St. Alphonsus Church traces it's history back to the late 1880's. It started as a mission of the former St. Patrick Parish in Noblestown. Fr. Dennis Gallagher, pastor of St. Patrick, began organizing a growing community of Catholics in McDonald. A beautiful Gothic church, standing two stories tall and complete with statues and stations of the cross from Munich Germany, stained glass windows, and a reed pipe organ, was completed and dedicated in 1893. It was built at the corner of Station Street and Jefferson Avenue, and could accomadate 550 people! The church's first rector was Fr. Robert Kiernan, pastor of St. Patrick's. Sadly, it burned down in 1900. The fire was possibly caused by an overheated gas flue. The very next month, in March of that year, construction began on a new church (the current one) at the corner of West Lincoln Ave. and Third Street. It was completed and dedicated in 1901. The community of Catholics in McDonald became so large that, in 1903, it was given its own resident pastor, Fr. Joseph Burgoon. Up until then, St. Alphonsus had always shared a pastor with St. Patrick. But starting in 1903, St. Alphonsus had its own pastor (although Fr. Burgoon would help out at St. Patrick on and off for the next four years). It would be over a hundred years before St. Alphonsus and St. Patrick would share a pastor once again. In total, Fr. Burgoon would serve as pastor of St. Alphonsus for an impressive 48 years, up until his death in August of 1951. He accomplished much during his tenure, including making improvements to the church, paying down most of the debt, and organizing the first Sunday Schools (CCD) in Bulger and Cherry Valley. In fact, when Sts. Peter and Paul Mission in Cherry Valley was founded around 1912, it was under the care of St. Alphonsus for the first few years of its existence. Below is a picture of the former Sts. Peter and Paul church:



Throughout the rest of the 20th century and into 21st century, various improvements and renovations were made to St. Alponsus church, rectory, and social hall, and the Catholic community continued to grow. A variety of ministies were formed, including the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Men's club, and the altar society. One little known fact is that the McDonald Meals on Wheels Program traces its origin to St. Alphonsus Church. The late Sister of Mercy Delellis Laboon, while serving as St. Alphonsus's second CCD coordinator, helped to establish the program.

In 2008, history was made when Fr. Kenneth Sparks became pastor of both St. Patrick Parish and St. Alphonsus Parish. This was the first time that St. Patrick and St. Alphonsus shared a pastor since Fr. Gallagher had first organized St. Alphonsus as a mission of St. Patrick over a hundred years prior. Although the pastors would change, St. Patrick and St. Alphonsus would to continue to share a pastor all the way up until they become part of the new St. Isidore the Famrer Parish in 2020, where the work of spreading the Gospel continues to this day.