Founded in 1826, St. Mary’s has been faithfully serving the Catholic community of the beautiful three county region centered in Freeport for 185 years.  Fr. Patrick O-Neil organized the congration and the first church was built in 1827.  It was dedicated by Bishop Kenrick of the Pittsburgh Diocese on September 8, 1831 under the invocation of St. Mary of the Nativity.  The original building measured 34 feet by 28 feet but was of inferior quality necessitating the construction of another building.

The present church building was completed in 1849 under the direction of  Fr. M.J.Mitchell.   The church was constructed of brick measuring 85 feet by 45 feet with a steeple in the front of the building.  Even today, the church steeple makes St. Mary’s a town landmark.  The new church was dedicated on December 28,1851 by Bishop M. O’Connor.

In the following years many additions and renovations were undertaken including the purchase of land for the cemetery in 1859, the rectory constructed in 1902 and the convent in 1926.

In 1869 a school was opened in a rented room until a brick schoolhouse was built beside the church in 1873.  The present school building was bult in 1923 with an addition completed in 1961.  Also, in 1923 the cemetery was moved from the sight of the school and the remains moved to the site of our present cemetery off Freeport Road.

St. Mary’s belonged to the Diocese of Pittsburgh until 1951 when the Diocese of Greensburg was established. 

On December 8, 1975, the Most Rev. William G. Connare, issued a decreee, assigning a new title and feast day to our parish.  We would now be known as St. Mary, Mother of God with the Feast day being January 1^st.

In 1987 renovations were made to the church following the collapse of a portion of the ceiling and roof.  Miraculously no one was in the church at the time. The parishioners rallied and with the assistance of the pastor, Fr. Denis Sweeney, were quickly able to raise $320,000 to complete the repairs.

In 2002 under the guidance of Fr. Thomas Ferderline, the church was painted, windows repaired, front doors replaced and a new funace installed.

Sadly, in 2004 after 135 years, St. Mary Academy, renamed in 2000, was closed due to declining enrollment.  Over the years, the school provided a Catholic education for thousands of students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade.

Our parish has produced seven priests and eighteen sisters.  We are privileged to still have two living “native sons”.  They are: Rev. Dominick DeBlasio, ordained June 16, 1940 and Msgr. Thomas Klinzing, ordained in 1971.

In 2006 under our current pastor, Fr. Edward Volz the St. Mary’s Parish Center was created.  Also the rectory and Retreat Center, former convent, were demolished to create more parking.

Although we have entered the third century of providing the spiritual and sometimes temporal needs of the community, our family continues to be passionately devoted to responding to the changing needs of our parish. Responding to the demands of sustained and continued growth (543 families stong), St. Mary’s has, purchased additional properties to increase our campus size, added additional parking and most recently completed the spectacular renovation of our new fellowship hall in August 2011.