The first Catholic mass in Paris is believed to have been said in 1863 in the home of a Dr. Birmingham, who lived on the street that bore his name, Birmingham Street.  Today that street is 6th S.E.  The celebrant of the first mass was Father Thomas Hennessay, a circuit rider.  Other early services were held on Clarksville Street at the home of George Thebo.  The home had a private chapel which served as headquarters for priests before the first church building was erected.

At first Paris was a mission.  The first Catholic Church was built in 1880 on Pine Bluff Street on a lot donated by a Mr. Huddle near the present day 3rd N.E. Street.  The church was named Our Lady of Victory.  This name came from the naval battle of Lepanto (in the Mediterranean) on October 7, 1571, which the Christians won over the Turks.  The victory was attributed to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as the many people had prayed the rosary during the battle.

The first church was a small frame building.  The property was later sold, and the little church was moved by wagon to a block of property on Clarksville Street donated by N. English.  This early church was destroyed by fire on August 31, 1897 and rebuilt.  In 1888, the Thebo Family donated a bell to the church.  A new church was built in 1964 on Austin Street.    For the centennial celebration in 1980, the bell was put on permanent display east of the church built in 1964.  Today it hangs in the belfry of the present church at 3300 Clarksville Street.  Thus, for over a century this bell has tolled at Our Lady of Victory Parish.

On Aug. 14, 1907, the cornerstone was laid for a new church.  In November 15, 1908 the Most Reverend E.J. Dunne, Bishop of Dallas dedicated the new church. [additional photos]  This church was located on Clarksville Street on the lot to the east of the old St. Josephs Hospital and the site of the present hospital.  There was also a parochial school, Notre Dame Academy, taught by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word.  A second fire destroyed most of the town on March 21, 1916, but miraculously spared the church and the hospital.  The 1911 school had eight teachers and included both elementary and high school grades.  In 1932, because of the Great Depression, the high school portion was discontinued.

In 1964, the building program for a new church began in concert with the building of a new hospital.  St. Josephs Hospital bought the old church lot for a new hospital, and the new church was built on the corner of E. Austin and S.E. 8th streets.  A new rectory was built facing 8th S.E., and the church faced Austin Street.  The complex included a parish hall that was added in 1953 to the existin g school on Austin Street.  The new church had a seating capacity of 300.  The parish hall served as a location for many church activities, including a cafeteria for the school and religious education classes.  The school closed in 1967 and the school building became the location for the religious education classes (CCD) that year.   

The current church building was dedicated in October 1986, and is located at 3300 Clarksville Street.  The new church seats 400, and the overall complex also has a beautiful chapel for daily masses, offices, classrooms for religious education, and a parish hall.  The rectory lies behind the church parking lot by a small lake.

In February 1987, Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church became part of the newly formed Diocese of Tyler, with Bishop Charles E. Herzig installed as the first bishop.  Following the death of Bishop Herzig in September 1991, Bishop Edmond Carmody became the second Bishop of the Diocese of Tyler.  In the 1990s a house to the west of the current church was purchased and converted to classrooms.  It was named the Herzig Center after our first bishop.

In 2001, eleven additional classrooms and a gymnasium were added adjacent to the church complex.