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 illegal 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. for Roman Catholic churches neo-Gothicism was still the norm at that time while 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.