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Sacred Heart Chapel
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In the beginning
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From the beginning the American Canal Administration’ s policies promoted and encouraged church work. The U.S. Isthmian Canal Commission on October 4, 1905 officially took the position that religious church activities was good for preserving and nurturing good will among the canal workers. Good order and discipline was also maintained the town sites where they all resided. In early 1907, the first of several commissioned-owned church buildings were completed. One was the Sacred Heart Chapel on Ancon Hospital grounds, faced Ancon Hill on Gorgas Road. It was situated on the left just beyond the intersection of Gorgas and Herrick Roads. A parking area of the Gorgas Army Hospital today, at the northeast corner, covers the original site of the Sacred Heart Chapel. The first pastor was Rev. Daniel Quijano, who was the resident chaplain of Ancon Hospital. Father Quijano was employed as one of the corps of chaplains maintained by the Commission to minister to the Canal population. As such, Father Quijano was an officer of the hospital under the authority of the Superintendent. His salary was provided by the Commission, which also provided him with quarters that were adjacent to the chapel. In the beginning the Sacred Heart Chapel was a small wooden structure that bore the utilitarian stamp of the early Commission with its tin roof and standing off the ground. It was built to seat 150 people. However, the average attendance at the 6:00 and 9:00 Sunday masses was not over 80. The congregation was largely transient. With very few children in the early days there was no Sunday school. It is not known when during the construction of the Panama Canal the Commission ceased to own the chapel nor is it known who succeeded Father Quijano. It is known that during the construction era Bishop Guillermo Rojas y Arrieta, C. M. invited the Vincentian Fathers of Philadelphia to Panama to take charge of the spiritual interest of the English speaking canal workers. In the last decade of the old chapel’s existence the following pastors were in residence: Rev. Vincent Swords (1942), Rev. Bart O’Mally (1943), Rev. Leo Murray (1944-46), Rev. John Hild (1946), Rev. Joseph McNichol (1947) and Rev. Michael Wye (1947-49).
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The new Sacred Heart
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In September 1947, word was received that the old chapel had to be removed from the hospital grounds within ninety days. A site was chosen for the new chapel down the hill on Ancon Boulevard where Chame Street enters Ancon Boulevard. The new concrete structure was designed by Architect S. Martin Ives and built by Louis Martinez of Panama. Stained glass windows were ordered from Italy to adorn the windows. The carpenters of St. Mary’s Mission, Balboa, made the carved mahogany altar. A social hall behind the chapel was upgraded with a covered passageway that connected the chapel. The original building fund was $30,000. More monies were borrowed and the final cost of the new chapel came to $62,000. On Saturday afternoon, September 24, 1949 at 4:30 PM the new chapel was formally dedicated and blessed by His Excellency, Archbishop Francis Beckmann, C. M. Following the dedication a reception was held in the social hall. The following day a special solemn high mass was celebrated in which Archbishop Beckmann presided. The very Reverend Raymond Machete served as celebrant of the mass. Rev Louis B. Storms, Pastor of St. Mary’s Mission and Rev. Robert Clifford assisted in the mass. The Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop Paul Bernier gave the sermon and Rev. Michael Joseph Wye was Master of Ceremonies. The chapel was dedicated to Rev. Leo Murray, whose service as pastor at Sacred Heart came to a tragic end on June 1946. On an altar boys outing at Gorgona Beach, Panama when one a the boys was drowning and another priest Rev. James McAvoy who had gone into rescue the boy found himself also in trouble, Father Murray dove into the rough waters. Both the boy and Father McAvoy were saved by the heroic action that day of Rev. Leo Murray. But Father Murray had tired in the rough seas and could not again regain the shore. For his selfless act of heroism the Sacred Heart Chapel was dedicated in his memory on September 24, 1949; “Greater love has no man that this that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Rev. Leo N. Murray --- 1906 - 1946
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Prayer of Consecration
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Almighty Father, we consecrate ourselves and our home to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, who loves us with a tender and everlasting Love. May we return this love to Him in the way we treat, respect and love each other. We pledge to live our lives together in the ways of Christ Jesus. We welcome Jesus as a living member of our family. We invite Him to be the Heart of our family. We accept Mary as our heavenly Mother. We implore her protection and help in our daily lives. May our love go beyond our home into the world, so that we may do our part to build up your Kingdom, to feed the hungry, to help the poor and to lead all souls to your Sacred Heart.
Amen.
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“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest.”
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