About St. Lawrence · Carroll, Iowa
St. Lawrence Church, located at 1607 N. West Street in Carroll, Iowa, was founded in 1914 to serve Catholics on the north side of Carroll. For more than a century it grew from a mission of SS. Peter & Paul into one of Carroll's two large Catholic parishes, with its own school, convent, and generations of Franciscan Sisters and priests. In July 2018 St. Lawrence merged with Holy Spirit Parish to form St. John Paul II Catholic Parish, and in 2022 four more Carroll County parishes (Annunciation-Coon Rapids, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton-Glidden, St. Joseph-Dedham, and St. Mary-Willey) were merged into the same surviving corporation. Today St. Lawrence is the principal Mass church of St. John Paul II Parish, hosting Sunday Masses at 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. and daily Mass on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Sioux City.
- Established
- 1914
- Patron
- St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr
- Rector
- Rev. Patrick A. Behm
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sioux City
Why belong here
St. Lawrence offers two Sunday Masses (7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.) and Tuesday/Wednesday daily Mass at 7:00 a.m. in a comfortable, recently redecorated worship space. The parish belongs to a large merged family of six churches (St. John Paul II Parish) supported by parish Catholic Religious Education (CCRE), the OCIA process for adults becoming Catholic, youth events including Steubenville, a pastoral care ministry that brings Communion to the homebound and visits parishioners in the hospital and nursing homes, and the broader Kuemper Catholic School System K-12 partnership. Members can also join in perpetual adoration at nearby Holy Spirit Church, men's holy hours at St. Mary in Willey, parish assemblies, and decades of adult formation — all within walking distance of downtown Carroll.
Mass times at St. Lawrence
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sun: 7:00 AM - 7:25 AM (St. Lawrence Church, Carroll)
- Wed: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (St. Lawrence Church, Carroll)
- Sat: 3:30 PM (Holy Spirit Church, Carroll)
- Sat: 5:00 PM (St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, Glidden)
- Thu: 8:00 AM (St. Joseph Church, Dedham)
- Fri: 8:00 AM (Annunciation Church, Coon Rapids)
- Tue: 6:30 PM (Holy Spirit Church, Carroll)
- Fri: 6:30 AM, First Friday of the Month (Holy Spirit Church, Carroll)
- Sat: 7:00 AM, First Saturday of the Month (Holy Spirit Church, Carroll)
- By appointment — call (712) 792-9244
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration at Holy Spirit Church, Carroll (closes Saturdays at 3 PM for weekend Masses; reopens 12 PM Sundays)
- Men of Heart holy hour with Eucharistic Adoration and the Rosary, first Friday of the month at St. Mary Church, Willey (6:00 PM), followed by fellowship in the parish hall
Our Story — A Century on the North Side of Carroll
St. Lawrence Parish was born on August 10, 1914, when its articles of incorporation were signed on the Feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr. From a five-acre field in northwest Carroll, 36 founding families, and a basement church-school, it grew through five major building campaigns and ten pastors into one of the largest parishes in the Diocese of Sioux City. The parish celebrated its centennial in 2016 and now forms part of the merged St. John Paul II Catholic Parish.
- Founded August 10, 1914 (Feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr)
- First Mass celebrated December 1916
- First resident pastor, Fr. Joseph Cordes, named August 1917
- Centennial celebrated in 2016
- Merged into St. John Paul II Catholic Parish, July 2018
Pastorate Timeline — 1914 to Today
The parish was led by ten resident pastors and dozens of assistant pastors in its stand-alone years, followed by the merged St. John Paul II Parish. The succession below is drawn from the official parish history on stjp2carroll.org.
- Rev. Joseph Cordes, 1917–1940
- Rev. Arthur Poeckes, 1940–1959
- Msgr. Edward Vollmer, 1959–1963
- Msgr. Henry Karhoff, 1963–1978
- Rev. Lawrence McCarty, 1978–1986
- Rev. Francis Nemmers, 1986–1991
- Rev. Robert Gralapp, 1991–1994
- Rev. Gerald Hartz, 1994–1995
- Rev. Laurence Burns, 1996–2000
- Rev. Timothy Schott, 2000–2015
- Rev. Craig Collison, 2015–2018
- Rev. Kevin Richter, 2018–present (first pastor of merged St. John Paul II Parish)
Buildings and the 'Our Second Century Project'
From the original 1916 church-school and 1929 convent to the 1951 church, the 1962/1964 school additions, and the modern redecoration, St. Lawrence has grown with its people. In 2007 the parish identified the need for new gathering spaces; BCDM Architects produced a design concept in 2008 and Walsh & Associates completed a feasibility study in January 2009. The 'Our Second Century Campaign' raised $3.2 million in pledges over ten weeks and funded a new parish hall (Collison Hall), walkway, family room, and narthex completed in October 2011. From January to April 2012, while Masses were celebrated in Collison Hall, the church interior was completely redecorated with new flooring, pews, and paint and connected to a new geothermal HVAC system. After Easter 2012 a new Cimabue crucifix, Holy Family stained-glass window, and piano were added. The entire project was completed without borrowing any funds.
