According to Archdiocesan records, a Parish dedicated to the Sacred Heart was established in 1755. The first Sacred Heart Church was a wooden structure of modest lines and size. It was built on Bushwood Manor about 50 yards from the present church according to Father Edward P. O’Connell, a Jesuit priest and historian, who often came to Sacred Heart to say Mass when our pastor was away. The church at Bushwood was the first one dedicated to the Sacred Heart in the United States.

It is believed that Bushwood received its name from Robert Slye’s home, Bushwood Manor, in England. Bushwood Manor, here in Bushwood, Maryland, was originally part of the St. Clement’s Manor, which was deeded in 1636 by Cecil Calvert, second Lord Baltimore to Sir Thomas Gerard. The 1,030 acres of St. Clement’s Manor extended from the head of St. Clement’s Bay to the Wicomico River and included several islands in the river. It was on one of these islands, St. Clement’s Island, where Leonard Calvert and about 326 people first landed in Maryland. In this group were three members of the Society of Jesus. Upon landing, Father Andrew White, S.J. erected a cross on the island and celebrated the first Mass in the new colony. Leonard Calvert issued a declaration of religious freedom of worship. Unfortunately, this guarantee of religious freedom in Maryland was abrogated in 1689. It was not until after the American Revolution that Catholics were again blessed with the religious freedom for which they came to Maryland to enjoy.

Toward the end of that unfortunate period in our history, Captain Gerard Slye, who had inherited Bushwood Manor through his mother, Susanna (the daughter of Sir Thomas Gerard), established a private chapel at Bushwood Manor House. It was here and in other homes with chapels that Catholics of the area worshiped. The will of George Slye, probated in 1773, provided that the “two acres whereon the small chapel stands” be given to the Church.

As the years passed, the original church proved to be too small for the growing population. In April of 1818 when Father Aloysius Young, S.J. was the pastor, Archbishop Ambrose Marchal visited Sacred Heart Parish on his diocesan visitation and Confirmed about 70 Parishioners. In his diary, the Archbishop referred to “the great piety of the people” and the realization that Sacred Heart Parish “could not contain the multitude.” In June of 1824, the Archbishop returned to St. Mary’s County and Confirmed 106 Parishioners. (Over the years several gentlemen of the parish, dressed in red jackets in his honor, would meet the Bishop on horseback when he arrived for Confirmations.)

In 1887, during the Pastorate of Father Clement S. Lancaster S.J., a festival was held for a new church fund. Fundraising events were held for several years until, on July 24, 1892, the second Sacred Heart Church was dedicated. This church measured 40 X 75 feet and it served the Parishioners for 52 years.

A need for an additional Parish was indicated by the growth of the existing Parish and travel distance required of many of the Parishioners. (A mission in 1902, conducted by the Jesuit Fathers Henry S. Simple and John B. Petter, was attended by 1600 people.) For the benefit of the families in the southeastern part of the peninsula, a new chapel was built in Avenue. This church was dedicated in 1904 to the Holy Angels.

In 1910, after a diocesan visit of His Eminence James Cardinal Gibbons, Father Lawrence J. Kelly, S.J. began work on a hall for Sacred Heart Parish, which was completed in the summer of 1911. Dinners and festivals have been held in the Parish Hall every year up to the present time. Very active in these events was the Sacred Heart Beneficial Society, a charitable organization formed to care for the sick and bury the dead. This organization served as a model for similar societies throughout the country.

Through the efforts of Father Bernard H. Pohlmann, S.J., four sisters of Charity of Nazareth arrived on July 7, 1926 to start parochial schools at Sacred Heart and Holy Angels Parishes. The old Bushwood Manor House, which was left to Father Kelly in the will of Mr. and Mrs. John Renehan, became the first home for the Sisters. Sacred Heart School was opened on September 26, 1926, in the Parish Hall, with Sister Mary Redempta and Sister Mary Louise as the first teachers. On January 5, 1931 the Parish opened its new schoolhouse, a small frame building with a corridor, three rooms and a basement.

Tragedy struck Bushwood manor House on January 4, 1934. Father Stephen Rudtke, S.J. the pastor at this time, had given the Sisters an extra holiday during the Christmas season. It was on this day that the tragic accident occurred. Mr. Julius Johnson and his two sons, Leonard and Bernard, had gone to the convent to see the Christmas Crib. When Sister Maxima turned on the lights of the Crib, one of the bulbs burst and the dry cedar tree immediately burst into flames. The fire quickly spread along the electric wiring throughout the two-story manor. Mr. Johnson attempted to save the Blessed Sacrament, but was unsuccessful. The wind blew the chapel door closed. To protect his own life, Mr. Johnson had to crawl on his knees to open the door. By the time the fire trucks from Leonardtown arrived, only the dining room and kitchen could be saved. The Sisters moved into the Sacred Heart Parish Hall until a new convent was built in Avenue in 1935.

