A Brief History of St. Mary's

St. Mary's was first established as a mission in 1895. It was housed in a wooden building on the northeast corner of Prospect and Crescent streets. After 10 years the building was moved to the southwest corner until 1913 when the cornerstone was laid for a more permanent dwelling, the present church building.

In 1921 the communicants decided to become self-sustaining as a parish. Soon after, a large parish house was erected and dedicated in 1924 as the Mary Wilson House. Her movies were shown for the first time in Park Ridge, and in the basement a swimming pool was enjoyed by the community.

As the parish grew, a need arose for larger facilities. In 1965, a large L-shaped addition was built facing Prospect Avenue containing church offices, library lounge, six classrooms, and the Annunciation Chapel dedicated to the memory of the Rev. John B. Hubbard, Rector 1931-1958.

On Christmas Eve, 1981, four Dutch-made bells, given as memorial gifts, rang out for the first time from the bell tower.

The newest additions to the church are the columbariums in the chapel and courtyard which were dedicated in the fall of 1982. These restore the tradition of the church-yard burial ground by providing consecrated areas for the interment of cremated remains.

St. Mary's has a warm working relationship with the community of Park Ridge and is always ready to offer assistance for those in need.