Mailing Address: 4690 Bald Eagle Avenue, White Bear Lake, MN 55110
Phone: 651-429-7771 Fax: 651-429-9539
Parish History
Church Timeline
• 1873 - Father Koop of New York celebrated the first mass at the village schoolhouse.
• 1877 - Father Joseph Goiffon celebrated mass every Sunday, weather permitting.
• 1881 –Father Goiffon and the parishioners built a 30’ by 60’ church by themselves near Birch Lake Avenue and Bald Eagle Avenue. There were 40-50 families comprising about 250 individuals.
• 1893 – Church lengthened 20’ and held 360 members for mass; cemetery opened.
• 1897 – There were approximately 700 parishioners.
• 1914 – St. Mary’s School opened. It was an eight-room, two-story school and there were initially 100 students. The school was run by St. Joseph's Sisters of Carondelet.
• 1925—Convent for sisters built next to school.
• 1926 – New church was built at the 4th Street and Bald Eagle Avenue location. The funds for the new church were provided by the daughters of James J. Hill in honor of their mother, Mary Hill, who attended the old church during the summers.
• 1951 – School was expanded, including classrooms, gym, kitchen, community room, library, stage, lockers.
• 1954 – Parish rectory was built.
• 1969—Parish center addition (office space) to school was built.
• 1988—Church renovation. Seating for 700. Addition of a gathering space.
• 2002—Cemetery doubled in size. Parish consisted of about 2,700 households (about 8,000 individuals).
• 2004—Parish Life Center addition doubled the size of the old school building. School was preschool -8th grade with 370 students.
History by Bud Nakasone
History by Don Stock
