Looking around the Parish, it is hard to imagine that we had our beginnings in the home of a local farmer.
Around 1886, Max Von Lang of Perkiomenville opened his home to other Catholics of the area for Sunday Mass. Reverend William Wachter, rector of St. Aloysius Church in Pottstown, and family friend, celebrated Mass on a makeshift altar covered with the family's best linens. At the time, six Catholics lived in Schwenksville, most of Irish descent.
By 1905, the congregation grew to large for the Von Lang home and moved to a room over a delivery stable in Green Lane. As the numbers grew, the congregation moved from place to place until, in 1917, a chapel in Green Lane was purchased.
Sometime around 1922, 25 families raised money to purchase a building on Spring Mount Road from a New York clothing merchant named Lersch. The 80 year old building, previously a milk shipping station, a brick manufacturing plant, a clothing firm, was converted to a Church and in 1926, St. Mary's Delphi was established.
Reverend William Buesser, the pastor of St. Eleanor's Church in Collegeville, was reassigned as the first pastor and moved into the adjoining 100 year old farmhouse that served as the rectory. Father Buesser received permission to lay the cornerstone for the new Church. Father along with the families, converted the purchased Creamery into the new Church. Under the orders of Pope Pius XI, St. Mary's was certified as a Catholic Church. St. Mary's officially opened on September 15, 1926.
With the area, Delphi, having the same name as a city in ancient Greece, it was only natural taht when Father Buesser heard of a colonial mansion being razed on the Main Line, he purchased the four Doric columns and had them added to the front portico of the Church. The Venetian windows, stained glass window in the sanctuary and four large oil paintings were added by Father McCall.
In 1961, a school and convent (presently the parish house) were built. Prior to this, 70 children traveled to the Sacred Heart School in Royersford in a school bus purchased by Father McCall in 1954. The new St. Mary's School had an enrollment of 162 students and the school was staffed by the Sisters of Saint Francis.
In 1971, the parish hall was built for the 375 family parish. A fire destroyed this impressive church in 1972, and the families found themselves moving across the street to the gym, built the same year, for Sunday Mass. It wasn't until September 30, 1984 that our present Church was dedicated.
In 1989, the Sisters of Saint Francis ended their staffing of St. Mary School and 267 students were enrolled at the time. The former convent became the parish offices and residence for the parish priests.
In 2003, we opened our new school, St. Mary's School which houses our current students.
In 2021, the Parish celebrated it's 95th Anniversary of our Church and 60th Anniversary of our School under Pastor, Rev, Louis Bellopede and Principal, Philip Repko.
In 2022, Rev James Cox became the 9th Pastor of Saint Mary's Church. 6.20.22
Pastors:
