An annual parish auction started out as a White Elephant Sale to raise much needed money. Becoming more organized and named the St. Patrick's Town and Country Auction, it has continued to this day simply as the St. Patrick's/St. Mary's Auction. Items are donated by businesses and individuals in O'Neill. Half of the proceeds of this auction goes toward the Parish and the other half goes toward the school.

On June 16, 1972, Father Dunne was reassigned to St. Margaret Mary's in Omaha and Father Martin Conlev was assigned as pastor to St. Patrick's.

The town of O'Neill celebrated its centennial in 1974.

In May of 1975, St. Mary's Schools celebrated their Diamond Jubilee with a three-day celebration.

Preparations began early in 1977 for the centennial celebration of St. Patrick's.

Research on the history of the parish was begun that summer by searching through the records of Biglin's Mortuary, the Holt County Records office and the Holt County Independent Archives which contained many of the newspaper clippings and write-ups which were used in the parish history. Dinner tickets for the celebration were printed up and these were sold by the Knights of Columbus. The priests of the Archdiocese of Omaha were sent invitations to be celebrants at the Centennial Mass and also guests at the banquet. Invitations were also sent to State Senator John DeCamp, Congresswoman Virginia Smith, John Cavanaugh, and Charles Thone, and to Senators Carl Curtis and Edward Zorinsky, and to Governor J. J. Exon and Lieutenant Governor Gerald Whalen. Invitations also went out to the Sisters who served in St. Mary's Schools and who were daughter-Sisters of the parish. The families of the parish began to get their pictures taken for the centennial book and many of the parish began to bring in their old pictures.

A green banner with the material coming from Ireland and with a large white Celtic Cross was made by Sister Antonella and which was to be hung on the bell tower from the opening of the tower to the ground. The long green banner was dropped from the bell tower and could be seen for miles south of O'Neill. The city of O'Neill put out the Welcome Flags and the United States Flags to set the town for both a church and civic celebration.

1977 was also the year an IGE (Individually Guided Education) program was initiated at the school. Father Frank Dvorak, Superintendent, organized a St. Mary's Foundation to preserve the Michael and Katherine Higgins estate.

In November of 1978, a St. Mary's Cardinal Booster Club was organized for the purpose of supporting the athletic programs. During this year in the grade school, Kindergarten was reinstated after a 10 year absence. A year later a weight room was equipped in the grade school basement.