Every Catholic Church is named after some particular saint or mystery of our religion.  Rev. Fr. Paul, O.M.Cap., who built our first church, having deep devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, dedicated the church in Park to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  The church is therefore known as the Church of the Sacred Heart. 
The original population of Park consisted of various nationalities: Irish and English – converts, Germans from different parts of Germany, and immigrants from the Volga and Odessa territories of Russia.  Earliest missionary work, from 1886 to 1896, among the Catholics was done by secular priests.  Later the Capuchin Fathers in charge of the spiritual welfare of the German-Russians in Ellis County came once a month to Collyer and Angelus to say Mass and administer the Sacraments.  From 1896 – 1901 the Capuchin Fathers gave week day service to the Park with Mass being celebrated in various private homes.
During the incumbency of Fr. Paul O.M.Cap., the way was prepared for the establishment of a parish and the building of a church.  In 1898 a letter was sent to the Most Reverend John J. Hennessy of Wichita, then administrator of the Diocese of Concordia for permission to construct a church.  Mr. Peter Schamber took charge of finding a location for the church.  Mr. Ellithorpe, and acquaintance of Mr. Schamber, donated the entire block twelve of Buffalo Park, 15 acres of land for a cemetery, and $400 in cash.  The deed was written in the name of Bishop John J. Hennessy on September 8, 1898 and recorded in the Gove County Court House on September 23, 1898.
During the year of 1899 and the spring of 1900, the first Catholic church, a frame building, 30 x 60 feet, was erected on the southwest corner of block twelve by Mr. B. Albers of Angelus with his son and brother-in-law assisting him.  There was no cornerstone laying ceremony. In 1901, on the patronal feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the church was dedicated.  Rev. Fr. Clement Pfeifer, O.M.Cap., preached the sermon with Fr. Paul and Fr. Richard also present.  The cost was over $800.  It was alternatively reported by Mr. Schamber that the cost was about $1800.  The money was collected through donations from Catholics and non-Catholics, farmers, laborers, and bankers living at Gove, the county seat, where Fr. Paul was very favorably received.  Additional funds were raised through a well-attended picnic at which two cows were raffled off for the benefit of the church.
The first child baptized in the new church was Maria Elizabeth Jegen on January 20, 1901 by Fr. James, O.M.Cap.  The first couple married in the church were Joseph Schwarz and Ada Hoff in August, 1903.  The first baptism recorded in church records is that of Barbara Zerr on February 21, 1904 and the first recorded marriage in the official church register is that of Michael Zimmerman and Barbara Bitz on November 6, 1905.  The first burial registered in official church records was that of Theophil Waldman, January 22.  The year is not recorded, but was probably in 1906.  The first deceased parishioner buried in the Sacred Heart Cemetery was the Frank Zimmerman, 1 ½ year old son of Rochus Zimmerman on February 22, 1899.  The first Confirmation was administered by Rt. Rev. J. F. Cunningham, Bishop of Concordia, on November 7, 1904.  At the same time the two church bells were consecrated. 
In 1901 the care of Sacred Heart Parish was transferred from the Capuchin Fathers to the diocesan clergy.  A rectory was built in 1904 by Rev. Martin Schmidtt, then rector of Angelus, at a cost of $2100 with the money being collected from the parishioners.  The two story structure consisted of an office, parlor, dining room, and kitchen on the first floor and four bedrooms on the second floor.  Mission priests used the rectory until January 1905 when Rev. L. Wahlmeier was appointed the first resident priest. 
By 1907, a larger church was needed due to families immigrating from Russia and other countries.  In 1908 Fr. Hoeller had an architect design a new church, but because of crop failures the newly planned church was postponed to better times.  In 1909, the church was extended twenty feet and a steeple was added.  In order that the Sisters of St. Joseph could teach at Park, a convent was built.  The St. Joseph Sisters taught grade school as well as in Park Rural High School.  The Sisters had charge of the District School beginning in1909.   
The addition to the church was no longer adequate to accommodate the growing congregation so again plans were made for the construction of a new church.  The cornerstone was laid October 25, 1921, by the Most Rev. Francis J. Thief, Bishop of Concordia.  The following year, August 23, 1922, the Ordinary of the diocese dedicated the new House of God in the presence of twenty-five visiting priests and a crowd of about 2000 people.  The church was built at a cost of $73,543.  The church is 150 x 60 feet with an extension on each side of the transept of 10 ½ feet.  The new church was constructed in the northwest corner of block twelve and faces the street going west.  This is the highest elevation in the church block and affords a beautiful front view of the imposing Gothic structure.  The church rises high above the western Kansas prairies and can be seen from a distance of many miles from all directions.  The old church was sold and later torn down. 
Vocations from the parish include. Fr. Leo Herzog, Fr. John Untereiner, Fr. Adolf Hecker, Msgr. John George Weber, Fr. Leo Kuhn, and Fr. Anton Waldman.  Fr. Don Zimmerman, Fr. Kevin Weber, and Fr. Luke Thielen are currently serving the Salina Diocese in their vocation to the priesthood. Women religious from the parish include Ida Linneberger, Magdalen Mardian, Rosalie Zimmerman, Theresa Zimmerman, Clara Helen Kuhn, Caroline Kranowitter, Juliana Waldmann, Regina Kraft, Helen Zerr, Clementine Zerr, Catherine Kuntz, Lucy Leiker, Adelburg Leiker, Catherine Herzog, Catherine Kraft, Susanna Hartmann, and Philomena Weber.