Sacred Heart Catholic Church (SHCC), Apapa was created as a Parish in 1966. Young, (SMA), the then Vicar General and late Rev Fr Breden Hanniffy, (SMA) were appointed by His Grace, the late Most Rev. Aggey, then Archbishop of Lagos, to open a Parish in Apapa in January 1966. By the courtesy of late Rev Monsignor J. Mary’s Catholic Church, Ajegunle. They moved into Apapa and the construction of the
parish house with a hall for Holy Mass started immediately. By December of 1966 the house was ready. The first Holy Mass was celebrated in the Hall, midnight of December 1966. The civil war of 1967 slowed down the project. Soon after the civil war in 1971 the pilling works for the new church began. Activities went on and the congregation grew. Three Harvest Thanksgiving and Bazaars were held and as they were found wanting in all respects, the idea was dropped and direct giving was introduced instead. In 1973, the foundation stone of the new church was laid by the Most Rev Dr. Anthony Olubunmi Okogie, Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos. On 6th May, 1973, the Archbishop Most Rev. Dr. Okogie administered his first confirmation in this parish. The parishioners built the church from own resources. In October, 1980, His Grace, the Most Rev Dr Anthony Olubunmi Okogie solemnly dedicated the magnificent edifice to the greater honour and glory of God. The late Most Rev Dr. J. Aggey administered the first confirmation here in May 1968. From his appointment in 1966 to his eventual retirement, it was hard work for Father Hanniffy in the parish. In addition to his pastoral duties, he also had his prison ad seafarers work. All of this took its toll and for the last twenty years of his life, while here at SHCC, he was in poor health. He retired to the SMA house, Cork, Ireland and he died there on the 8th of November 1994 at the age of 72 years. With the retirement of Father Hanniffy, the post of Parish Priest was now open to be filled. The vacant post was offered to Rev. John Burke who moved into the parish on the 29th of April 1993. part of the reason for posting him to SHCC was its central location for the setting up and for the day to day running of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal. Fr Burke was the Chaplain of the Association of Marriage Advisory Service in the ecclesiastical province of Lagos. He died in the year 2006. The Parish has a well established Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) and a Laity Council. The councils participate actively in all the activities at the Archdiocesan level. The current Parish Priest is Rev Fr Osbert Egbe (sma), assisted by Rev Fr Marc Nkulu (sma).
