St. Henry’s Roman Catholic Church was mostly started by settlers from the east and from Europe following the Northern Pacific Railroad from Duluth to Moorhead by way of Brainerd. Thus Perham came into being, and soon after followed St. Henry’s Church.

On August 31, 1873 Reverend Ignatius Tomazin was given permission from Most Reverend Thomas L. Grace, Bishop of Minnesota, to build the church in Perham. St. Henry’s Roman Catholic Church was legally incorporated on April 23, 1895, with about 29 families.

The present church was built in 1905-1906 during the administration of Father Alexis Schaut at a cost of $33,000. It is a solid brick building, equipped with a pipe organ, art windows, and an elevator added in 1993. Parishioners take pride in the well-rooted church, school, and rectory.   

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