St. Laurence Church celebrates 90th anniversary with block party Aug. 12

St. Laurence Parish invites the community to celebrate the church's 90th anniversary with an 11 a.m. Mass on Sunday, Aug. 12. It will be followed by a picnic on the church grounds, 225 Jewett St. on Elgin's west side.

Elgin Mayor David Kaptain has been invited to read the city's proclamation honoring the parish's 90th anniversary at the block party.

The celebration aims to integrate both parish and neighborhood communities with food, live music, games for children and activities for all ages. For information, visit stlaurencechurchelgin.com or call (847) 468-6900. The Mass schedule is Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. (Spanish); Sundays at 7:15 a.m., 9 a.m. (bilingual), and 11 a.m.; 8 a.m. Mondays to Thursdays; and 7 a.m. Fridays.

When the Rockford Diocese purchased the property, the boundaries for the parish were the Fox River to the east, Plato Center to the west, halfway to Dundee on the north and halfway to St. Charles on the south. The first mass of the church was celebrated in the club rooms of St. Joseph's Parish on Oct. 21, 1928, by Father Laurence Prendergast. The construction of the new church continued and the first Mass was celebrated at the current location on Sept. 8, 1929. On Nov. 24, 1929, the church officially opened with 40 hours of devotion. The dedication occurred May 18, 1930.

The church underwent a renovation on the interior beginning in 1971 under the guidance of Father Philip O'Neil. The church was closed for about 5 weeks with mass being celebrated in the auditorium. The rededication took place on Nov. 28, 1971.

In 2003, the parish undertook a major renovation on the building to add a narthex, elevator and sacristy. The renovation also enlarged the balcony and returned the church to a more traditional look. It is how the church stands today.