Bishop John Carberry dedicated the present Sorrowful Mother Church on October 14, 1962. When Bishop John Bennett sent Father Sylvester Klein as Wheatfield’s first resident pastor in 1945, the second Sorrowful Mother mission church was in use. Precious Blood Father Dominic Shunk from the Indian Normal School, Rensselaer, organized a group of six households to build a 12 by 16 log church. It was dedicated in 1887. In 1889, another frame church seating 150 was erected for 12 households. By 1907, 25 households or 87 persons received bi-monthly ministry from Precious Blood Missionaries of Saint Joseph’s College, Rensselaer.
Fr. John Stephen from San Pierre, Starke County, celebrated Masses at William Grube Sr., home, 1972-1884; the Eagle Hotel, hall, 1884-1886; and the Heil Log Cabin School, 1886-1887. While early settlers were primarily Pennsylvania Dutch, other Germans arrived to settle the Indian Ridge. After the World Wars, a variety of ethnic groups from Lake, LaPorte and Porter counties spilled into Jasper County.
From 1911-1921, Sorrowful Mother was a mission of St. Edward’s, Lowell, then from 1921-1944, of St. Mary’s Kouts. In 1937, Fr. Augustyn Kondziela of Kouts celebrated the mission’s Golden Jubilee. At Father Klein’s arrival, Don Bosco Youth Center serving the entire community was built in 1945. When a fire in 1960 burned it down, the parishioners began to envision a new church and hall.
While Father Donald Hardebeck was Sorrowful Mother’s pastor (1949-1957), the parish started St. Cecilia mission at DeMotte. On July 11, 1982, ground was broken for an additon to the parish hall. Bishop Raymond Gallagher dedicated the unit as Klein Hall on October 31, 1982.
On June 27, 1937 the parish observed its Golden anniversary. On October 4, 1987 Bishop Higi celebrated the 100th anniversary of the parish. On September 23, 2012 Bishop Timothy Doherty celebrated the 125th anniversary of the parish.
With 350 seats, Sorrowful Mother serves 188 families. The year 2012 marked the 40th year of its annual fish fry.