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From the first humble masses celebrated in member’s homes, to the diverse parish that is Immaculate Conception today, the rich history of ICC closely parallels the beginnings of Catholicism in the Durham area. The Church’s roots date back to 1867 with the donation of a tract of land from a Mrs. Shepherd of Raleigh. This land was to be used for the establishment of a Catholic community just north of Hillsborough. A group from Lockhaven, Pennsylvania settled the land and became some of the first Catholics in the area, creating St. Catherine’s mission.

Being that the area was still considered a mission territory, priests from Raleigh and Newton Grove came to celebrate Mass and serve the faithful every couple of months. It was not until 1887 that the congregation was large enough to rent a hall on Corocoran St., with Mr. William T. O’Brien becoming the leader of the congregation. In 1901, the parish moved to another hall on Main St. and set up pews, an altar, a confessional, along with other furnishings to create the first real Catholic worship place in Durham.

It was funds and three large lots of land on Chapel Hill St. donated by William T. O’Brien that gave the congregation the opportunity to build their church. On January 14th, 1906, the 106 members of Immaculate Conception formally dedicated their new church. Watch the video to learn more.