Our History

Sacred Heart   

 Gaffney  ~   

Dedicated in 1955

The first Catholic Church in Gaffney was St. Patrick, dedicated on October 31, 1920.  St. Patrick was torn down in 1934 and the land was sold April 29, 1953.

The first historical account of the Church of the

 Sacred Heart begins with the arrival to Gaffney of

 the Vincent Caggiano Family.  In addition to the family's contribution to the economic life of

 Cherokee County, this family whose forebears sprang from among the simple but strongly devout peoples

 of Italy, served as a rallying point for the few and organized Gaffney Catholics.

The Caggiano's felt strongly the call to lead in bringing the comforts and joys of the faith to there fellow Catholics in Gaffney.  Thus,  it was in the basement

 of the Caggiano home at 701 Union Street that the

Chapel of the Sacred Heart was built. On Sunday, January 20, 1950, the first holy Mass was celebrated with thirty-eight in attendance.

Before long the weekly attendance taxed the capacity of the chapel.  An organ was acquired, a choir formed, a Sunday school was instituted. A steering committee met with Bishop John Russell and Rev. Maurice Daly, pastor of St. Paul's in Spartanburg and was granted permission for the project.   The Caggiano family donated the land for the church at Vernon and

 Grace Streets.  Father McInerary drew up the

 plans for the new church. 

Construction began in June 1954, on October 9, 1955, the church was dedicated as a mission of St. Joseph,

 in Spartanburg.  On June 15, 1981, Sacred Heart was elevated to parish status with the arrival of Rev. Edward Tuohy.  Today,  Sacred Heart is home to

 almost 300 families.  The current pastor is

 Father James Touzeau.