Once the seat of the Diocese, Yankton was known as the Mother Church of the Dakotas.
Her first parish was established in 1871, and construction of her first church, Sacred Heart, completed five years later.
Sacred Heart Church served as the pro-cathedral for Bishop Martin Marty until 1889, and continues to serve Yankton's vibrant parish community today along with St. Benedict Parish, established in 1993.
Sacred Heart School is rooted in rich Catholic tradition. On March 25, 1881, The Sisters of Mercy of the Sacred Heart Convent announced the opening of Yankton's first parochial school.
Yankton is also home to the House of Mary Shrine, as well as the Yankton Benedictines and the Sacred Heart Monastery.