On Sunday, June 27, 1858 at 6:00pm Bishop John McGill of Richmond, assisted by Reverend William Brady, blessed and laid the cornerstone of the church on Princess Anne Street in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

The history of St. Mary Parish is rich and full of many individuals who have given freely of their time, talents and treasure to selflessly serve their community and unite us all in faith through prayer and good works of charity. As our Bishop Paul Loverde stated in his homily, at the June 2008 Mass Celebrating our 150th Anniversary,

“The seeds of faith that were planted by 150 immigrant workers who formed our parish in 1858, have yielded a fruitful harvest. The harvest of those seeds continue to grow and prosper as our parish has grown to nearly 15,000 parishioners.”

Thankfully, due to the hard work of many of our parishioners, much of our history is recorded in a variety of mediums.

Learn More

• Memories of St. Mary Catholic Church 1858-1970, Kathleen Mahoney, Editor
• St. Mary: Church of Memories Town & Country, July 2006, Kathleen Mahoney
• Celebrating 150 Years – Growing in God’s Love, A Journey of Faith, 1858-2008 , Commemorative Book Committee
• Dedication Mass Program, November 22, 2010