Concord's Sacred Heart Church to Be Sold

CONCORD, NH - Christ the King Parish, the collection of Catholic churches on the west side of the city, has entered into a purchase and sales agreement with developer Jonathan Chorlian to sell Sacred Heart Church on Pleasant Street.

Chorlian will preserve as much of the historic building as possible and convert the property into residential condominiums, according to Father Richard Roberge, who stated that the sale would be finalized in late spring or early summer.

“While we are sad to close this chapter in our parish’s history, we are happy with the plans that Mr. Chorlian has for the building,” Roberge said. “The sale and redevelopment of the church is difficult for us, but seeing it turned to good use with much of its original structure and architectural details incorporated into the new design if far better than seeing it torn down.”

Rumors began spreading around the city in October 2015 that there might be a buyer for the building after Steve Duprey and Chorlian were spotted checking out the property. Duprey later stated privately that he wasn’t involved in any potential deal but just inspecting it with Chorlian.

The church, which sold the rectory part of the property to the Brain Injury Association of New Hampshire in 2014, has had difficult financial times in recent years, and decided to consolidate operations a few years ago while also making plans to re-focus on its core mission – offering Catholic services and educational facilities to the city of Concord. The parishes of Sacred Heart, St. John the Baptist, and St. Peter’s Church merged into one parish – Christ the King Parish – in 2011. St. Peter’s, earlier this winter, was turned into a temporary cold weather shelter for the homeless. The church had made plans expand St. John Regional School a few years ago, too, but those plans were later scrapped due to finances.

Chorlian has remodeled a number of classic West End homes into multi-family units, said he would be maintaining as much of the current appearance as possible.

“I understand the historical significance of the architecture and I do not want that lost,” he said. “I am also very conscious of the feelings of former Sacred Heart parishioners and I hope that as people pass by the new building, they will remember the historical significance that Sacred Heart Church had in Concord.”

Roberge also noted that Sacred Heart Parish was organized as the city’s French speaking parish in 1892. The present church building was built in the early 1930s.