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History of Holy Spirit Parish
Holy Spirit Parish became Sacramento’s
fifth Catholic parish on April 1, 1940. In announcing the
creation of the new parish Bishop Robert Armstrong said: “The
new parish will be dedicated to the Holy Ghost, the third
person of the Blessed Trinity, and will be known as Holy Spirit
Parish.”
Rev. Patrick A. McHugh was named pastor and
would carry this responsibility for over 30 years. A vigorous,
forceful and sometimes impatient shepherd, Father immediately
began plans to build a parish church. In the months before
the church was completed, parishioners gathered for Eucharist
at Christian Brothers High School on 21st and Broadway. Building
started in July 1940 and was completed before Christmas came.
Knowing that a church is more than bricks and mortar, Father
McHugh had the following words carved over the entry: “The
charity of God is poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
who is given to us”
In the beginning, Holy Spirit was not expected
to grow. To its south were open fields, a swampy area and
a working tallow processing plant. No one imagined what is
now South Land Park and Greenhaven. Elk Grove was a world
away. The original 400 families of Holy Spirit grew and by
the mid 50’s people stood in the vestibule or on the
front steps to participate at Mass. In 1956, despite the creation
of St. Robert Parish that reduced parish boundaries, a larger
church was needed. Fred Chapek Construction was hired to build
a new wing on the church. This was completed in five months,
opening on Christmas Day 1957.
Committed to Catholic education, Father McHugh
pursued the goal of establishing a Catholic school for the
children of the parish. Money was no object. He directed Lewis
Bennett in 1946 to “Find me some land on which to build
a school.” The original plan had been to build on the
site of the parking lot adjoining the church. Neighbors objected
and refused to allow variances to be made. Only the land near
the Southern Pacific tracks west of Land Park was available.
The present school was built here and opened in 1948 with
Sister Mary Ita Cunningham and three other Sisters of Mercy
in charge. Father promised that no child would be turned away
due to lack of money provided the family were active parishioners
contributing regularly to the parish.
The spiritual legacy of Holy Spirit over the
past half-century is rich. For some families, it is a three-generation
spiritual home. Today, Holy Spirit parishioners honor that
legacy in a variety of ways. Whether one is interested in
our prayer community or our St. Vincent de Paul Society, our
scripture study groups or our 20-90 group, a liturgical minister
or a hospitality minister, or any of our many other groups,
there is a welcome at our table.
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