History and Mission

Parish Mission Statement

          St. Lawrence O’Toole is a faith-filled Roman Catholic parish, united by the Body of Christ through the Eucharistic feast, the source and summit of our Christian faith.  Our purpose is to build God’s kingdom by acting as a living witness to the Gospel, sharing in Christ’s mission to evangelize and serve both our parish community and the world around us.

Parish Vision Statement

          We strive to bring people to holiness by actively nurturing their spiritual lives and creating opportunities for individuals to encounter the living Christ by:

•      Fostering a rich sacramental life that imparts divine grace and helps us grow in virtue
•      Entering into God’s presence as a community through the holy sacrifice of the Mass prayer and devotion
•      Providing for spiritual formation and religious education at all stages of growth and development
•      Imitating Christ’s self-gift of the cross by giving our         time, talent and treasure in the service of His mission and our parish community 

​          We aim to build a community of saints, filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit, where all are welcome and actively work to love, support and serve one another.
We are Catholic
We are Eucharistic
We Evangelize, Steward and Serve
We Understand and Live our Faith
We Strive to be Holy
We are a Community of Faith and Love
We ARE the Family of St. Lawrence O’Toole

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 extended 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  That same month, the Dominican Sisters who had served in the Parish School since it opened in 1961 were withdrawn by their Community.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 deditcated in November 1993, and is a hub of Parish and Community activity.