Established 1856 a.d.

St. Mary's carries the roots of the Catholic Faith in the West Michigan area, being the first church in Muskegon over150 years ago. It is founded not only on Irish ancestry, but French, German, Polish, etc., as it was a melting pot of sorts, as Europeans migrated here in order to find freedom of religion, and work to support their families. From this group came what we know as St. Mary's.  From St. Mary's, as the Catholic population increased, the various ethnic groups gravitated together to form their separate parishes.  St. Jean de Baptiste, St. Joseph, St. Michael's, and eventually Sacred Heart.

Seldom can you find a Catholic in Muskegon who did not have some connection with St. Mary's.  Their parents were married here, or baptized, educated or buried here from St. Mary's.  So the emotional ties go back well over 150 years.

As a mother is emotionally tied to her children, so is St. Mary's regarded to be the "Mother" church of Muskegon.  Recognizing that spiritual ties run deeper than emotional ties, every family who has lived here more than a generation has spiritual ties to St. Mary's and those command strong loyalties as well as strong emotions.

A practical people, they do not suffer fools lightly, especially in the areas of financial waste, or lax up-keep of their church. Always ready for a celebration, especially on St. Patrick's day, they love their fun, but they love their church, and are willing to sacrifice a great deal to preserve their parish identity.  We welcome to St. Mary's Church!