SACRED HEART History

PARISH HISTORY

1903

The Church of Sacred Heart was built in 1902 and was dedicated by Bishop James Trobec in the year 1903. Father Stephan Urbanke was appointed as the first pastor, and the small town bears his name. The church cost $4,817 to build.

​

1918

The Sacred Heart School was formed and staffed by Benedictine Nuns.

​

1920s

Father John Sand, who was from Germany, arrived in Minnesota in 1901. He spent 10 years in Urbank from 1912-1922. This was a tough time period for the mostly German ancestral area, as anti-German feelings took hold of the United States.

​

1926

The Parishioners of Sacred Heart took out a $5,000 mortgage to add on to the church and school. This was a large sum of money for the parish. Most of the parishioners were too poor to afford the pew rent of one or two dollars a year.

​

1940s

During the Second World War, German translators were needed for the war effort. Urbank supplied Herb Benzinger. He received the Purple Heart award for the injuries he received in France. The priest at the time, Father Hoffman, calculated a loss of 80 members due to the war.

​

1960s

After the Second Vatican Council, the layout of the church was changed. The side altars were pushed together to create the center altar.

​

2002

In 2002 Sacred Heart celebrated its 100 years of being a parish.

​

2010s

The Old School was removed and a new parish-dining hall was built on the site.