2 Samuel 7:5

When we think of a church, what readily comes to mind is a building set aside for worship. The early Christians met to celebrate the Word and the breaking of the bread, the Eucharist; in homes, in the catacombs and, around the beginning of the third century, in public buildings. The public buildings in Rome that were converted into churches were, normally, public courthouses with columns; an apse which served as the sanctuary; and a nave which accommodated the faithful. This style of church building has influenced the development of ecclesial architecture for centuries.

When it comes to the history of the Catholics of Okeechobee, Florida, from our humble origins until the present, masses have been celebrated in homes; in fields; in a Masonic Temple; in a little Prairie chapel for forty years; in a larger chapel on S. W. 6th Street for fifty one years; and now in 2012, in an appropriately constructed parish church. It has taken us a long time to get to this stage; to be exact, ninety one years.

Today Saturday, November 3rd, 2012, Bishop Gerald Barbarito will dedicate our newly constructed parish church on the same site of the original chapel on S. W. 6th Street. This new parish church is designed to celebrate the Eucharist according to the liturgical norms of the second Vatican Council (1960-1965). An Oratory has been added, opposite the sanctuary, for daily Masses and to be used during the celebrations of the Easter Tridium.. This beautiful Oratory, which has a see-through window into the main sanctuary, can also accommodate an overflow congregation during week-end masses.

Other important features of our new parish church are:

1. Stained glass windows of the fourteen stations of the cross in the main church; and stained glass windows of the eight beatitudes in the Oratory.
2. A large Porte Cochere at the entrance.
3. A modern audio/visual system with control room in the main church..
4. Access to a re-modeled Loggia from the main church after masses. The design of our parish church has maintained some features of the old chapel such as access to the re-modeled Loggia.
5. A side aisle opposite the sanctuary into the adjoining hall in case of an overflow congregation.
6. A new sacristy, confessional, bathrooms, baptistry area with flowing water font, and a large foyer at the entrance

Rome, they say was not built in a day. Neither was our parish church. It took years of sacrifice and generosity by the parishioners of Sacred Heart to prepare the way for this day when we would have a permanent parish church. We thank God for bringing us to this stage; and we pray for all our generous parishioners, living and dead, who made it possible.

Fr. Hugh Duffy