Church has a lot to celebrate

A cigar maker, a mason, a widow and a seamstress from France.

They were among the 43 founding families of St. Louis Parish, founded in 1860, back when Tampa was just a spit on the map.

They didn't know it then, but they were part of history. These men and women would form the foundation of what would become one of downtown's most venerable institutions and architectural jewels.

In 1905, the congregation left its little wood-frame church and moved into a grand new facility with a new name - Sacred Heart - on North Florida Avenue. Built by the Jesuits for $300,000, the Romanesque building with a granite and white marble exterior and 70 stained-glass windows still awes first-time visitors. While downtown Tampa has changed dramatically in the last century, the church hasn't.

"I always say if these walls could talk, they would have a lot of stories to tell," says the Rev. Andrew Reitz, senior pastor.

The priest is a Franciscan friar, a member of the religious order that took over Sacred Heart from the Jesuits five years ago. Some parishioners fretted about the change. The Jesuits were so intertwined with the church, how could it possibly survive under different leadership?

Catholics like tradition. Reitz jokes that he threatened to change out the church's statue of St. Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits, to St. Francis. And that he would change the Jesuit slogan on the ceiling - "To the Greater Glory of God" - to his order's motto: "My God and My All."

"That got folks a little nervous," he says with a laugh.

It's all good news at Sacred Heart. Since the Franciscans arrived, attendance has jumped to 1,700 families - an increase of more than 400. Dozens of ministries are active. There's a renewed emphasis on reaching out to college students. And special attention is directed at the business community, with monthly lunches for downtown workers and daily morning and noon Masses.

Encouraging trend

The future is bright, if you consider that most members are ages 25 to 45. If a church is going to grow, it has to have younger parishioners. Reitz is encouraged by the number of people moving into the downtown district. It's a reversal of what's been the national trend in recent decades, as people left the cities, and their once-thriving churches, for suburbs.

Want to marry at Sacred Heart? You have to book ahead - way ahead. The church averages 80 to 90 nuptials a year.

"As downtown Tampa moves forward, we will, too," Reitz says. Enrollment is growing at the church's school, Sacred Heart Academy, which serves youngsters from early childhood to eighth grade.

With so much to celebrate, this year, its 150th anniversary as a parish, Sacred Heart has a lot planned. With the theme "Sharing of God's Love for 150 Years," the church is sponsoring special Masses honoring Jesuits, military personnel and Catholic schools. Concerts, retreats, a movie showing, historical displays and a tour of a Catholic cemetery are in the works.

Two of its most prominent projects: the creation of a collage featuring 200 photos of ceremonies held in the sanctuary dating back to the late 19th century, and a First Families initiative that seeks to honor descendants of the original founding families.

"Being here conjures up a lifetime of memories of weddings, baptisms and communions," says Patrick Cimino, medical director of HealthPoint Medical Group in Tampa and a fifth-generation member. "It has a mystical feel to me."

His mother's ancestors were among the founders. They helped build the original St. Louis Church. He feels tremendous pride in this institution and hopes the yearlong anniversary celebration is embraced by the community.

Peace and comfort

Longtime member Elaine Carbonneau is a founder of Friends of Sacred Heart, a parish group that supports projects that aren't included in the church's operating expenses. Members made the church's massive renovation and stained-glass window overhaul possible. She also guides tours of the sanctuary.

She sees Sacred Heart as a spiritual magnet that draws people of all faiths when they need to be close to God. Whether it's a police officer's funeral or the aftermath of Sept. 11, the building's beauty gives visitors peace and comfort.

"I think people are drawn here because this feels like a church they went to in their youth," she says. "You don't have to be Catholic to appreciate what Sacred Heart means to our community with its rich history and constant presence. We're opening the doors to bring everyone into our experience."