Our Lady of Snows Shrine was established in 1915 by the Jesuits. It was established as a mission for the Catholics of the Potawatomie Nation. Before the Indian mission church was built, the Potawatomie Indians traveled by team and wagon to Emmett, KS and St. Mary's, KS to attend Mass.
1911 - Father Murphy at Emmett, KS began collecting money to construct a church for the Indians. Land was donated and the church officially opened in 1915.
1952 - Church hall was completed and dedicated by Bishop Edward Hukler.
1965 - Shrine was ministered to by the pastor of Emmett or Holton until this year when the Jesuits left the area. It was closed for the next 2 decades thereafter.
1986 - Fr. Bob Hasenkamp reopened the shrine.
1987 - After reopening the church hall, it was dedicated to Sr. Therese Klepac, SCL who served the church from the time it was reopened to the day she passed away in July 10, 1994.
To this day, the pastor of St. Dominic and St. Francis Xavier serves as the chaplain of the shrine and celebrates Masses there during the 2nd Sunday of the month. Other Sunday Masses are celebrated by a Capuchin priest from Haskell Indian College in Lawrence.