About Our Parish

Our History

In 2023, St. Mary's marked its bicentennial anniversary.  Formally, Fairfield was known as Millerstown. As far back as 1823 priests from St. Joseph’s in Emmitsburg and Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary ministered to the Catholics in Millerstown, celebrating Mass in the homes of Catholics. By 1825, the now Servant of God, Father Simon Brute, spiritual director of Mt. St. Mary's, cared for the needs of the people of the then Millerstown who travelled to either Conewago or Emmitsburg for the celebration of the sacraments.  St. John Neumann, as Bishop of Philadelphia, notes in his official diary that the cornerstone of the church was laid in 1852.   In 1852, Father Crane, a priest at Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary received monies to begin the construction of a church in what was now called Fairfield. In 1855, Bishop Neumann visited the church and conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation on 29 Catholics.  A ledger in the parish files dated 1909, gives the name “St. Mary’s of the Snows.” It seems that “St. Mary’s” was the popular name even from the earliest days.

There is some confusion about the history of St. Mary’s due to an undocumented one page history written by Father McDermott in 1905. His written statement says “Father Deneckere from Gettysburg, built the church in 1854 and named it The Church of the Immaculate Conception.” This story he placed on file at the chancery office, and thus the name of the parish remains to this date.

The original church building was located at 12 East Main Street and was sold to the Fairfield Church of Christ.  The new building was completed on Tract Road in 2000.  During the winter 2000-2001, plans were made and construction began on the parish hall and catechetical center in the basement of our new building, dedicated on August 19, 2001.   Parts of the old building were taken to the church on Tract Road.  The stained glassed windows were placed in the narthex, the statues of Our Lady, St. Joseph, and even the bell from the bell tower was brought to the new location. The bell now sits covered in front of the building to the left of the entrance. The present pews and altars were a gift from St. Mark’s in Hyattsville, MD. The Altar was restored by the late Charles Martin, and the pews were recently refinished by a company from North Carolina. The Crucifix was recently donated by Jenny Farkas and friends in memory of her husband Nick. The previous Crucifix is now in the Adoration Chapel at the House of Studies.