Sacred Heart’s new pastor leads a diverse community forward

Waltham’s Sacred Heart Church’s anodized aluminum and glass dome looms over the intersection of Newton and River streets. Fondly known by locals as the “bubble church,” the building’s distinctive architecture was designed by Waltham architect Aldo A. Minotti and dedicated in 1964. According to the church’s website, “The style was not to be bound by popular tradition, not to be merely modern–it was to be a glimpse into the future.” 

The church’s new pastor, the Rev. Agustin Anda, arrived in June. He embraces and honors the parish’s history as he builds paths forward to meet new challenges. 

Sacred Heart dates back to the early 1920s, when Italian leaders in the city founded the church to serve Italian immigrants. At the time Italian immigrants numbered around 4,000 out of a population of 37,000. Today Sacred Heart is one of four Catholic churches in Waltham. The others are St. Jude, St. Mary and Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted.

The church played a central role for many descendants of Italian immigrants. “My parents were married in the small church that was right beside the newer one,” recalled Waltham resident Sally Colura. “I was baptized and confirmed there as were all my siblings. My sister Bernadette has been the religious head director there for 33 years.”

The descendants of the founders still form the backbone of the parish, but the congregants have grown more diverse, with origins in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Anda himself was born in central Mexico, where he worked for a Swiss company before emigrating to the United States. He studied at St. John’s Seminary in Boston and was ordained in 2004. He conducts services in English, but he ministers to parishioners in other languages including Spanish and Portuguese. The parish staff includes the Rev. Barnabas Chukwuma Nkwuda and Deacon Joe Cooley.

The church’s core mission is timeless, Anda said: to perform the sacraments and serve the spiritual needs of its members. The doors are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and there are daily masses conducted under the soaring, parabolic dome — an architectural masterpiece — before an altar consisting of a massive slab of Italian marble held up by two large hands of cast bronze.

“People are looking for God, and I see this among younger people, too,” he said. He formed a youth group and often meets young people who want to volunteer. The church community strives to help those in need by, for example, collecting donations for local food pantries, he said.

Anda traveled to Rome last month on behalf of the church to receive a Holy Year papal blessing from the new pope, Leo XIV. When asked if the Sacred Heart community has been impacted by the federal government crackdown on undocumented immigrants, Anda furrowed his brow and said his mission is to support people spiritually. “Jesus asks us to welcome people from everywhere,” he said. 

Anda is eager to bring fresh energy to the community. The church’s exterior was refurbished this fall, restoring the sweeping arcs of the concrete walls to pristine white. Earlier this month he introduced a new event, the Festival of Trees. Church members created hand-decorated Christmas trees and gift baskets, which were then given away in a drawing. “It is about people bringing joy and light to one another,” he said.