St. Thomas the Apostle Church originated as a Catholic
mission in
Delaware County, Pennsylvania in 1730, established at the home of the
Thomas Willcox family in
Concord Township. In 1837, Saint Mary's Chapel was built as part of the new Willcox mansion, which became an integral part of the area's Catholic heritage. The Willcox mansion and the associated chapel were later recognized on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1972 as part of the
Ivy Mills Historic District. On August 26, 1852, a tract of land was purchased from Nicholas F. Walter for the construction of a permanent church. The cost of the new church was primarily funded by James M. Willcox, the proprietor of Ivy Mills. Construction was completed in 1856, and the cornerstone was dedicated by
St.John Neumann, who was later canonized as a saint. In 1957, the parish expanded with the addition of an
elementary school and a
convent to serve the growing Catholic community. To accommodate increasing numbers, a larger church was built adjacent to the original St. Thomas' Church in 1991. ==Notable burials==