"Our Lady Of The Hills"
A History Of St. Mary's Church
The dates/events shaded in blue were taken from a manuscript written by Edmund Nighan and dated December 19, 1988.
| g about 1855 | Fr. Lee from St. Bridget's in East Bloomfield intermittently visited that area and said Mass in various homes. |
| About 1860 | Father Hughes, who apparently replaced Father Lee, scheduled monthly Masses during the “favorable” months. During this time, services were held in a small hall over Knapp’s Hardware Store (now Ace’s Restaurant). |
| June 27, 1871 | Father Nicholas Byrne was appointed as the first resident pastor of St. Michael’s in Livonia Center. And on this same date St. Mary’s (still a Mission Parish) was transferred to St. Michael’s and there it remained for more than one hundred years. |
| August 15, 1876 | The Church was built in 1875-1876 and it was dedicated on the Feast of the Assumption (August 15, 1876) by Bishop McQuaid. |
| 1956 | Under the pastorate of the late Father J. Joseph O’Connell, five acres of land was purchased on the corner of Route 20A and County Road #37. |
| 1956 | St. Mary’s owned a Religious Instruction Center on Allens Hill Road opposite the Central School. The building was donated by a former parishioner, Mr. Francis Kinsel. |
| 1958 | A new “St. Mary’s” was constructed at a cost of $63,000. Beauty and simplicity were combined in its construction. |
| June 28, 1958 (Saturday) | Mass was said for the last time in the old St. Mary’s. |
| June 29, 1958 (Sunday) | Father O’Connell offered Mass for the first time in the new St. Mary’s. More than 1600 attended the four Masses that day. |
| Fall of 1972 | The new rectory, located across from the east drive of the church, was completed in the fall of 1972. The old St. Michael’s rectory, located in Livonia Center, was sold. |
| June 6, 1982 | St. Michael's was closed forever. |
| 1987 | A beautiful bell in an attractive bell tower was added. Parishioners Eustace Deisenroth, Joe Bader and Steve Wenthe collaborated in designing, planning, and building the bell tower. |
| 1992 | Under the direction of Father Mike Hogan, a campaign was launched to build a parish center. The parishioners pledged $300,000 toward the project and in 1993 it was completed. |
| June 12, 1999 | Roger Loomis was ordained a Permanent Deacon (the first from St. Mary’s). Deacon Roger continues to serve at St. Mary’s. |
| June 23, 2007 (Saturday) | Last Mass on Saturdays at St. Mary’s was celebrated by Father Richard Shatzel. |
| June 26, 2007 | St. Mary’s in Honeoye and St. Matthew’s in Livonia were clustered with Father John Hayes being appointed by Bishop Matthew Clark as the pastor for both parishes. |
| June 29, 2008 | 50th Anniversary of St. Mary’s Church. |
| July 27, 2008 | St. Mary’s Church was rededicated at the 8:30 a.m. Mass with Father John Hayes officiating (assisted by Deacon Roger Loomis). |