St. Mary's Catholic Church was officially organized in West in 1892, and when parents sought a Catholic education for their children, Father F. G. Sebik wrote to Reverend Mother Florence, Superior General of the Sisters of Divine Providence in Castroville. She sent Sister M. Pelagia and three other nuns to teach West's 132 Catholic children. The first school building had three classrooms and living quarters for the sisters, and as enrollment grew the Sisters began accepting boarding students, though by 1909 interest was so high that boarders had to be turned away. A new brick schoolhouse with six classrooms and an auditorium was built in 1917 to accommodate more students, and by 1928 seven nuns were teaching there. Facilities continued to change as enrollment increased and more sisters arrived, while extracurricular programs with the West public schools gave students a variety of activities. The school was fully accredited by the Texas Catholic Conference in 1967. Economic and social changes in the second half of the 20th century reduced the number of Sisters able to teach for a stipend instead of a salary and increased the cost of a Catholic education, leading enrollment to decline over the following decades. The last Sister of Divine Providence left in 1984, but parent-teacher initiatives and development ensured the survival of St. Mary's, which continues to serve the community.