Church’s renovations foster spiritual renewal at Sacred Heart in Rockport

Parishioners at Sacred Heart in Rockport celebrate Mass in their newly renovated sanctuary. Father Raynaldo Yrlas, Jr., pastor, incenses the altar. Contributed photo

Sacred Heart Church in Rockport is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year with renovations that have transformed the church and inspired its parishioners to take a look back at its colorful history with reverence.

The history of Catholics arriving in the Rockport area can be traced back to at least 1838, according to historians at Sacred Heart. That is when two Vincentian priests from Missouri made the trek to Texas to investigate the possibility of starting a church in the area.

Decades passed as various priests, missionaries and bishops traveled throughout the coastal areas of south Texas looking to start a new church. It is believed the first Mass in Rockport was celebrated in a house on Austin Street, owned by Judge John Hynes, sometime between 1868 and 1870.

With the help of local settlers and immigrants who wanted a permanent place to worship, construction on Rockport’s first Catholic church, Sacred Heart, was completed in 1889. Just a few months later, the wooden church was destroyed in a severe windstorm. The church was rebuilt in 1891. The current structure was built in 1954. The last major renovation occurred in 1988.

Father Raynaldo Yrlas, Jr., pastor at Sacred Heart, said reflecting on the church’s past 125 years will give parishioners a unique perspective into the hardships endured by those who founded the church more than a century ago.

Workers rebuilt the Altar at Sacred Heart in Rockport. The ornate marble altar partially comes from a repurposed communion rail from San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio. Contributed photo

“Taking a look at our history will give us a chance to reflect on where we’ve been, where we are currently and where we are going in the future,” Father Yrlas, who has been at Sacred Heart for three years, said.

Instead of opting for parties, luncheons or BBQ’s commemorating 125 years, Father Yrlas said a better way to celebrate would be an extensive renovation of the church.

“A beautiful church always lifts the soul. It takes your spirituality to a different level. Also, we began to receive comments from parishioners that a renovation to the church was badly needed,” he said.

Fred Gibbs, a parishioner at Sacred Heart since 2006, said the renovations are being undertaken in three phases. Gibbs, along with Tom DeGrazia, B. J. Kittle, Ed and Barbara Morikawa, Gary Mysorski and Mary Alice Pena, serve on the Gateway Into Worship oversight committee.

“The first phase was to perform emergency repairs to fix water leaks whenever it rained,” Gibbs said. “We wanted to make sure any renovations we started inside wouldn’t be ruined by a leaky roof.”

Gibbs said second phase renovations began the day after Easter 2013 and continued for six months. The church was closed during the renovations. The Activity Center, which also serves as the school gym, was refurbished and a sanctuary, altar and a sound system were added to make it functional for Mass.

Original Sacred Heart Church superimposed on architect's rendering of the ultimate look of the church when it is completely renovated. Contributed photo

“We started after Easter and wanted to be done by Christmas. The entire inside of the church was redone. All statues were restored, the sanctuary redone, new lighting, new pews…it was a total overhaul of the inside,” he said.

Also rebuilt during this phase was an ornate marble altar, which partially comes from a repurposed communion rail from San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio.

The third phase of the renovations is currently underway with engineering design and includes the addition of a narthex—entrance area—to the church.

“This will provide 2,000 square feet of additional space, an inside gathering space, ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act] compliant restrooms, a choir room, a baptismal font, overflow seating for 75 and a shrine area for the Sacred Heart statue,” Gibbs said.

The campaign for this part of the renovations is called “Gateway Into Worship” because the new narthex will be a new entrance into the church, a new “Gateway Into Worship,” he said.

Father Yrlas said he has noticed an upswing in attendance and attributes it, in part, to the renovations.

“We have a largely transient population of parishioners year-round that include Winter Texans and summer vacationers, which also helps our attendance,” he said. “We’ve seen an increase of people coming in from other faiths, too.”

Gibbs explained the renovations were a perfect time to investigate the history of the church and the early settlers to the Rockport area. He found a dedication booklet from 1954, which chronicled some historical facts from the 1800s. The research blossomed from there.

“With the help of long-term parishioners, we added both earlier and later history of the church in this area, so now we have a history from the earliest explorers to today. I believe our rich history helps people see the sacrifices others have made over the years and helps our stewardship and campaign efforts,” Gibbs said.

(For an overview of the history of Sacred Heart Parish in Rockport, including information on early settlers to the area, visit the church’s Web site: www.shcrockport.org.)