The first St. Mary's Church was built in 1871
with the cemetery dedicated 17 years later.
The first resident pastor, Fr. John Molloy,
was assigned to the parish in 1900.
In 1910 the church was located on the
corner of Litchfield and 7th St. with a
new addition added to seat 80 to 100 people.
A school was built in 1954. St. Mary School
remained open from 1954-1971. In 1975 the
building was sold to the Willmar Public
School District.
The church was redecorated in 1976, and in
1979 the Parish Center addition was
completed. Stained glass windows and the
Mosaic of Our Lady of Guadalupe were
installed in the Church in 1996. In 2002 a
complete renovation of the Church with the
addition of a Blessed Sacrament Chapel, a
baptismal font, a gathering area, an office
complex, a kitchenette, a parlor and meeting
rooms were completed. The Church was
Solemnly Dedicated by Bishop Nienstedt on
September 7, 2002.