Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Wentworth was the first Catholic Church in the area. The Wentworth Parish played a significant role in the establishment and support of Mildura in the early days of settlement.
Mildura thrived and developed quickly with the arrival of George Chaffey in 1886. His brother William (WB) followed soon afterwards. From 1889 onwards, Mildura was visited by Priests from Charlton, Ballarat, Wentworth and Wilcannia during which time Mass was celebrated in private homes.
The first public Mildura Mass was held in the Langtree Hall and celebrated by Fr Timothy O’Connell, on 20 August 1892. Regular church services were then held in the Anglican Church building, a lean to shanty on the block of land near the railway station end of Langtree Ave.
Early in 1894, Fr Paul Zundolovich succeeded Fr O’Connell as Parish Priest at Wentworth. Fr Zundolovich was a Lithuanian Jew having arrived in Australia in 1892. Father's attitude to Mildura’s future was the opposite to that of some of his predecessors and though, at the time local conditions were not at their best, he pictured a greater Mildura in which the Catholic Church must also be greater.
This man urged the people of Mildura to build their own Church on land on the corner of Pine Ave and 10th St which had been granted by the Chaffey Brothers.
A committee was formed and Mildura’s first Catholic Church was opened in 1896. It was of timber structure and cost £300. The wooden altar was made by Frank Currow and cost £20. Mr. Currow also made the kauri pews each costing 30/-Money was raised to help pay for the Church, and the debt was soon paid.
In August 1895 a meeting was held in the Catholic Church in Pine Ave to meet with Archbishop Carr of Melbourne and Bishop Higgins of Ballarat to discuss the formation of Mildura as a separate parish.
The first Parish Priest Father Hurley was arrived towards the end of 1905.
The Sisters of Mercy arrived to set up a Convent and school on December 5, 1905
Bishop Foley blessed the foundations of the new church on May 15, 1921.
The Church was completed and the first Mass celebrated by Bishop Foley on December 18, 1921 and the children received the Sacrament of Confirmation
The new church was well reported in the local news. Extract from Sunraysia Daily, 13 May 1922.
“The Mildura church now holds its services in a £10,000 building in Eleventh Street. This structure, finished in November of last year, is the largest church in the district. It is of brick, the interior of buff stucco work, and has beautiful long leaded Gothic windows, a high stained hardwood ceiling, a spacious choir gallery, a tiled chancel, and chapels on either side of it. In each of the two side porches is a marble font and in one a large baptismal font artistically fashioned from Queensland marble. The larger front porch has two of the smaller fonts. The most notable part of the furnishings (which are not yet completed) is the altar. This, with the steps leading to it, is of fine Italian marble, with some sections of stone from Queensland. The altar itself cost £400 and the steps £130. With the tabernacle and furnishings, the total cost was £600.”
On September 22, 1935 the Presbytery was opened.The first Mass was celebrated at St Francis Xavier Church, Irymple on February 19, 1941.
The Golden Jubilee of the parish was celebrated in 1956. Additions to Mildura Church were completed and the church was renamed the Sacred Heart Peace
Memorial Church.
Fr Gerald Baldock was ordained a priest in the Sacred Heart Peace Memorial Church.  On September 6 1971
In 1983 the National Priests Convention was held in Mildura
A new initiative of Team Ministry commenced in 1993 and the Induction of Clergy Team of Fathers Dan Murphy & Pat Mugavin took place by Vicar General, Rev B Finnigan at Mass at the end of January 1993.
Sacred Heart Parish Mildura/ Irymple held a Parish Assembly in January 1994.
Sacred Heart Church again underwent refurbishments in 1999. The Church was closed for some weeks and Mass was held in the Sacred Heart Parish Hall.
Stained glass windows were installed in the nave of Sacred Heart Church to commemorate the Centenary of the Parish in 2006.