- Original church-school: 1916
- New convent: 1929
- Current church and rectory: 1951
- School additions: 1952, 1958, 1962, 1964
- Our Second Century Project additions: 2011
- Interior redecoration and geothermal HVAC: 2012
- Cimabue crucifix, Holy Family stained-glass window, and new piano: 2012
Liturgy and Music
Music and liturgy have always been central to St. Lawrence. Msgr. Karhoff introduced the Vatican II dialogue Mass and the ministries of lectors and communion ministers in the 1960s, and a full-time director of music was hired under Fr. McCarty in the early 1980s. The sanctuary was remodeled to Vatican II norms during those years. The 2012 redecoration added the Cimabue crucifix and a new piano, and a Holy Family stained-glass window was installed after Easter. Sung Evening Prayer was added to parish life under Fr. Schott in the 2000s.
- Vatican II liturgical reforms implemented by Msgr. Karhoff (1963-1978)
- Full-time Director of Music hired 1986
- Sanctuary remodeled to Vatican II norms under Fr. McCarty
- Cimabue crucifix installed 2012
- Holy Family stained-glass window installed 2012
- New piano added 2012
Parish School and Kuemper Catholic School System
St. Lawrence School opened in September 1917 with three Franciscan Sisters from La Crosse, Wisconsin, as teachers. Enrollment grew to 380 in 1952-53, 500 in 1958-59, and 602 in 1963-64. In 2003 all Catholic schools in Carroll County unified as a single K-12 Kuemper Catholic School System; St. Lawrence leased its school building to KCSS, which now operates the St. Lawrence Center as the KCSS Middle School for grades 6-9.
- School opened September 1917 with Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration
- New convent built 1929
- New church and rectory 1951
- 1958 school addition; enrollment 500
- 1962-64 school expansion under Msgr. Vollmer
- Consolidated into K-12 Kuemper Catholic School System in 2003
- St. Lawrence Center houses KCSS Middle School grades 6-9
Faith Formation and OCIA
St. Lawrence (now St. John Paul II Parish) runs Carroll Catholic Religious Education (CCRE), the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, and OCIA (formerly RCIA) for adults seeking full initiation into the Catholic Church. EmmaLee Miklosovic serves as Director of Evangelization for Carroll; Brenda Heithoff serves as DRE for Coon Rapids; Lori Danner serves as DRE for Glidden.
- CCRE — Carroll Catholic Religious Education (mission: support families and catechists)
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (atrium program)
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (Baptized candidates participate for shorter duration; unbaptized approximately two years)
- Steubenville Pre-Registration youth conference (2025 forms posted)
- EmmaLee Miklosovic, Director of Evangelization — Carroll (712-792-0513)
Pastoral Care and Outreach
Since August 2006 Shirley Molitor has served as the parish's part-time Pastoral Care Minister, visiting parishioners in the hospital and nursing homes, bringing Communion to the homebound, and facilitating bereavement groups. A weekly second collection for the needy was initiated in 1991 under Fr. Nemmers, and the parish has provided ongoing financial assistance to a sister parish in Haiti since the late 1980s.
- Pastoral Care Minister since 2006 (Shirley Molitor)
- Hospital and nursing home visits
- Communion brought to the homebound
- Bereavement groups
- Weekly second collection for the needy (since 1991)
- Sister-parish relationship with a parish in Haiti
Joining St. John Paul II Parish
Becoming Catholic: adults enter the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) process — unbaptized candidates typically participate for about two years; already-baptized Christians from other denominations participate for a duration suited to their prior formation. Contact the parish office at (712) 792-9244 or [email protected] for details.
- Contact: (712) 792-9244 / [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon-Thu 8 AM-5 PM, Fri 8 AM-2 PM
- Parish office located behind St. Lawrence Church
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joseph Kuemper1914-1917 (mission status)
Pastor of SS. Peter & Paul who purchased the five-acre parish site and celebrated the first Mass in December 1916.
- Rev. Joseph CordesAugust 1917 - April 11, 1940
First resident pastor; 36 founding families; opened St. Lawrence School in September 1917.
- Rev. Arthur Poeckes1940 - January 2, 1959
Parish quadrupled in size; new 1951 church and rectory; school additions in 1952 and 1958.
- Msgr. Edward VollmerFebruary 1959 - April 27, 1963
Expanded the parish school with the 1962 and 1964 building phases.
- Msgr. Henry KarhoffJune 1963 - 1978
Implemented Vatican II liturgical reforms including the dialogue Mass, lectors, communion ministers, and congregational singing.
- Rev. Lawrence McCarty1978 - 1986
Formed pastoral council, hired music director, brought RENEW process, remodeled sanctuary to Vatican II norms.
- Rev. Francis Nemmers1986 - 1991
Air-conditioned and painted the church; paid off mortgages; began second collection for the needy and Haiti sister-parish support.
- Rev. Robert Gralapp1991 - 1994
Served as assistant-pastors at the parish were reduced from two to one.
- Rev. Gerald Hartz1994 - 1995
Involved in early stages of the St. Lawrence/Holy Spirit school consolidation.
- Rev. Laurence Burns1996 - 2000
Completed school consolidation into Kuemper Catholic Grade School; revitalized pastoral council; convent demolished.
- Rev. Timothy SchottJuly 2000 - July 2015
Launched parish newsletter, weekly holy hour, weekly Bible study, sung Evening Prayer, and adult formation opportunities.
- Rev. Craig CollisonJuly 2015 - July 2018
Led the parish through its 2016 centennial and the 2018 merger into St. John Paul II Parish.
- Rev. Kevin RichterJuly 2018 - present
First pastor of the merged St. John Paul II Parish; oversaw the 2022 merger that added four more Carroll County parishes.