Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Rowlett, the second Catholic church organized in Dallas County, grew from the devotion of Patrick McEntee, an Irishman who came to Texas in 1874 and, as a farmer and merchant, helped build the railroad in the area. Tradition holds that services were conducted at his home before the church was built, and the parish's first baptism in 1898 was that of his grandchild. McEntee provided the land for the church and cemetery. Built in 1899, the structure was dedicated in 1900 by Bishop E. J. Dunne. Its thirteen stained glass windows were reputedly imported from Germany as memorial tributes, and one near the altar was donated by Bishop Dunne. In 1922 parishioners turned the building to face the new Bankhead Highway and reset it on the original foundation, so that the cedars now backing the church had once stood in front. Ladies of the Altar Society raised funds for substantial remodeling of the Gothic Revival style edifice in 1955-56. Although population loss once threatened its survival, membership grew as newcomers settled in the community, and weekly mass is now celebrated for a fellowship that includes descendants of the earliest families.