Soon after the railroad built its line through Derby, the Wichita Catholic Diocese established a mission here. Starting with a small group, the congregation soon justified a building which was built at the southeast corner of Baltimore and Kay in 1882. The little church remained as a mission, with priests coming to town on the train from Wichita or Newton once or twice a month to conduct services. 

Over the next 70 years, the Derby mission experienced numerous affiliations, being attached to at least six different parishes during that time span. By the early 1950s the Mulvane parish was in charge of services for the 35 families that made up Derby’s congregation. As the town began to grow, changes were also under way for the mission. The diocese purchased land on the north end of Derby in 1953 and began planning a new parish plant. Not knowing what to expect from Derby’s growth, plans were drawn for a new facility that would have a meeting hall, office and classrooms for a school. Classrooms could be added as needed when the growth became more apparent, and the hall could serve as a church if the congregation outgrew the little church in the south end of town.

When construction began on St. Mary’s new Derby facility, the little white church on south Baltimore was the oldest standing church building in Derby and the third oldest building in the diocese, behind Fort Scott and Strong City.

Built on land that had been part of the O.H.P. Smith farm at Madison and Derby Street, the new St. Mary facility was situated just north of the farmhouse that had been home to the Smith family. At first the 2-story farmhouse was redecorated to serve as quarters for the priest, but when school started in the fall of 1954, the priest moved to rented quarters and the house became a convent for the nuns.

As soon as the school opened, additional classrooms were being constructed. Derby’s meteoric growth had made St. Mary the fastest growing parish in the state. Over a six-month period, St. Mary parish had grown from 70 families to 135, and expected to double that in the next six to nine months. They had quickly exceeded the capacity of the old church and services were being held in the new school’s hall.

By mid-1957, construction of a new chapel was underway. Located toward the north side of the church’s 10-acre property, the new church was designed to accommodate about 400 people. It was completed in early 1958 and future plans would include the addition of a rectory.

Numerous other changes were made on the St. Mary grounds over the next five decades. In 2005 a new chapel was built on property donated by the Knights of Columbus on 71st Street South (Meadowlark), east of Rock Road. The school was completed in September 2011, on east Meadowlark. The original 10-acre parish property that had been surrounded by Derby’s growth, was sold to the city. All of the buildings on the property, except the school’s gym, were removed and major construction turned the property into one of Derby’s finest parks…Madison Avenue Central Park. The building that had been the school gym was modified to create The Venue, one of Derby’s premier spaces for public activities.

The current St. Mary faith center on east Meadowlark