On Sunday, April 16, 1944, tragedy struck again when a bolt of lightning ignited the church building. Despite the efforts of the Leonardtown Fire Department and the Parishioners, the church was completely destroyed. The Blessed Sacrament and many of the Alter vessels and vestments were saved. Mass was offered in the Parish Hall that tragic Sunday morning. The hall served as a church until the third Sacred Heart Church was completed in October of 1945. The new church was officially dedicated on February 16, 1947.

The Parishioners can be justly proud of the beautiful brick church they built (under the leadership of Father Stephen J. Rudtke, S.J.) on the foundation of the old wooden church. When you enter the church, you can see the unique Flemish bond brickwork design of the interior, which overhead, the huge oak beams emanate the sense of solid strength. The interior of the church is bathed in myriad colors as the sun streams through the stained glass windows, which were donated by various Parish families over the years. Three hundred year old cedar trees surround the exterior of the church, thus the descriptive title “Little Cathedral in the Pines.”

Over the years the church has been beautifully decorated for the seasons, but not quite as grand as Christmas. A large star of laurel has hung over the center of the Altar during the Christmas season for years. Captain Fred McWilliams started the tradition and when he was no longer able to continue the service, Mr. Laurie Gibson and family acquired the task. After Mr. Gibson’s death, his son Jim inherited the service and continues the tradition to date. Along with this symbol of the Christmas season, the Altar is decorated with beautiful poinsettias under the supervision of Barbara McWilliams and Mary Ann Hayden. The lighted trees, the beautiful wreaths of green, the children’s tree and all the church decoration are done with the help of many of the Parishioners, both young and old.

No history of Sacred Heart would be complete without mentioning the Greene family. Mr. Harry Green served as the faithful sexton of Sacred Heart church from 1903 until his death in 1966. The job of sexton was truly a family affair. Living in the sexton house, located next to the church, “Uncle Harry”, as Mr. Green was affectionately called, performed his duties as sexton while his wife, “Aunt Ada”, cared for the church linens. After the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Greene, three of their four daughters, Florence, Eva and Loretta continued to serve the church in the sexton capacity until the house was demolished in June of 1991. The demolition of the sexton’s house ended nearly 80 years of continuous and dedicated service by the Green family to Sacred Heart Parish.

Another parish couple instrumental in maintaining the church facilities is Jim and Sue Gibson. All throughout the years, Jim and Sue have spent much time taking care of the church and hall, doing repairs when needed and generally keeping things running smoothly. We must also mention Mr. Harold Redmond, who attends daily Mass and opens the church every morning. In October of 2010, Mr. Redmond turned 100 years of age.

In 1958, Sacred Heart and Holy Angels Parishes decided to combine their two schools by enlarging the one in Avenue. Sacred Heart School was torn down since it was the smaller of the two and in need of much repair. The Sisters of Charity continued to direct the education of the children of the two parishes until June of 1973.

Sacred Heart Parish was served by Jesuit priest from its beginning until 1964, when Father Joseph Kerr S.J., the last Jesuit to serve Sacred Heart, departed. Starting in 1964, the priests of the Archdiocese of Washington were assigned as pastors. Throughout the years, many priests who served Sacred Heart lived in the neighboring Parishes. The changing needs of the parish called for a resident pastor. In 1974, Sacred Heart Rectory was built beside the church.

In 1976, Father William F. Goode came to Sacred Heart Parish. Father Goode served the Parish for 18 years as pastor and as administrator and principal of Holy Angels-Sacred Heart School. During his tenure, many improvements were made to the Parish facilities at Sacred Heart. The church and hall were air-conditioned, two additions were made to the hall, and the roads through the cemetery and the parking lots were paved.

Father Francis J. Early began his pastorate at Sacred Heart in June of 1994. Under Father Early’s direction, many improvements have been made to the Parish. One of his first accomplishments was the procurement of a new organ, an Allen digital organ, which fills the church with its glorious music. New burgundy-colored velvet drapes were installed behind the Altars. The pews and kneelers were repaired and refinished. Recently, the entire church has been re-carpeted. Lovely statues of four angels now grace the interior of our church. Two of these statues are on either side of the Altar of the Blessed Sacrament and the other two are near the front door holding bowls of Holy Water. A beautiful statue of St. Therese is on the left as you enter the church. Members of the Parish donated most of these handsome additions.

