It is modeled after the Marseille's Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica and was Francis Fassett's final commission before his 1906 death.

Bishop James Augustine Healy appointed Irish-born Father John O'Dowd as its first pastor.

Located in Portland's densely built and primarily working-class residential Parkside neighborhood, the church was founded to serve the city's large Irish-American population; however, by the 2000s, the parish had grown to include a significant population of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers from sub-Saharan Africa and Central America.

However, when renovations began, engineers discovered that more money was needed to repair the roof over the altar.

[2] In 2015, local historic preservation organization Greater Portland Landmarks placed Sacred Heart on its "Places in Peril" due to years of deferred maintenance and repairs and urged its supporters to help fund renovations.