Sacred Heart Parish, Blackheath.

The spiritual needs of Catholics in our area were ministered to as early as 1842 by priests from St Bernard's Hartley. This arrangement existed until 1890 when the Blue Mountains Parish, centred in Katoomba was established. It serviced the needs of the congregations of Blackheath, Mt Victoria and Megalong Valley until 1943. The Sacred Heart Church, was opened and blessed by Cardinal Moran on Australia Day, 1902. In May 1943, a new Parish district with it's centre at Blackheath was created. The Sisters of Mercy from Wilcannia-Forbes Diocese opened a small school in Blackheath in 1912. A larger school and convent followed. This was closed in 1970 and the schoolhouse has been refurbished and now functions as our Parish Hall and office. In the early 90's the decline in the number of clergy dictated the need for change and in 1993, two Sisters of Charity took up residence in the Parish House and the Parish operated without a resident pastor. In 2003, a Dominican sister was appointed to this position. In January 2008, Rev. Robert Sheridan was appointed first as Administrator and then in 2010 as Parish Priest. We have three churches in our Parish: * Sacred Heart Church, 167 Wentworth Street, Blackheat * St Josephs Church, Megalong Road, Megalong Valley * St Paul's Church, Great Western Highway, Mt Victoria