Saint Mary's By The Sea

Father Hildebrand Melchoir celebrated the first Mass on this site on July 20, 1921, holding services in the old theater building from 1921 to 1927. Plans for a true church were drawn up in 1926, and Father Hildebrand asked his father, Michael Melchoir, an architect and builder, to design and construct it. ​

The walls and ceiling of St. Mary’s were modeled after a ship’s cabins using cedar boards, hand-selected by Fr. Hildebrand. Ships' lanterns flank the altar. Local men Neal Abrahamson Sr. and Ed Best lent their hands to the work.​

On September 4, 1927, the new church was dedicated by Rt. Rev. Abbott Bernard Murphy, and given its name, St. Mary’s By the Sea. By June 21, 1928, the church opened its doors for regular services.​
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Father Hildebrand’s care for the community extended beyond the altar. He kept a rescue rope coiled and ready on the parish house porch, his “Life Line” for swimmers caught in the surf.​

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Today, nearly a century later, St. Mary’s By the Sea continues to thrive within its original walls, standing watch over the ocean, the dunes, and the town it has served for generations. ​

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St. Mary-by-the-Sea is reputed to be closer to the sea and farther west than any church in the continental US.