The first Catholics made their homes in St. Johnsbury in 1831. In that year the records of the town and early church records show names of Roman Catholics such as Lemaire, Moreau, Longergan, Trudel, etc. St. Johnsbury was furnished with Catholic residents from Canada and Ireland who were visited by missionary priests from Canada and Boston as well as Rev. O'Callaghan from Burlington and Rev. Drolet from Montpelier. The missionaries celebrated Mass in the homes of local Catholics and their visitations extended over a period of 23 years, from 1831 to 1854.  It was the successor of Father Drolet, Father Maloney, under whose directon ground for the first Our Lady of Victory parish church was purchased in 1856. There were about 20 families.  In 1858 Rev. Stanislaus Danielou was named the first Pastor of the newly erected parish of Our Lady of Victory. The first church of our Lady of Victory was completed and blessed on July 25, 1860. It is interesting to note that the same newspaper containing the account of the blessing of the new church also announced Abraham Lincoln and Hanibal Hamlin as the Republican nominees for President and Vice President and Erastus Fairbanks as the Republican candidate of the Governor of Vermont.