PARISH HISTORY
ON JUNE 15,1959, REV. WILLIAM R. DORAN WAS
NAMED PASTOR OF THE NEW CHURCH TO BE BUILT IN MATTESON. GROUND BREAKING FOR
THE CHURCH AND EIGHT CLASSROOMS WAS HELD ON AUGUST 28, 1960. WHILE THE CHURCH
WAS BEING BUILT, MASSES WERE HELD AT TOLENTINE COLLEGE. AN ASSISTANT, REV. R.
PETER BOWMAN, WAS ASSIGNED IN JULY, 1961.
MASSES BEGAN IN THE NEW CHURCH ON AUGUST 20,1961, AND THE SCHOOL OPENED
THAT SEPTEMBER WITH GRADES 1-4.
THE PARISH FLOURISHED IN THE YEARS THAT
FOLLOWED, GROWING IN SIZE, DIVERSITY, AND DEVOTION. THE ARCHDIOCESE EXPANDED
OUR STAFF TO INCLUDE A THIRD PRIEST IN JUNE, 1985. THAT SAME MONTH, THE
DOMINICAN SISTERS WHO HAD SERVED IN THE PARISH SCHOOL SINCE IT OPENED IN 1961
WERE WITHDRAWN BY THEIR COMMUNITY. WITH DWINDLING NUMBERS IN THEIR ORDER, THEY
FELT THAT O’TOOLE SCHOOL COULD SURVIVE WITHOUT THEM BETTER THAN SOME OTHER
PARISHES THEY SERVED. THE ARCHDIOCESE DOWNSIZED THE STAFF BACK TO TWO PRIESTS
AGAIN IN 1992 AS THE IMPACT OF THE PRIEST SHORTAGE WAS FELT.
THE FALL OF 1992 SAW THE GROUND BREAKING
FOR THE REV. RICHARD D. SULLIVAN PARISH CENTER - A BADLY NEEDED FACILITY TO HOUSE
FOUR ADDITIONAL CLASSROOMS, MEETING ROOMS, AND A GYMNASIUM/HALL. THE CENTER,
NAMED IN MEMORY OF THE LATE FR. SULLIVAN WHO DID SO MUCH FOR ST. LAWRENCE O’TOOLE,
WAS DEDICATED IN NOVEMBER, 1993, AND IS A HUB OF PARISH AND COMMUNITY
ACTIVITY.
PRIESTS WHO HAVE SERVED AT ST. LAWRENCE O’TOOLE
INCLUDE:
REV. WILLIAM R. DORAN, PASTOR - JUNE, 1959- MARCH, 1971
REV. R. PETER BOWMAN - JULY, 1961 - MAY, 1966
REV. E.R. REILLY - MAY, 1966- AUGUST, 1970
REV. RICHARD D. SULLIVAN, PASTOR - MARCH, 1971 - MAY, 1988
REV. EDWARD HARNETT - APRIL, 1971 - SEPTEMBER,
1974
REV. THOMAS H. SLOAN - SEPTEMBER, 1974- JUNE, 1980
REV. EDWARD J. CRONIN - JUNE, 1980 - JUNE, 1986
REV. ALBERT PIZZA - JUNE, 1984- AUGUST, 1984
REV. DANIEL JANKOWSKI - OCTOBER, 1984-MARCH, 1985
REV. PAUL G. SEAMAN - JUNE, 1985- MARCH, 1992
REV. RAYMOND DEVEREAUX - JUNE, 1986- AUGUST, 1987
REV. JAMES P. FINNO, PASTOR - MAY, 1988- DECEMBER, 1999
REV. JOSEPH P. ALLEN - MAY, 1991 - JUNE, 1996
REV. DANILO C. SORIANO - JULY, 1996 - DECEMBER, 1997
REV. ANDREW J. SANTOS III - JUNE, 1997 - JUNE, 2000
REV. JOSEPH T. COOK . OCTOBER, 2000 - PRESENT