More About Sacred Heart
In 1941, Sacred Heart parishioners were active in several societies called the Holy Rosary, the Holy Name Society, the Order of St. Francis, as well as two choirs.
In 1956, the parishioners of Sacred Heart church celebrated the diamond jubilee of their Catholic community. It was a day of triumph for Sacred Heart parish, many of whose founders were among those who braved the unknown dangers of the pioneer years.
The following year in 1957, the parishes of Sacred Heart and St. Patrick's were consolidated due to a lack of priests in the diocese. To this day, Sacred Heart church is the only Catholic church in Minto.
To symbolize their unity in the new parish, the Irish and the Polish of Minto placed statues of their national patrons inside of the church. St. Patrick and St. Stanislaus statues represent the Irish and Polish respectively.
Since July 16, 2005, Sacred Heart houses one of the few Adoration Chapels in small town North Dakota. Christians are welcome to adore our Lord Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar six days a week (not Saturdays). (Please call the parish office for open times if you wish to visit our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.) Our Good Shepherd waits to shower His people with graces through His Divine Presence – body, blood, soul, and divinity. The parishioners of Sacred Heart and surrounding Catholic churches have adored Jesus for tens of thousands of hours in over 15 years. Visit the Adoration Chapel page.
In the early 1970s, Sacred Heart church's interior was painted white. In 2007, extensive renovation transformed the inside of the church. The church was rewired and repaired. Along with painting and stenciling, a mural of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was added to the sanctuary above the high altar. A new baptismal font, pulpit, and Altar of Sacrifice were constructed to match the altars that had been acquired from St. John the Baptist church in Ardoch (six miles south of Minto) after its closing.
Handcrafted in Bethlehem, an intricately carved olive wood statue of the Holy Family was welcomed into Sacred Heart church in 2011. Around 60 Christian families in Bethlehem support their families financially by selling several different types of olive wood statues. Some of the olive wood trees are 100 years old or older. The shrine was erected to give hope, guidance, and devotion to a renewal of marriage and family life as we strive for holiness in a culture of death.