Our History
On March 25, 1901, Bishop Edward Joseph Dunne erected Blessed Sacrament parish in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas and appointed Father J. L. Campbell as pastor. The church was built on 12th Street and Grand Street, later converted to Marsalis Avenue. Throughout the years, new buildings were constructed and others wre demolished, and our current church building and rectory were dedicated in 1954.
Blessed Sacrament's school, Our Lady of Good Counsel Academy, opened in late 1901 and was led by the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur. In the early 1960s, Blessed Sacrament's school was renamed Bishop Dunne Catholic School and relocated to Rugged Drive. More than 100 years lates, the school remains a strong, Catholic institution of learning in the diocese.
Today, Blessed Sacrament continues to be an important cornestone of Catholic worship and education in the diocese and Oak Cliff. More than 3,500 parishioners gather to celebrate God's presence in the Eucharist, in prayer, and in social activities. We have 1,222 children in our catechism classes and many volunteers. The enthusiasm of our parish is exemplified through our many pastoral groups, including prayer group, Legion of Mary, Divine Providence, Divine Mercy, pro-life group, Arco Iris, and youth group. The significant work of each of these ministries tremendously increases the whole community's faith.
"They will know we are Christians by our love for God and others," said Father Figueroa, our present pastor. Although we consider ourselves a humble parish, the sights and sounds of our Mass celebrations continue to prove that we are spiritually rich. As the choir sings the entrance hymn and our people unite in song, our hearts rise to God and we are filled with the overwhelming warmth of our parish family. The parish that many consider a "poor, Hispanic parish" becomes a mansion where parishioners celebrate marriages, baptisms, and confirmations.
God's love has created a bond that holds our parish and our Oak Cliff community together as one.
Love One Another
