St. Thomas Aquinas traces its roots to the year 1884, when a mission church was established in Langdon Township, south of Cottage Grove. The mission, called St. Patrick, closed in 1900. It was moved to St. Paul Park two years later, and on January 27, 1903, St. Thomas Aquinas was incorporated. Priests from the Cathedral of Saint Paul and Guardian Angels in Oakdale served the community until 1915, when Fr. Patrick J. Hart was assigned as the first resident pastor. Over the years the church was expanded, and the school opened in 1949 in its current location. As the population soared in the 1960s, the parish launched an ambitious building program to create a new convent, school, and church. The first Mass was celebrated in the new church in July 1969. Just two years later, the school closed. The school may have closed but other activities continue with the support of loyal generous parishioners. In 1984 St. Thomas Aquinas celebrated its 100th anniversary and in 2009, celebrated its 125th anniversary with a yearlong celebration which brought many old and new parishioners together for a wonderful community building celebration. In 2019, Mass for the 135th anniversary of the parish and 50th anniversary of the present church was celebrated by Archbishop Bernard Hebda.
