[7] The Catholic population had outgrown nearby Holy Cross Church[1] and the German-speaking South End residents wanted their own parish.

The church spire towers 197 feet (60 m) above street level making it a prominent landmark and the tallest building in the historic German Village neighborhood south of downtown Columbus.

[9] On August 14, 2015, the church undertook a motorcade featuring a mobile carillon as part of the celebration for the parish's 150th anniversary and its 90th Homecoming Festival.

On Friday, October 7, 2016 structural engineers recommended St. Mary Church temporarily condemned due to significant damage to the roof trusses, exterior brick, and ceiling.

The parish funded the project via a $7.5 million capital campaign with support from Columbus community leaders.

Kevin Lutz, “…encompassed the roof, the foundations, wall supports, choir supports, new front stairs, a prayer garden, a new sidewalk, rewiring the entire church, new heating, ventilating and air conditioning system, a new church and sanctuary floor, repainting the statues, and restoration of the confessionals, baptistery and Pietà shrine… For financial reasons, the original plan also did not include work on our stained-glass windows.

[2] The original stained glass windows in the church building were composed of religious symbols and geometric designs.

Ten painted ceiling panels depict images representing titles of Mary from the Litany of Loreto.

Angels holding instruments of the Passion of Christ stand over a Latin phrase taken from the Adoration of the Cross portion of the Roman Catholic Good Friday liturgy.

[19] In 2020, the parish also acquired a nearby historic Civil War-era schoolhouse from the City of Columbus for $250,000 below its appraised value, sparking critiques.

The new space will also house the Dominican Learning Center, which focuses primarily on adult education such as English as a Second Language and General Educational Development programs, and a primary and behavioral healthcare center operated in partnership with Nationwide Children's Hospital.