Parish History

Seven Dolors refers to the Seven Sorrows of Mary.  The parish was named by Mrs. J.T. Ellicott, a parishioner who was instrumental in its early development.

1865: The first Mass is celebrated in Manhattan in a private home.

1880: The old Methodist Church on the corner of Pierre and Juliette is purchased for $1,400.00 to become the first Catholic Church in Manhattan.

1881: August 5, Rev. A. T. Ennis is appointed by Bishop Fink of the Leavenworth Diocese as resident pastor of Manhattan, with Elbow, Ogden, and McDowell as missions.

1908: Sacred Heart Academy is founded with the purchase of a large house  diagonally across the intersection from the church.  The Sisters of St. Joseph  of Concordia open the school with about 40 students in the grade school and first year of high school.  Each year thereafter, another year of high school is added so that by 1911 a full four-year course is offered.  It is the first Catholic high school in the Concordia Diocese and the first complete high school course in Manhattan.

1931: Rev. A. J. Luckey becomes Pastor and remains until his retirement in 1954. His dedication to Catholic education leads to the building of a parish high school that is named in his honor and dedicated in 1952.  Seven Dolors Grade School is later built and dedicated in 1955.

1919: Due to the increasing size of the congregation, construction of a larger, brick  church is begun.  Dedicated in 1920, it measures 66 ft. wide by 124 ft.  long, and has twin towers rising 85 feet high.

1925: The old frame rectory, built in 1885, is sold and moved away.  Mont Green,  who built the church, constructs a modern eight-room rectory of brick to  match the church.

1930: A pipe organ is purchased from the First Presbyterian Church of Manhattan and is used until 1982, when it’s replaced with a new 21-rank Wicks organ.

1957: The Sisters of St. Joseph convent building and chapel at 731 Pierre are completed.  Since 1985, the convent has served as the Parish Center.

1966: Father Richard Weixelman becomes the first member of Seven Dolors to be  ordained a priest.

1982: The parish is divided to begin the new St. Thomas More Parish in Manhattan.

1984: The Family Center Budget Shop at 710 Colorado is built, at first serving as the Seven Dolors Child Care Center.

1986: Monsignor Luckey High School is closed and remodeled to house the  growing Child Care Center.

1995: Seven Dolors Church is listed on the Kansas Register of Historic Places and  included in the National Historic Register.

Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration begins in the Chapel in 1995.

Priests who have served the Parish:

Pastors who gave assistance to the Parish:

Priests who have served as Parochial Vicars: