Sacred Heart Church and Parish was discontinued in 1996. A closing Mass was held in December of 1996, with over 300 members attending. Bishop Garland concelebrated the Mass. There was much mourning over the closing of the church. A dinner was held after the Mass and parishioners were encouraged to attend and reminiscence about the long history of the Parish. Many details of the Closing Mass can be found in The U.P. Catholic dated January 3, 1997.
The first white settlers, mostly French Canadians established a Parish in 1898, with over 300 residents registered. The parish was dedicated by Bishop Eis in 1899. On May 26, 1904 the church, rectory and school all burned. The janitor was burning rubbish when a wind blew his little fire out of control. Following the fire, Eugene Daigneault offered his newly constructed barn for services and it was used until another building was constructed. On January 17, 1917 the church burned again. The bells were mounted on a wooden tower. A group of men notched the timbers, as notching a tree to fall it, then tied a rope to the tower pulled it down and pulled it away before the fire could melt the bells. A new brick veneer structure was built and opened in 1918, which was still in use until the Bishop closed it. In 2018 it still stands a very reliable structure, sad situation. The church bells which called parishioners to worship were used for close to 90 years. The large bell that rang for miles around is on display at St Elizabeth Ann Seton in Bark River. The funeral bell is on display at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Schaffer.
Schaffer Quips 