In 1847, the Mother Church of the Diocese of Wichita was set up in one of the government-built log structures at the Catholic Osage Mission. The missionaries dedicated the church to the patronage of St. Francis Hieronymo, a Jesuit, who had been canonized by the Church as a saint on May 10, 1839. As soon as 1848, the log church proved to be too small, and from then to again in 1861, and again in1871, additions were added to accommodate the growth of the mission community.
In the spring of 1872, the foundation for the new and present 75 x 100 foot stone church structure was laid just a few yards east of the original church. On June 23, 1872, Bishop L.M. Fink laid the cornerstone. A bell weighing 3,000 pounds, measuring 46.5 inches in diameter was put into position in the bell tower. The bell is inscribed with a dedication in the memory of Father Schoemakers, founder of the Mission and St. Francis Parish.
Twelve years after the foundation was laid, this stone structure of St. Francis Hieronymo Church was dedicated on May 11, 1884.
