In 1784 a parish was founded in Zaandam, some 200 years after the catholic faith had become illegal in the province of Holland. Until then the catholics of Zaandam went to church in Het Kalf, which was quite a long walk from Zaandam. In 1785 a first wooden church was built. A hidden church, as usual for that time, that looked like a house. This was a time of relatively large religious tolerance but not of religious freedom. From the outside the church was not to be recognizable as such. The hidden church remained in use until the late-19th century. By that time the parish had grown so big that a new church was needed.
A.A.J. Margry and J.M. Snickers designed the new church. These architects in 1880 had formed a partnership with Margry's older brother E.J. Margry which lasted until his death in 1891, when they continued the office. Several of his designs were completed by the two remaining partners, but his work provided a source of inspiration later as well. The design for the St. Bonifatius featured a westwork that looked very similar to that of the St. Hildegardis, which was designed by E.J. Margry shortly before his death. This westwork consist of a short square tower with a protruding porch and two polygonal stairturrets at the front and a tall spire on top, flanked by traves which are taller than the side-aisles of the nave. The church is a three-aisled cruciform basilica with a wide central aisle. The transept does not extend the width of the nave. The interior has wooden vaults covering the central aisle while the side-aisles are covered by brick vaults.