Timely facelift for Sacred Heart Church

ONE of Omagh’s most historic churches has been receiving a long-awaited facelift to celebrate a major anniversary this year.

The Sacred Heart Church in Omagh will be open 125 years later in 2024. Construction on the church was completed in 1899, although it was not officially opened until decades later.

It has been closed in recent weeks to allow for painting and decorating to take place in its interior.

Mass and other services have been taking place in the adjacent St Joseph’s Hall while the refurbishment work remains ongoing.

Refurbishment works took place to mark its centenary in 1999/2000 and the exterior facade of the building was extensively refurbished a decade ago.

Special seminars organised to mark Lent 2024 have been switched to Christ the King Church in Strathroy.

The Sacred Heart replaced an older church which was situated at Brook Street in the town.

A small number of photographs of the opening have survived of the early days of the church, which has been a key focal point now for Catholics locally over three centuries.