St Patrick's Catholic Church, Ross, was established in 1866, within a year of the founding of the Ross goldfield. Following the discovery of gold at Jones Creek and Totara River in 1865, miners flocked to the district and the township of Ross sprang into existence. Between 1865 and 1870 the field supported as many as 3,500 miners, and 47 hotels.

A significant proportion of West Coast miners were Catholic Irish. Thus Catholic priests followed promptly on the heels of the miners to provide for the spiritual needs of this new congregation. The first Catholic church in Westland, St Mary's in Hokitika (replaced in 1914), opened in December 1865.

The original part of St Patrick's, Ross, was a very basic rectangular building constructed of Baltic pine. Reputedly the timber was imported by a merchant who could not pay for it. The Irish community in Ross apparently banded together, purchased the cargo, and built a church. St Patrick's was dedicated by Bishop Viard on 21 October 1866. A resident priest, Fr. J. A. Goutenoire, was appointed in 1869, and later the same year transepts were added to accommodate the growing congregation. The two eras of the church's construction are clearly discernable with plain casement windows in the nave and more elaborately detailed lancet shaped windows lighting the transept. Some minor renovations were carried out at the turn of the nineteenth century and the front porch may not have been added until this date.

The church has remained virtually unchanged for nearly 140 years, is the oldest Catholic Church on the West Coast and the second oldest surviving in the Christchurch Catholic diocese after Akaroa. It may also be the oldest remaining building in Ross. With declining numbers of parishioners in the late twentieth century, the Ross parish was incorporated into the Hokitika parish and lost its resident priest. The nearby presbytery was sold in 1982. Now part of the [Hokitika] parish the church remains well supported with a recent restoration programme undertaken to overcome general maintenance issues. Sited across the road from the Ross Visitor Centre the church is a much visited attraction in this historic settlement.