Sacred Heart Parish 1889-1999

One hundred ten years ago, in 1889, a mission station was established in Dexter, Missouri. Four years later it became a mission of the Poplar Bluff parish. Mass was celebrated in the homes of parishioners until 1898, when land was purchased and a small white frame church was built.

In 1909 Sacred Heart became a mission of Malden, Missouri with the Rev. Bernard Ponce de Leon (a descendant of the explorer Juan Ponce de Leon) appointed to serve both parishes. He continued to travel between the two towns for twenty-five years.

Membership continued to grow, which resulted in the 1949 appointment of Rev. Raymond P. Slay as the first resident priest. A home was purchased in that same year, to serve as a rectory. Because of continued growth, a new brick church and hall were constructed in 1954.

The Diocese of Springfield - Cape Girardeau was established in 1956, and Sacred Heart was transferred from St. Louis to the new diocese.

As the parish flourished and times changed, CCD classes were begun in 1966. Classrooms were added to the church hall in 1972, and with the addition of a resident Sister in 1977, a convent was purchased.

Sacred Heart's growth, in part, is due: to the fact that our parishioners come from several nearby communities. Members live in Bell City, Bloomfield, Essex, Bernie, Wappapello, and Puxico, as well as Dexter.

Nearly one hundred years after the first mission was instituted, the parish dedicated a new 8,000 sq. ft. parish center in 1988, reflecting the growth of the parish community, and its commitment to the Dexter community. The parish center not only serves the needs of the parish, but is an integral part of the social community, as well. The center is used for wedding receptions, birthday parties, basketball practice, Boy and Girl Scout meetings, fund-raising events for various service organizations, blood drives for the Red Cross, and is utilized daily during the winter by "walkers."

As the millennium approaches, Sacred Heart is again facing changes necessary to accommodating our ever-increasing number of parish members. Though structural renovations may be made, the heart and soul of Sacred Heart will continue to be, as it was one hundred ten years ago, the devoted families who live their faith in the Dexter area.