HISTORY OF SAINT LAWRENCE PARISH, CARROLL, IOWA
August 10, 1914, the Feast of St. Lawrence – Deacon and Martyr, the articles of incorporation of Saint Lawrence Parish were signed, establishing the new parish to serve the needs of Catholics on the north side of Carroll.
April 23, 1915, Father. Joseph Kuemper, pastor of SS. Peter & Paul Parish in Carroll, purchased five acres in northwest Carroll which was to become the site of the parish. The nucleus of the parish was formed, and in 1916 work began building a church.
In December 1916, Father. Kuemper celebrated the first Mass in the new church, which included a parish hall in the basement and space for classrooms and Sisters’ living quarters on the second floor.
St. Lawrence Parish remained a mission parish until August, 1917, when Father. Joseph Cordes, assistant-pastor of SS. Peter & Paul, was named the first resident pastor of St. Lawrence Parish. There were 36 families in the new parish.
St. Lawrence School opened in September, 1917, administered and taught by Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration.
In 1929 a new convent was built in order to meet growing enrollment in the parish school. The original convent portion of the second floor of the church was renovated into classrooms. Father. Cordes died April 11, 1940.
Father. Arthur Poeckes served as pastor from 1940 until he died January 2, 1959. During these years the parish quadrupled in size. In 1951 a new church and rectory were built. In 1952 the original church-school building was remodeled, producing ten new classrooms and a library. 1952-53 school enrollment was 380 pupils. In 1958 an addition to St. Lawrence School was built. 1958-59 enrollment was 500 pupils.
Because of parish growth, an assistant-pastor was assigned beginning in 1948. This was increased to two assistant-pastors beginning in 1956. Assistant-pastors who served with Father. Poeckes were Fathers Victor Kollasch, Gerald Wingert, Robert Fangman, Eugene Ceperly, Robert Obermire, Patrick Waite, Patrick Nooney, and Robert Condon.
Monsignor Edward Vollmer served as pastor from February 1959 until he died April 27, 1963. He devoted himself to expanding the parish school. In 1962 the first phase of a new addition (12 classrooms and new offices and restrooms) was completed. In 1964 the second phase (gymnasium, locker rooms, kitchen, cafeteria, classrooms, and a music room) was completed, and the old school-church building was demolished. 1963-64 enrollment was 602 pupils. Assistant-pastors who served with Monsignor Vollmer were Fathers Thomas Donahue, Jerome Degen, Henry Weimer, Richard Frank, and Peter Fransco.
Monsignor Henry Karhoff served as pastor from June 1963 until his retirement in 1978. He was instrumental in facilitating the liturgical changes following Vatican Council II, including participation in the “dialogue” Mass, the ministry of lectors and communion ministers, and especially congregational singing. Assistant-pastors who served with Monsignor Karhoff were Fathers Ronald Naser, Emmet Farrell, LeRoy Seuntjens, Eugene Walding, James McAlpin, James Smith, Dale Reiff, and Patrick Walsh.
Father Lawrence McCarty served as pastor from 1978 until 1986. Under his leadership many parishioners answered the call to ministry. Participation in liturgical ministries grew. A parish pastoral council was formed. Liturgy, Peace & Justice, and Buildings & Grounds Committees were established. A neighborhood census was undertaken and many inactive Catholics were welcomed back to parish life. A fulltime director of music was employed, and the parish actively participated in the RENEW process. The church sanctuary was remodeled to conform to Vatican Council II liturgical norms, and new offices and a meeting room were added to the parish rectory. Assistant-pastors who served with Father McCarty were Fathers Patrick Walsh, Timothy Schott, William Schreiber, Craig Collison, Brian Hughes, Daniel Guenther, Douglas Dandurand, and John Perdue. Two parishioners were ordained permanent deacons for service to St. Lawrence Parish: Deacon Robert Bruner in 1984 and Deacon L. B. Westendorf in 1986.
Father Francis Nemmers served as pastor from 1986 to 1991. The church was air-conditioned and painted, and participation in liturgical ministries continued to grow. Outstanding mortgages were paid off, a weekly second collection for the needy was initiated, and St. Lawrence Parish began to provide financial assistance to a parish in Haiti. Assistant-pastors who served with Father Nemmers were Fathers Philip Niles, Steven Brodersen, Keith Dreckman, and Kevin Richter.
Father Robert Gralapp served as pastor from 1991 to 1994. During these years, because fewer priests were assigned to Kuemper High School, the number of assistant-pastors assigned to St. Lawrence was reduced from two to one. Father. Chris Van Oosbree served with Father Gralapp and also with Father Hartz.
Father Gerald Hartz served as pastor from 1994 to 1995. Father Hartz was involved in the early stages of the consolidation of St. Lawrence School and Holy Spirit School.
Father Laurence Burns served as pastor from 1996 to 2000. Consolidation of St. Lawrence and Holy Spirit schools into the new Kuemper Catholic Grade School was completed, and the parish pastoral council was revitalized. The parish convent was demolished. Assistant-pastors who served with Father Burns were Fathers Douglas Klein and Joseph Dillinger. Timothy Murphy was ordained a permanent deacon for service to St. Lawrence Parish in 1998.
Father Timothy Schott began his service as pastor of St. Lawrence Parish in July, 2000, his second assignment to St. Lawrence, having served as assistant-pastor 1978-79 while teaching at Kuemper High School. Father Schott brought with him strong interests in liturgy and ministry and initiated a pastoral team approach to parish administration. In 2002 Father Dillinger was reassigned, which ended 54 years of ministry to St. Lawrence Parish by assistant-pastors. In August 2006 Shirley Molitor began serving the parish as a part-time pastoral minister.
During its 94 years, St. Lawrence Parish has provided the Church with eight priests, one Brother, sixteen Sisters, and thousands of Catholic school alumni.
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