The McKinney Mission began in the year 1870. The first missionary priest to serve the mission was Rev. Joseph C. Martinere (1870-1874). In an old book of records of the Galveston Diocese, mention is made of McKinney, Texas. That is the McKinney Mission, of course, as far back as 1870. The Galveston Diocese at that time was sending its first missionaries to North Texas, including McKinney, the seat of the Collin county. In 1894, Fr. A. O'Hara arrived as pastor, being the fifth missionary priest coming to the Mission (1894-1895). Rev. O'Hara was the administrator of the first Catholic church in McKinney (see attachments for location).

On Palm Sunday in 1895, Fr. O'Hara celebrated Mass with eight communicants present. The above date was a very important one which marked the first Catholic Mass celebrated upstairs in the McKinney Opera House building. Sometime thereafter, a zealous Fr. O'Hara decided to build a small church in the rural town. He solicited donations in the company of Mr. Burnes from the businessmen of the town-all Protestants. Enough money was secured to build a small frame church on the edge of town on a lot donated by Mr. W. C. Thompson, a Protestant real estate man who printed the McKinney Examiner newspaper. The provision was that the Catholic members had free use of the lot as long as the building was used for church purposes.

Before the first church was built sometime in 1895 or thereafter, the Catholic families attended services in various homes of the members or other locations every other Sunday at various times, serving eight communicants.

Rev. O'Hara was in charge of the congregation for a short time and said Mass every other Sunday. Fr. O'Hara left the mission sometime in 1895. Eleven priests succeeded him during the timeframe of 1870 to 1915.

The first location of the Catholic Church in McKinney was the following:

Where the former University Nursing Home is now located under the new name of McKinney Healthcare Center, 2030 W. University Drive, McKinney; there was a little (ravine) creek that went underneath Highway 24 (now known as Highway 380), going south about 10 miles to Bois d' Arc Road. That road was then known as Rae Mills Road. All the land was cleared out, leaving just a big, white house in a field. The church was built on the same land near the big, white two-story house, which was located in a hollow at the edge of town. The deed states: "a track of land situated on the waters of the East Fork about 10 miles South and 15 miles East of McKinney being a part of survey of 160 acres." The church built was a small, white wood framed church.

This area is now located across the creek from the Collin College campus on the north side of US 380.

• 1870 - 1874: Rev. Joseph C. Martinere
• 1875 - 1878: Rev. M. Troney (Attended from Dallas)
• 1879 - 1890: Rev. Delflaches (Attended from St. Paul)
• 1891 - 1893: Rev. Jeremiah B. Lehane
• 1894 - 1895: Rev. A. O'Hara (appointed administrator in 1895)
• 1895 - 1896: Rev. Frank P. McGinn
• 1897 - 1898: Rev. Philip O'Donoghue
• 1899 - 1900: Rev. Daniel R. Harrington (Attended from Bonham)
• 1901 - 1910: Rev. Raymond Vernimont (Attended from Denton)
• 1910: Rev. William P. Rootes, C. M.
• 1911 - Attended from Holy Trinity, Dallas
  • 1911 -Rev. J. W. Bleckle, C.M.
  • 1911 -Rev. John J. LaSage, C.M.
• 1913: Rev. A. P. Delaney, C.M.
• 1914 - Rev. Marshall Winne, C.M.