the time, the largest stained-glass window of any church in the United States.

Now 120 years later, Sacred Heart remains a steadfast presence in a constantly evolving downtown Tampa. During a 2021 news feature, a church Historical Society docent said, “To have a touch of the old, maybe the ancient, goes deeper than the more modern structures [around us].” The widely shared report showcased drone footage filmed inside the church by local media and promoted one of the principal ways Sacred Heart shares its history and the Catholic faith in Tampa Bay with the greater community.

Historical Tours and Community Outreach

On the second Sunday of each month, docents from Sacred Heart’s Historical Society offer tours to the public following the noon Mass. The topics for each tour rotate, providing parishioners and visitors with a fresh perspective every time they attend. One month might focus on the church’s architecture, while the next could feature a deep dive into the stained-glass windows or the depictions of angels throughout the sanctuary and nave. Annually, the public is invited to join in a special Christmas season tour. On December 26, the docents combine their talents and, dressed in period attire from the early 1900s, present a tour featuring all the themes covered throughout the year. 

“It’s a pleasure to share what we have here at Sacred Heart with our community,” said Dan Winegrad, chair of the Historical Society. “We get people from all over, no matter their religious affiliation or denomination. It’s uplifting.” 

Sacred Heart’s docents have also offered their services nearly a dozen times in this Jubilee Year of Hope, greeting and providing tours to visiting congregations from parishes across the region as one of the Diocese of Saint Petersburg’s designated pilgrimage sites.

The Jackson Legacy

Local history buffs might recognize the names of John and Ellen Jackson. Immigrating independently of each other after the Great Potato Famine began in Ireland in the 1840s, they met in St. Augustine, married in 1847, and settled in Tampa. The Jacksons were devout Catholics, “which was uncommon but not rare in early Tampa,” according to Rodney Kite-Powell, the official historian for Hillsborough County. Mr. Jackson, a surveyor, mapped much of frontier Florida. He plotted and named each of downtown Tampa's streets. Both he and his son Thomas served as mayors of the city. The Jacksons recruited nuns from Key West and petitioned the Diocese of Savannah for priests to be sent to serve the growing community.

The Jacksons are credited as founders of the Academy of Holy Names and Sacred Heart. Mrs. Jackson also sponsored one of Sacred Heart’s original windows, depicting St. Patrick as a bishop. Docents from the Historical Society impersonate the pioneers during their Christmas tour, alongside other notable historical figures like Nicholas Clayton, a Texas architect who designed churches across the Southeast.

Modern-Day Civic Connections and Outreach

Sacred Heart hosts several outreach initiatives, collaborating with ecumenical and secular partners to evangelize and live the Gospel. The Historical Society partnered with the City of Tampa for Archives Awareness Week, hosting an event as part of the city’s annual celebration. 

Modern-day civic connections include ministries to the homeless and community invitations to Mass. Parish volunteers regularly assist the city and Diocese of Saint Petersburg Catholic Charities, hosting supply drives for Tampa Hope, in addition to the parish’s own weekly hot-meal ministry, Hands of Hope, which often works in tandem with homeless liaisons from local law enforcement agencies to get the word out. 

Bikes from the Heart, a ministry devoted to repurposing disused and broken bicycles to be donated to the transportation- disadvantaged, was recognized in 2024 by the Tampa Downtown Partnership with an Urban Excellence Award for Best Downtown Collaboration. The ministry receives unclaimed bikes from police department impounds, Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART), and the University of Tampa. 

The parish is registered and active with both the Downtown Partnership, and the local tourism board, Visit Tampa Bay. This makes it easier for new residents and visitors to find the church, whether they’re interested in attending a Mass while traveling or finding their new spiritual home following a move.

“People are interested in what we’ve been able to preserve and develop here,” Winegrad said. “Recently, we’ve even had folks from as far off as Sweden. They saw our tour sign while roaming downtown and came on by.”

Both he and the docents hope their passion for history and their church will help preserve the connection the Catholic faith has to Tampa for another century and more.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church Christmas Season Historical Tour

• Date & Time: December 26 at 1:00p.m. in the church followed by a reception in the neighboring St. Francis Hall.
• Tour Highlights: A comprehensive overview of themes from the year.
• Special Feature: Docents dressed in early 1900s period attire.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church Monthly Historical Tour

• Date & Time: Second Sunday of each month after the noon Mass.
• Tour Highlights Experience something new each month, from architecture to stained-glass windows.