About St. Lawrence · French Village, Missouri
St. Lawrence Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish located at 8055 State Route Y in French Village, in the rolling hills of Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri. Founded in 1870 by the Lawrence family and dedicated two years later by the Vicar-General Muehlsiepen, it is one of the oldest Catholic communities in the northern reaches of the old Ste. Genevieve mining country, originally known as Punjaub and later as Lawrenceton. The parish is now administered together with St. Agnes Parish in nearby Bloomsdale under the Archdiocese of St. Louis, with one Sunday Mass offered each week and confessions heard just before it. Saint Lawrence, the parish's patron, was one of the seven deacons of Rome and was martyred in 258 AD under Emperor Valerian; he is venerated as patron of deacons and of the poor.
- Established
- 1870
- Patron
- St. Lawrence of Rome (deacon and martyr, d. 258 AD)
- Rector
- Reverend Ryan M. Weber
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of St. Louis (Metropolitan Archdiocese of Saint Louis)
Why belong here
St. Lawrence offers a peaceful, intimate Sunday Mass in the tradition of a small rural Missouri parish, where generations of Ste. Genevieve County Catholic families have worshipped since 1870. As part of the St. Agnes–St. Lawrence cluster under the Archdiocese of St. Louis, it combines the quiet, tight-knit character of a country mission church with the resources, faith formation, and Catholic school life of its sister parish in Bloomsdale. Visitors are warmly welcomed to the historic church on State Route Y, where confessions are heard just before Mass and the legacy of the Lawrence family's founding gift is still felt.
Mass times at St. Lawrence
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:45 AM – 8:15 AM
About St. Lawrence Catholic Parish
St. Lawrence is a historic rural Catholic parish in French Village (Lawrenceton), Missouri, founded in 1870 on land donated by the Lawrence family. It is now administered together with St. Agnes Parish in Bloomsdale as part of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, offering one Sunday Mass each week in its quiet Ste. Genevieve County valley setting.
Parish History
The parish was established in 1870 when the Lawrence brothers and their wives gave ten acres of land to the Catholic congregation of Punjaub (later Lawrenceton). The cornerstone was laid that year and the first church dedicated in 1872 by Vicar-General Muehlsiepen. After a devastating 1917 tornado, the present church was rebuilt under Rev. Frank X. Weinig and rededicated in 1918 by Archbishop John J. Glennon. A statue of Mary, Queen of Peace was added at a new entrance in 1942, and since 1965 the parish has been administered with St. Agnes in Bloomsdale.
- 1870 — Cornerstone of first church laid; 10 acres donated by Henry, Caroline, Charles, and Philomena Lawrence.
- 1872 — First church dedicated by Vicar-General Muehlsiepen; first pastor Rev. Peter Mollenbeck.
- 1917 — Tornado demolishes the church, sparing only the entrance and scattering records into Illinois.
- 1918 — Rebuilt church rededicated by Most Rev. John J. Glennon, Archbishop of St. Louis.
- 1942 — New entrance constructed with statue of Mary, Queen of Peace in memory of Pauline Glaser Kohler.
- 1965 — Under Father John Jadrich, St. Lawrence permanently linked to St. Agnes Parish, Bloomsdale.
- 2023 — Formally subsumed into St. Agnes Parish under the Archdiocese's 'All Things New' plan; Rev. Ryan M. Weber named pastor.
The Village of Lawrenceton
Originally known as Punjaub (a name reportedly inspired by travelers' comparisons to the Punjab region of India), the village was platted by Henry Lawrence as Lawrenceton in 1880, partly in honor of the family's gift of land for St. Lawrence Catholic Church. Henry and Charles Lawrence built a general store and flour mill in the 1870s that powered the local economy for decades.
- 1867–1876 — Punjaub served by its own post office.
- 1880 — Town of Lawrenceton platted by Henry and Caroline Lawrence.
- 1886 — Lawrenceton post office established.
- 1941 — Lawrenceton post office discontinued.
- 1947 — Lawrenceton public school closed with county consolidation.
Worship Schedule
St. Lawrence currently offers one Sunday Mass each week plus Holy Day and Christmas Eve liturgies. Confessions are heard in the church immediately before the Sunday Mass.
- Sunday Mass — 8:30 AM
- Sunday Confession — 7:45 AM to 8:15 AM
- Holy Day Mass — 7:00 PM
- Christmas Eve Mass — 8:00 PM
Clergy and Staff
St. Lawrence shares its pastoral team with St. Agnes Parish in Bloomsdale and St. Joseph Parish in Zell under the Archdiocese of St. Louis's 'All Things New' configuration effective August 1, 2023. A permanent deacon also serves the cluster.
- Reverend Ryan M. Weber — Pastor (appointed 2023)
- Deacon Allen B. Engelmann — Permanent Deacon
Patron: St. Lawrence of Rome
The parish is named for St. Lawrence (Latin: Laurentius), one of the seven deacons of the early Roman Church, who was martyred on August 10, 258 AD during the persecution of Emperor Valerian. He is venerated as the patron saint of deacons and of the poor, and is traditionally depicted with the gridiron on which he was said to have been martyred.
- Patron of deacons
- Patron of the poor
- Feast day: August 10
- Died 258 AD under Emperor Valerian
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Peter Mollenbeck1872–c.1878
First pastor; cornerstone of first church laid 1870, dedicated 1872 by Vicar-General Muehlsiepen.
- Father Henry Mehringc.1878
Cared for both Lawrenceton and French Village parishes.
- Fathers Reding and Grosholz1878–1882
Pastored St. Lawrence exclusively.
- Father A. Huettler1882–1887
Served the church from his residence at Bloomsdale.
- Rev. Charles L. VanTourenhoutfrom 1887
Placed in charge at Lawrenceton, with French Village as mission parish.
- Rev. Frank X. Weinigc.1917–1918
Rebuilt the church after the 1917 tornado; rededicated 1918 by Archbishop John J. Glennon.
- Father John Jadrich1965
Oversaw the joining of St. Lawrence's administration to St. Agnes, Bloomsdale.
- Father John Majewski15 years after Jadrich
Served both parishes for fifteen years.
- Rev. Vincent Huelsafter Majewski
Cared for both parishes.
- Rev. Michael Benzuntil Aug 1, 2023
Pastor of St. Agnes (Bloomsdale) prior to All Things New reorganization.
- Rev. Ryan M. Weberfrom Aug 1, 2023
Appointed pastor of the combined St. Agnes / St. Lawrence / St. Joseph (Zell) cluster under All Things New.