How It All Began

The history of IHMA…

In the basement of a small mission chapel in St. Paul, Minnesota, was planted a tiny seed that was destined to become something great…An establishment that would grow to influence the very lives of the children around which it centered. This small school, with less than a dozen families, would shape the future of a small mission parish.

Founded by the Society of St. Pius X in 1989, this school was for several years a bustling hive for its students. Students and teachers would drive into the heart of St. Paul from a radius of one hour, from all around the Twin Cities. However, soon this small school would outgrow the limits of the chapel basement.

In 1997, a solution presented itself. About thirty miles north of the Twin Cities, on the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, August 22, a four-acre property was found and purchased and given the name of Our Lady under the title of her Immaculate Heart. Formerly a Baptist church, the building was renamed and christened Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy.

Once again, the students and staff would outgrow the building, and in 2000, a new addition was added, and the current enrollment of students numbered seventy-four. The little mission school in Oak Grove had proved the test of time and was continuing to expand.

In the summer of 2018, ground was broken for a new addition that would house the ninety-plus students that had been crowded in the classrooms for the last several years. This addition included new classrooms, the chapel, a library, and a proper school office.

The seed had grown into a mighty oak and through the dedication and determination of its staff, students and their families, Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy continues today to prosper under the patronage of Our Lady.