Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Syracuse

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a Catholic parish church and minor basilica in Syracuse, New York. It is located at 927 Park Avenue in the Westside neighborhood. The building was designated a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II on August 27, 1998 and dedicated on October 3, 1999.HistoryThe church was founded in 1892 as Sacred Heart Parish in the Westside, a neighborhood with a large Polish population, after the Polish community petitioned Syracuse's bishop for a parish of its own. The original church was located across the street from the current structure. The first Mass in the new parish church was said on August 30, 1892, with the formal dedication taking place nearly a year later on June 11, 1893.The congregation outgrew the first church within a decade, and a decision was made to construct a new church. The foundations were built by parishioners in order to save money, and the cornerstone was laid in 1907. Work was completed in three years and the church was completed and dedicated on June 5, 1910 by Polish Auxiliary Bishop of Chichago R. Rhode DD.Following the construction of the new church building, the old church building was converted into a parochial school. That structure burned in a fire in 1916 and was replaced by a larger brick school. The new building expanded again in 1926, to accommodate the continued growth of the parish, and further community buildings were added up to the 1940s. A decision was made to close the parish school in 2002 because of declining enrollment.