Sioux City - Blessed Sacrament

SIOUX CITY - In September of 1922, Bishop Edmond Heelan disturbed many northside Cathedral parishioners by announcing the formation of a new parish to serve the families living north of 21st Street. Bishop Heelan had great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and so named the parish after it.

In the beginning, Pastor T.M. Coughlin celebrated Sunday Mass in the unfinished auditorium of North Junior High School where parishioners sat on folding chairs on the stage. Later the auditorium was completed and they sat in tiered seating. The Sisters of Mercy from St. Joseph's Hospital furnished linens for the altar and conducted weekly catechism classes for the 226 families of the parish.

For several years weddings and funerals had to be held at the Cathedral. The first baby baptized was Gene Francis Fleming, on Sept. 24, 1922 and the first couple married were Francis Leo Mosher and Cecelia Marjorie Johnson, on Oct. 18, 1922. By 1924, lots in the 3000 block of Jackson Street had been purchased and the first parish building, church in the basement, school on the second floor and parish hall on the top, was completed. At that time Dominican nuns took over the education of the parish children.

Father Flanagan was appointed pastor in 1933 and remained until his death in 1973. He was instrumental in planning and building the new church, convent and rectory. During the Depression years the church put off any building plans and worked at staying financially stable by meeting its debt on the school, and other parish property.

In 1948 additional lots on the block were purchased for expansion, and in 1950 a rectory, convent and base of the bell tower were built. The church building was erected, and parishioners celebrated the first Mass on Sept. 4, 1955; the parish had 687 families. 1960 saw the expansion of six classrooms, offices, and an auditorium added to the existing school building.

At Msgr. Flanagan's death, Msgr. Richard V. Sweeney was named pastor and served from 1973 to 1989. The Dominican Sisters left Blessed Sacrament in 1986, and 1987 brought the creation of Angel House, a preschool and daycare center in the remodeled convent. Father Laurence J. Burns became the pastor from 1989 to 1996.

During 1993, Father Burns ordered repair work done on the 131-foot church tower. The landmark was found to be structurally sound, but extensive repair work had to be done on the tower as well as the roof and drainage system. A capital improvement campaign was started to finance the repair of the tower, and maintenance on the interior of the church and school.

Father Thomas E. Geelan was named pastor in 1996. On Dec. 28, 1999 an electrical short started a fire in the rectory. Msgr. Michael Sernett, a priest in residence, was the only person in the building and escaped without harm. Considerable damage was done to the rectory. At this time a decision was made to move the rectory across the street to 607-609 30th Street, and convert the former rectory into a parish center.