In February 1949, it was discovered that there were 86 Catholics as patients in Western State Hospital in Bolivar. Shortly thereafter, Mass was celebrated for these persons. In February 1950, eight Catholics were residing in Bolivar and the next month, Mass was celebrated for them. The Trinitarian Missionary Priests from Silver Springs, MD. came into Hardeman County in 1950. In 1950, a non-Catholic young man from Hardeman County began inquiries about where and how to have a Catholic wedding, information he could not find in Bolivar: therefore, he went to Savanna, in Hardin County, where he found Fr. Gerald Swift, MSST. From their conversation Father Swift learned about the Catholics in Bolivar. Father asked the young man if he might return to Bolivar with him to meet the Catholics there.

At this time Father Swift was offering Mass at Western Mental Health Institute monthly. This meeting later led to the first convert and marriage from this mission. Later FAther Swift started offering Mass in Shackelford Funeral Home. About three months later two women from the Catholic community who owned Bolivar Drug Store, offered FAther loft of the building, with an alley entrance, to be renovated into a place of worship. With long hours and days of hard work, and the fatith and talents of Father Swift and a very few Catholics, this was accomplished. The chapel was named "St. Michael" because of the assistance of St. Michael's Parish in Memphis. A Nov. 3, 1950, letter to Bishop Adrian from Father Swift stated: "The temporary mission chapel in Bolivar is nearly completed. Under separate cover I am sending you a picture of the chapel sanctuary and altar. The bank balance of St. Mary's Savannah is getting low again. Please send me a donation from the Mission Fund." Father Swift was there until 1955. Fr. Charles Teague, MSST, was there from 1955 until March 1957. The place of worship was still St. Michael Chapel

Land was purchased for $7,000 where the church was to be built during Father Teague's assignments in Bolivar. This land was the locaion of the old Mecklenburg Mansion built by the family of James K. Polk. (Two famous visitors to this home were President Polk and General Ulysses S. Grant.) This home and property were purchased by the Diocese of Nashville in 1959. A fire on Sept. 29, 1962, destroyed the home.

St. Mary was built on this property in 1960. In 1960, Fr. DePaul Landrigan MSST, came and contacted the Madonna Circle in Memphis, and they pledged $10,000 to help build the church. Archbishop O'Brien pledged another $10,000. With these two pledges the church was completed and dedicated in 1961 by Bishop Adrian of Nashville. The first sacrament of matrimony in the new church was the mariage of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Lacefield, Nov. 21, 1961.

In 1962, Fr. Celestine Pfannenstiel, MSST, came to Savannah as pastor. The parish had two churches, 45 miles apart and the care of Catholic patients at Western State Psychiatric Hospital, now Western Mental Health Institute near Bolivar. The first pastor who assisted at the dedication was Rev. DePaul Landrigan, MSST.

The church at Bolivar, St. Mary's, was under the Trinitarians until Jan. 11, 1979, at which time, Bishop Carroll T. Dozier separated the counties of Hardeman and McNairy from the parish of St. Mary's Savannah and joined them with Holy Rosary, Memphis, with Fr. Milton J. Guthrie as pastor. The keys to the parish in Bolivar were turned over to Father Guthrie on Jan. 16, 1979.

This church was formally taken over by the diocese in 1981, at which time Father Silk was appointed administrator; he was then appointed pastor in 1982. Fr. David Foley succeeded him in 1983 and Fr. Edward Byrnes in 1989. Fr. Rober Wright became pastor in 1990. The present pastor is Fr. Carl Jude Hood. St. Mary's Church in Bolivar numbers about 55 households and its boundaries are all of Hardeman County.