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St.
Marys History
Deep Faith, Rich Tradition
Early
in 1842, a group of German Bavarian Catholics, known as the German
Catholic Brotherhood of Philadelphia and Baltimore, organized
for the purpose of forming a colony that would be free from religious
and racial persecution. The group purchased  a
30,000 acre tract in the Shippen District at a price of $.75 per
acre and on December 8 of that same year the new settlement was
named Sanct Marien Stadt (St. Marys) in honor of the Blessed Mother.
Decker's
Chapel
A few years after settling in St. Marys, a deeply religious
man named Decker fell from a tree in his orchard and injured his
back. He vowed to build and maintain a chapel if the injury healed,
and in the course of a year or two he had recuperated enough to
fulfill his promise. The Little Chapel was built in about 1856,
shortly before Decker's son Michael was ordained as a priest.
Decker's Chapel
has been called the smallest church in the United States. Its visitors'
book includes names from throughout the country and the world.
St.
Joseph's Convent
St.
Joseph's Convent is the oldest Benedictine women's community in
the United States. The Sisters served critical needs in the early
years of St. Marys and continue their service today, while maintaining
monastic traditions. The convent was founded in 1852 and is the
motherhouse for the order throughout the nation.
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