It's beginning in the 1830's.
As early as 1826, William Smothers came to Lavaca County to join the Green De Witt Colony. His son, John, followed him and received a land grant of 4,428 acres and built a home on Smothers Creek. In the 1830's the settlement of nearby St. Mary's began with the arrival of several families, mostly of Irish descent, from Perry County, Missouri. Among them were Bernard and Ann (Riney) Brown and their extended family. Many of the settlers had lived in Kentucky before migrating to Missouri and then to Texas.

St. Mary's First Priests
There were few priests in Texas in the 1830's, but in 1839, two priests, Rev. Edward C. Clarke and Rev. George Haydon, from Bardstown, Kentucky, arrived in Texas. At St. Mary's they found some of the families who had formerly lived in Bardstown. The two priests began to build a log church and a school. The church was named St. Mary's, in remembrance of their parish in Perry County, Missouri.

First church and school built "First American Catholic Parish Church in Texas"
In November, 1840, Rev. John Mary Odin, who later became the first Bishop of Texas, visited the settlement and remained several days, visiting in the area, celebrating Mass, hearing confessions, and preaching. He returned on several occasions and on a visit in August 1841, he found that Rev. Haydon and Rev. Clarke had completed not only St. Mary's Church, but also a two-story log house for priests' quarters and a school which had opened its doors in October of 1840. (Timothy J. O'Rourke, in his "Maryland Catholics on the Frontier: The Missouri and Texas Settlements," gave St. Mary's the honor of having the first American Catholic parish church in Texas.)

Rev. Haydon died during a yellow fever epidemic in 1841. Rev. Clarke was placed in charge of English-speaking Catholics scattered from the upper Navidad to Victoria and Texana. His headquarters remained at St. Mary's.
In September of 1841, Bernard Brown received his land grant and in 1844, he sold, for a nominal sum, 305-1/2 acres to Rev. Edward Clark for the church, rectory and a farm which would be used for the upkeep of the priests. The adjacent 44-1/2 acres were conveyed to Bishop Odin for the cemetery. The parish farm, a source of controversy for years, was sold in 1923, retaining the site of the church and rectory.

First Log Church Replaced
After the land was deeded to Rev. Clarke in 1844, a "new" church replaced the log church which was then used by the pastor as a stable. St. Mary's was one of 10 completed churches in 1847, when the diocese of Galveston, the first diocese in Texas, was formed. In December 1847, Rev. Clarke became pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Houston. St. Mary's was then served by various priests until August of 1863, when the newly ordained Rev. John Anthony Forest was named assistant to Rev. Charles Padey at St. Mary's.

European Immigrants Settle at St. Mary's
In the 1860's and 1870's many European immigrants came to Lavaca County in search of good farmland. Many of these immigrants, mostly Czech Catholics, settled around St. Mary's and soon became the leading element in the parish. (St. Mary's was often referred to by the Czech people as "Smoders Creek" and is so identified in a book in the Czech language published in 1890.)

Father Forest labored 36 years at St. Mary's and then at Hallettsville, where he built Sacred Heart Church in 1881. Until 1881, St. Mary's was the headquarters from which many missions were served. After the completion of Sacred Heart Church in 1882, Hallettsville became the permanent residence and served St. Mary's as a mission. New churches were built at Brushy Creek and at Koerth. A convent building, a school and a rectory were built at Hallettsville.

Present Church Built in 1896
Two priestly vocations came from St. Mary's in the early days, Rev. Louis P Netardus and Rev. William Heffernan. Many other religious vocations followed. When Rev. Forest was elevated to Bishop on October 28, 1895, Rev. Netardus was appointed to take his place at St. Mary's and Sacred Heart. Rev. Netardus then proceeded to build the present St. Mary's Church just north of the old church. The church was dedicated under the title of the Immaculate Conception by Bishop Forest on October 28, 1896.

The fate of the old church that was replaced in 1896 remains a mystery. It appears in its original location south of the new church in some old photos and was later moved. It is believed that the barn and storage building which was torn down in the mid 1990's was part of the old church.

Since 1984 Pastors or assistants from Sacred Heart Church have served St. Mary's as Parochial Administrators.
Many improvements have been made at St. Mary's during the years. In 1941, angels were painted on cheesecloth netting and applied to the ceiling over the altar. The Grotto of the Blessed Virgin was constructed in 1946. In the 1980's the first Parish Advisory Council was elected. In 1987, additions included a ramp at the church entrance, the planting of trees around the church, new air-conditioning and heating units, and ceiling fans in the Parish Hall. Since then, a new organ was installed in the church.
St. Mary's Grows
In 1905, St. Marys again acquired a resident priest, Rev. Charles J. Benes. He remained. until 1922. Missions were established at Breslau and at Witting, then at Wied and later at Worthing.

Between 1911-1915, St. Mary's church was extended to include the area beside the bell tower, so that the front was straight across. Rev. Benes was succeeded by Rev. Daniel Sykora in 1922, then by various assistants who served there during Rev. Sykora's long illness.

In 1924, St. Mary's built a new house for the Sisters who taught at the school. The present rectory was built in 1929.
Rev. Sykora died in 1934 and was the first priest buried at St. Marys. The parish was again attended as a mission from 1934 to 1936. From 1936 to 1940 Rev. Edward A Murski was resident pastor until he was succeeded by Rev. Henry Psensik, who served St. Mary's until his retirement in 1984. Msgr. Henry F. Psencik died on April 14, 1989, at age 86 and is buried at St. Mary's Church as it is today still possesses the old world atmosphere that prevailed when it was built in 1896. The inscriptions on the impressive stations of the cross are in the Czech language, as are the inscriptions on the stained glass windows. Since 1995, many improvements have been made to the church. The original pulpit was restored and placed back in the church. The altar has been repainted and gold leafed. The interior of the church and the statues were repainted, and the pews refinished. New lighting enhances the sanctuary. New stained glass windows which resemble the existing windows were added in the sacristy and in the coves on each side of the altar, as well as above and beside the main entrance. A new roof was installed. The large painting of Our Lady of Hostyn, painted in 1892, was moved to the entrance of the church. The beautifully renovated church is the scene of many weddings and special events. The parish consists of approximately 150 households and has an active CCD program.

Parish Picnic
Parish picnics, which were discontinued for a number of years, were reinstated in 1987 and are held each year on the second Sunday in June. Large crowds, many of whom have their roots in St. Mary's, come from far and near to enjoy the picnic under the old shade trees across from the church. A country style meal is served in the air conditioned Parish Hall. Many return to St. Mary's to visit the Church and the cemetery, the final resting place of parishioners since the 1840's.