In 1909, Henry Czerner and Ben Urbanczyk, both originally from the Polish colony of Panna Maria, Texas, came to the Panhandle and secured a block of land near White Deer. By 1913, twelve Polish families had settled there, and without a church they often held prayer services in individual homes while a visiting priest conducted Mass once a month. Funds were raised, Father C.J. Bier purchased land for a church in February 1913, and while men constructed the building, women and children worked in the fields; Sacred Heart was completed on May 29, 1913. The parish grew, and in 1927 Father M. French became the first resident pastor. During the Oil Boom, Sacred Heart expanded as area residents attended Mass there because of the lack of Catholic churches nearby. Father Zienta established the Polish Sausage Festival in August 1939 to preserve Polish tradition, but it was discontinued during World War II. On May 5, 1948, the church committee purchased a hospital unit from Pampa Air Force Base and converted it into the parish hall. After a tornado struck White Deer in June 1951 and destroyed the elementary and high school, Sacred Heart temporarily served grades five through eight. The Polish Sausage Festival was revived in 1957, and its proceeds helped build a new church completed in March 1962. The statue between the church and rectory honors Robert Lane McMreary, who died at sea on October 27, 1964. Catholic priests helped early Polish settlers become part of the community, and Sacred Heart has continued serving its neighbors as a welcoming place of worship and hope.