The site of Our Lady of Fatima Church and School was acquired by
warranty deed dated July 2,1929, the gift of Harry and Katherine Owen,
and George and Elizabeth Parrish, to A.T. Daeger, Archbishop of Santa Fe
in Trust for the benefit of the Roman Catholic Church. Elizabeth Parrish
was the sister of Harry Owen.
Mrs. Helen Ross petitioned Archbishop Byrne to establish a new Parish in
the mid-1940's. A mission church under the mother Parish of St. Charles
was established in the spring of 1948. A surplus army building which the
Mission Mass League prepared for use as a combined Church, School and
Rectory first occupied the site acquired in 1929. This building, known
as "The Barracks," was in use until 1983 for many parish activities. The
first Mass was celebrated on July 1, 1949.
A fundraising campaign sponsored by the new Parish and by St. Charles
Parish made possible the construction of a school. His Excellency, the
late Archbishop Edwin B. Byrne, broke ground on July 3, 1949. "Heights
Catholic School" enrolled its first pupils in the fall with Sister M.
Ignatia as its first principal. The school which consisted of
151students in four grades taught by three nuns was formally dedicated
on January 29, 1950.
The new convent for the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids was blessed
and dedicated in December 1951.
Four classrooms were added to the school and the rectory was purchased
in 1954. The school in its newly improved building had grown to the
full eight grades. Discussion of plans for the present Church edifice
was begun in 1953, when the Archdiocesan Fund Campaign was held. Rt.
Rev. Msgr Jose Garcia, V.G.., broke ground and construction started on
January 19, 1957. The "Fight to the Furnish" was conducted in May of
that year to provide the necessary furnishing and equipment for the new
church.
The Church was formally dedicated on May 4, 1958, by the late Archbishop
Byrne. The relics of Saints Vincentius and Charus are in the main
altar; Saints Felix and Laetus are in the East altar and Saints Beatus
and Clementis are in the West altar.
A gift bequest in 1980 from the Helen T. Gallagher Estate led to the
construction of Fatima-Gallagher Hall. The hall is a multipurpose parish
center which was dedicated on January 8,1984. Many parishioners joined
in the campaign, "Project Parish", to provide the necessary funds.
