Sacred Heart Parish, Pullman

Sacred Heart Parish is a Roman Catholic community located in Pullman, Washington. Founded in 1913, our parish is now home to 400 families who come together to worship, grow in our faith, and serve our neighbors. 

Second annual state of the parish report, November, 2020

Estado de la Parroquia 2020

First annual state of the parish report, October, 2019

See video of the 2020 report below (con subtítulos en Español):

Pullman, Washington lies in the center of an area that experienced a great population and agricultural boom during the late 19th century. Margaret and Thomas Savage were early pioneers who made Pullman their home. Like many early settlers, Margaret was a devout Catholic, a wife, and mother. Thomas was a convert to Catholicism. Together, the Savage family regularly opened their home to visiting priests to say Mass for those in and around the Pullman area.

The turn of the century saw an influx of Catholics to the region, making Mass in the Savage home impractical. The Pullman Catholic community needed a church. With the help of Father L. Brucker, pastor of neighboring Rosalia, the group bought an existing church building at the corner of State and Olson streets.

Nearly a decade later, in September of 1913, the fledgling Sacred Heart Parish welcomed a full time pastor, Fr. Jean Jacques "Emile" Frederick (pictured). This was a tumultuous time for Pullman, which was still recovering from the great fire of 1890 and the devasting flood of 1910. This was a time of disaster and renewal. Washington State University was in its infancy, new buildings emerged, and roads were paved with red brick. 

By 1920, Sacred Heart Parish had grown to about 200 families and had a new pastor, Fr. Carl Philipp. With the financial support of parishioners, funds were raised to purchase land and build a new church. Yakima architect, John Maloney, who designed dozens of churches for the Archdiocese, was hired to design the new church. (He is also responsible for Smith Gym and Wilmer-Davis Hall on the WSU Pullman campus). For under $18,000, Fr. Philipp's vision for a new church was realized under the leadership of his successor, Fr. Oakley O'Connor. The new, present-day church, was dedicated May 24, 1936 by Bishop Charles White, and now includes parish meeting spaces, classrooms, and an outdoor gathering space.


With the continuing dedication of students, parishioners, staff members, deacons and priests, Sacred Heart Catholic Church will continue to be a close-knit, vibrant, faith-filled community, as it has been since its founding. 

Stations of the Cross.
In 1938 founding pastor Fr. Oakley O’Connor asked parishioner and WSC art instructor Bill Ryan to design and craft 14 Stations of the Cross and a sanctuary crucifix. Ryan enlisted the help of Betty Jean Whiteman, a junior in fine arts. But Ryan left the college midway through the project. Whiteman sought the help of Glen Whiffin in industrial arts. She graduated in 1939 and later married. As Betty Whiteman Feves she was active in the professional art field. Feves died in 1985.

Crucifix.
Carved by Betty Jean Whiteman in 1938.
Located in a brick grotto in the church annex.

In 1978 Fr. Severyn Westbrook commissioned an avant-garde statue of the Holy Family from furniture store owner Jim Boesel as part of the renovation of the church sanctuary. It was Boesel's first major wood-carving job, The sculpture was carved from a maple tree originally from Walla Walla. It has been a fixture in the niche to the left of the sanctuary for the past 35 years. Boesel later moved to the Portland area and continued to create fine furniture and woodcarvings.

Andre Rublev's icon of the Trinity, 
Located above the tabernacle.
Installed in 2007.
Painted by Roman Catholic Priest and iconographer Don Gianluca Busi, Professor of iconography at the theological Faculty in Cagliari, Italy.
He donated it to Sacred Heart Parish to mark the marriage of Pullman resident Andrea Vogt to Marco Bittelli of Italy. More information about Don Busi can be found at www.ilsegnodigiona.it

Explanation of the icon (from a sermon given at St. John's Anglican Church in Camberwell, England. The link takes you to their website). 
Additional explanation (from an online Orthodox Library of the Russian Orthodox Church in Baltimore, MD, From the book “Thoughts on Iconography” by monk Gregory Krug).