The first mass in O’Neill was celebrated during the summer of 1875 at the home of John Haggerty. At that time, the only Catholic priest between West Point (Nebraska) and Butte (Montana) was Father P. J. Bedard whose “home” was considered to be Frenchtown (Neligh). By 1877 the community and the Catholic population had grown to the point where Bishop O’Connor felt that the establishment of a parish was necessary and that the first pastor of this new parish would be Father John T. Smith and that the parish would be named after St. Joseph.

In 1886 the community and especially the parish entered a period of which would change the direction and strength of the parish when Father Michael Francis Cassidy was assigned as pastor to the O’ Neill parish. Noting that the parish was almost entirely Irish at that time, Fr. Cassidy renamed the parish in honor of St. Patrick. Shortly thereafter, Father Cassidy began plans for a Catholic school. Through pledges and donations, funds were raised and the cornerstone was laid in the fall of 1890. They were finishing construction on February 19, 1891 when, at high noon, the fire alarm went off and the beautiful new building went up in flames.

The years following saw drought and depression. The ruins had sat for nearly ten years when providentially Father Cassidy met the Sisters of St. Francis. Through his pleading and persuasion he convinced the Sisters to make O’Neill their home. With renewed hope funds were raised by parishioners, area residents, and the Franciscan Motherhouse in Germany. On June 17, 1900, the feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the cornerstone for St. Mary’s Academy was laid. The grade school was co-educational but the high school was all girls until 1925 when the first class of boys was admitted. The first senior class to graduate was in 1903.

The years from 1900 to 1910 were years of tremendous growth for both the O’Neill community and the parish. Members of St. Patrick’s parish had great hope and confidence in the future and undertook two major building projects. The first was the construction of the present brick Romanesque church of St. Patrick which was completed in 1910. A second major building project was started in 1919 which was an extensive addition to St. Mary’s that doubled its size and provided expanded space for the school’s boarders. Over the years hundreds of girls would come from all over to board at St. Mary’s.

For sixty years the Sisters of St. Francis managed to feed and house and educate over two thousand students. However, in 1960 St. Mary’s building and grounds were given to St. Patrick’s parish to control because of the decreasing numbers of vocations for the Sisters. Throughout those sixty years the St. Patrick’s community was certainly blessed by the Sisters’ presence in our midst. Their presence certainly contributed to the fact that seventy-four of St. Mary’s graduates have entered the religious life. These vocations include seven priests, one brother and sixty-three sisters.

Through the years Saint Mary’s has continued to grow and change. In 1964, the new high school was completed. However, at 4:08 p.m., Tuesday, February 16, 1965, the fire alarm once again sounded and St. Mary’s found itself again in flames. As crowds gathered on the playground, that magnificent structure was consumed in flames. However, this was not to be the end of St. Mary’s School. With insurance money and the determination of the parishioners, the old academy building gave birth to the new Saint Mary’s Grade School Building.

Since 1961, St. Mary’s School has been owned and operated by St. Patrick’s Parish. The school has been supported by organized groups such as the St. Mary’s Home and School Association, St. Mary’s Cardinal Boosters, the St. Mary’s School Board and St. Patrick’s Parish Council, as well as many individual volunteers.

In 1977, the St. Mary’s Catholic School Foundation began to lay the groundwork for a continual mechanism of ensuring the quality educational, social and spiritual services offered by the school. The formation of the Foundation resulted from a bequest from the estate of Michael and Katherine Higgins. Of the Higgin’s Estate, approximately half was used for operational expense and half was put in to the Foundation. From the original Higgins Estate bequest of $45,000, the St. Mary’s Foundation has grown to approximately $2,000,000.

Throughout it’s rich history, St. Mary’s operating, capital and programmatic development has been thoroughly supported by the community and boasts proud tradition of creating a social, spiritual and cultural center for the community. As a center of vitality in the community, St. Mary’s school contributes to the O’Neill tradition of cohesion and strategic development.

Many years ago, at the turn of the century it was said of St. Patrick’s and St. Mary’s - that “the cross is upon but it shall thrive and grow,” Faith is a cherished gift, born in the home and nurtured in Church and school. In St. Patrick’s parish we are rich in the tradition of faith. The support for that faith is engendered in our educational system. Dedication to an education in faith is an essential part of St. Patrick’s parish.