About > History

1827 |  Independence Missouri was established as a town and county seat.

1845 | Reverend Bernard Donnelly on the day of his ordination into the priesthood in May was appointed first pastor of St. Mary's Parish which consisted of Southwest Missouri and several towns across the river, with his residence to be in the town of Independence.

1848 | Father Donnelley purchased a wagon shop on February 12 for $250. This wagon shop, 24'x36' made of brick became the first Catholic Church in this territory and was on the land where the present church stands today.

1853 | The school was founded when Father Donnelly was given a plot of land by Susan A. Hamilton. On this land was a small frame 1 1/2 story building, which Father converted into a school. This building today would be facing Main Street. One of the rooms in this building is referred to as the Rockhouse, which in later years was used for storage. There was no money available to hire a teacher, Father Donnelly added teaching to his already strenuous schedule.

1854-1856 | Miss Sallie (Sarah) Mullins, (later Mrs. Fox) by request of Father Donnelly taught in the little school without pay. Non-Catholics as well as Catholics were taught in this school.

1865 | The town of Independence began its first public school. Using the Catholic school building, Father Kennedy 2nd pastor of St. Mary's made arrangements with the public school board to employ 2 Catholic teachers and for the teachers to be paid by the town of Independence. These teachers Mrs. Dunn and Sarah Mullins Fox were to instruct Catholics as well as non-Catholics. This arrangement continued for 11 years until the school was partially destroyed by a cyclone.

1876 | In June the front of the School building was destroyed by a cyclone.

1878 | The School was rebuilt in the fall by the Very Reverend Thomas J. Fitzgerald Vicar General and the 4th pastor of St. Mary's Church. The building was made of brick and 40'x60' in size, which included an attic and basement and faced on North Liberty Street. The building was to be used as a combination convent and school for the next 75 years. The Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth came to conduct a boarding school for little boys and young ladies and remained for 4 years. They also conducted a day school in the Rockhouse building situated on Main Street.

1882 | Sister Mary Bernard Hayes and Sister Mary Regina Dougherty RSM visited Independence at the request of Bishop John Joseph Hogan. They agreed to teach at the new St. Mary's Academy which opened in September with Sister Hayes as superior and Sister Regina and 4 additional Sisters as teachers. The Sisters remained in at St. Mary's for 2 years.

1884 | The Sisters of Mercy came to St. Mary's Parish to permanently reside in residence. A day school was set up for Catholic children and a boarding school for young ladies was started. The boarding school was the origin of St. Mary's Diocesan High School.

1890 | Enrollment forced expansion and the school building doubled in size. Boy boarders as day school boys and the Academy became co-educational for a time under the name St. Jerome's Prepatory School.

1912 | The admission of boys was discontinued. The school remained an all-girl school for the next 34 years.

1925 | St. Mary's Alumnae and Social Club was organized on November 23rd.

1927 | The Very Reverend Andrew G. Clossey 5th pastor of St. Mary's Church purchased land and a building south of the rectory.

1928 | The building was remodeled and St. Mary's High School was moved to this building under the supervision of Sister Mary Stanislaus Bach R.S.M.

1946 | On the 13th of November the cornerstone of the co-educational St. Mary's High School which faces Main Street was laid.

1947 | The high school was completed early 1947 and completely accredited by spring.

1952 | St. Mary's Alumnae and Social Club was disbanded and the present day Parent Teachers Association was organized. Construction began on the fifteenth of May on a larger grade school.

1953 | The completed grade school was dedicated in February.

1959-1960 | Plans were made to add a new convent and six classrooms to the grade school. Excavation began immediately on the classrooms for the grade school which were badly needed.

1961 | During the summer the grade school classrooms were completed. The new convent was dedicated on August 27th.

1968 | St. Mary's High School became a Diocesan School and opened its enrollment for students beyond the parish boundaries to include, greater Independence, Sugar Creek, Northeastern Kansas City, Blue Springs, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Buckner, Smithville, and Liberty.

1971 | The diocese closed 2 diocesan high schools located in northeastern Kansas City.  Many of these students transferred to St. Mary's and expanded the enrollment of St. Mary's High School.

1974 | The Diocesan School Board on December 9th approved a plan for expansion of St. Mary's High School and relocation of St. Mary's Grade School.

1975-1977 | St. Mary's acquired the grade school buildings and the grade school was moved to a building being used by the St. Thomas the Apostle church, a building in Eastern Independence being used by the parishioners to accommodate for the rapid population growth of the parish in Eastern Jackson County. The grade school was renamed Holy Family and expanded enrollment from the parishes of St. Mary's, St. Mark's and St. Joseph the Worker. The three parishes would help support Holy Family as a parish school.

1981 | St. Mary's High School received a bequest from the estate of Judge Henry A. Bundschu. There was enough money to pay off a debt and for some capital improvements and to establish scholarships.

1985-1987 | A new gymnasium was built just to the southeast of St. Mary's High School and faces on Main Street. The new gymnasium was dedicated on November 21, 1987 by Bishop John J. Sullivan.

1987-present | There are plans to rebuild St. Mary's High School or build a brand new high school farther east in Jackson County to accommodate the population growth in Eastern Jackson County.