In 1573 the old catholic church of Heemskerk was destroyed. When a new church was built in 1628 it was for protestants only; the catholic faith had become outlawed and services were held in clandestine hidden churches. A new church was built in 1847, some 50 years after freedom of religion as proclaimed. This church was replaced by the current one in 1889-1891. Architect J.H. Tonnaer designed it in neo-Renaissance style, a rather strange choice in a time when neo-Gothic was the norm for Roman Catholic churches and neo-Renaissance was the style of the protestants.

Despite the style the church is clearly a catholic one. It's a three-aisled cruciform basilica with a tall crossing-tower, a baptistry at the side and a choir at the back. The tower is made of wood and covered by slates. The church was built by the construction firm of architect and builder J.H. van Groenendael in Nieuwer-Amstel.