Sacred Heart Parish celebrated its 250^th anniversary in 2005. In preparation for this joyous occasion, Father Early had the Agnus Dei tabernacle restored to its original luster by the son of the original craftsman who made it 60 years earlier. The statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which had begun to fade and chip, was beautifully restored and returned to its original place in the church. The Statue of St. Joseph had already had his missing staff replaced. Three Altars, a lectern and a baptismal font, all made of Italian marble, were installed. Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, then Archbishop of Washington, came and consecrated the new main Altar, which features a beautiful mosaic of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Altar contains the Relics of three Saints: St. George, the Patron Saint of England, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque to whom our Lord appeared to reveal the love of His Sacred Heart and St. Francis Xavier, the great Jesuit missionary.

In June of 2008, after 82 years of Catholic education, Holy Angels-Sacred Heart School closed, due to increasing costs and low enrollment. This was a sad day for members of both Parishes. Most of the children attend Mother Catherine Academy in Mechanicsville.

In 2010, Father Early celebrated the 25^th anniversary of his ordination with Mass in the church and dinner in the Parish Hall. Some of Father’s former parishioners and fellow priests joined the Sacred Heart family for the celebration. It was a beautiful affair, which Father Early has said he will never forget.

We pray for God’s continued blessing on our Pastor, our Parishioners, and our Parish. We thank Him for all the past blessings He has bestowed on our beloved…..

Sacred Heart Church, Bushwood
DEO GRATIAS

Priests of the Society of Jesus: 1755 to 1965

Names Unknown, 1755
Rev. John Souge, S.J., 1800
Names Unknown, 1801
Rev. Maximilian Rantzau, S.J., 1817
Rev. Aloysius Young, S.J., 1818
Rev. Peter J. DeVos, S.J., 1819
Rev. Peter Walsh, S.J., 1829
Rev. Stephen Dubuisson, S.J., 1830
Rev. John B. Cary, S.J., 1831
Rev. Peter Havermans, S.J., 1833
Rev. Robert Woodley, S.J., 1840
Names Unknown, 1846
Rev. Michael Dougherty, S.J., 1851
Rev. Leonard Nota, S.J., 1854
Rev. Peter Miller, S.J., 1856
Rev. Charles Bague, S.J., 1858
Rev. Roger Dietz, S.J., 1859
Rev. Francis DeNeckere, S.J., 1860
Rev. Thomas Sheerin, S.J., 1862
Rev. John B. DeWolf, S.J., 1863
Rev. Basil Pacciarini, S.J., 1871
Rev. Edward Boone, S.J., 1875
Rev. Basil Pacciarini, S.J., 1878
Rev. Clement Lancaster, S.J., 1882
Rev. John Finnegan, S.J., 1883
Rev. Clement Lancaster, S.J., 1884
Rev. Francis Lenahan, S.J., 1902
Rev. Lawrence J. Kelly, S.J., 1908
Rev. Michael Hogan, S.J., 1912
Rev. William Cunningham, S.J., 1913
Rev. James Mulvaney, S.J., 1916
Rev. John Butler, S.J., 1917
Rev. John J. Bolster, S.J., 1922
Rev. Thomas I. Cryan, S.J., 1923
Rev. Bernard H. Pohlman, S.J., 1925
Rev. John H. McClosky, S.J., 1932
Rev. Samuel J. Robb, S.J., 1933
Rev. Stephen Rudtke, S.J., 1934
Rev. Joseph F. McAree, S.J., 1938
Rev. Francis McGuire, S.J., 1939
Rev. Louis DeVaney, S.J., 1943
Rev. Stephen Rudtke, S.J., 1944
Rev. Samuel Robb, S.J., 1948
Rev. Merle Baldwin, S.J., 1953
Rev. Andrew Hoffman, S.J., 1954
Rev. John Burton, S.J., 1958
Rev. Edward Kerr, S.J., 1962
Rev. Joseph Kerr, S.J., 1963

Priests of the Archdiocese of Washington: 1965 to Present

Rev. Casimir J. Salkavich, 1965
Rev. Thomas S. Schaefer, 1966
Rev. Desmond P. Murphy, 1971
Rev. Paul J. Lauzon, 1971
Rev. William F. Goode, 1976
Rev. Francis J. Early, 1994
Rev. Charles A. Cortinovis, 2013
Rev. Anthony E. Lickteig, 2015
Rev. Samuel I. Plummer, 2018
Rev. Stephen P. Wyble, 2020
Rev. Kevin A. Fields, 2023

Permanent Deacons of the Archdiocese of Washington: 2017 to Present

Deacon Joseph W. Lloyd, Jr., 2017-Present