About St. Lawrence O'Toole · Ironton, Ohio
St. Lawrence O'Toole is a Roman Catholic parish in Ironton, Ohio, located at the corner of Sixth and Center Streets in the heart of this Ohio River town. One of the most southern and western parishes in the Diocese of Steubenville, it is part of the four-church Lawrence County Catholic Community alongside St. Joseph (Ironton), St. Ann (Chesapeake), and St. Mary (Pine Grove). The parish traces its roots to 1852 and the Irish railroad workers who founded it, and it continues to serve the faithful of Ironton and the surrounding area with weekly Mass, the sacraments, and a century-old tradition of parish life anchored in its 1892 Gothic Romanesque church.
- Established
- 1852
- Patron
- St. Lawrence O'Toole (Lawrence of Dublin, 12th-century Irish archbishop)
- Rector
- Rev. David Huffman (per official irontoncatholicchurches.com) / Fr. Wayne Morris (per current lawcocatholic.org site)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Steubenville
Why belong here
St. Lawrence O'Toole is the heart of an old Irish Catholic community on the Ohio River, with a striking 1892 Gothic Romanesque church that has welcomed generations of families. As part of the four-parish Lawrence County Catholic Community it offers a full weekend schedule of Masses, weekday Masses at the parish and at its sister churches, the sacraments, a parish elementary school (St. Lawrence Elementary), and connection to the area's Marian heritage through the nearby Our Lady of Fatima Shrine. It's a parish where Irish-American Catholic tradition is still very much alive.
Mass times at St. Lawrence O'Toole
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:15 PM – 5:00 PM (odd-numbered months)
- 45 minutes before any Sunday Mass
- By appointment (call the parish office)
History of St. Lawrence O'Toole Parish
The parish was founded in September 1852 when Fr. Richard Gilmour, sent by Archbishop John Purcell of Cincinnati, arrived to serve Irish railroad workers building the rails of southern Ohio. Land for the first church at Seventh and Center Streets was donated by the Iron & Coal Company. The original wood church gave way to a more solid second building, which served until 1892. Under Fr. Cotter (pastor 1889–c. 1947), the present Gothic Romanesque church was built at Sixth and Center; its cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1891 in a community-wide celebration with Bishop Watterson of Columbus. The parish has been continuously renovated — in 1918, 1946, and 1977 — and its original wood church (Gilmour Hall) was razed in 1929 to make way for a new elementary school.
- Founded September 1852 by Fr. Richard Gilmour
- Original church at Seventh and Center, on land from the Iron & Coal Company
- Present Gothic Romanesque church, corner of Sixth and Center, completed 1892
- Cornerstone laid July 4, 1891 with Bishop Watterson of Columbus
- Renovations in 1918, 1946, and 1977
The Building
The present St. Lawrence O'Toole church was erected in 1892 on the corner of Sixth and Center Streets in Ironton. It is designed in the Gothic Romanesque style and is notable for its rounded arches carried throughout the interior. At the time of construction the building seated 950 and cost $35,000, and it remains the spiritual center of the parish today.
- Style: Gothic Romanesque
- Rounded arches throughout
- Seating capacity: 950
- Original cost: $35,000
- Completed 1892
Our Lady of Fatima Shrine
Eight miles west of Ironton, off old U.S. 52, sits the Our Lady of Fatima Shrine — a Marian devotional site begun by Fr. Louis Phillips after his visit to the Fatima Shrine in Portugal. A central statue of Our Lady and the three shepherd children is visible from the highway, set above a reflecting pond with a concrete walkway and wrought-iron fence. Behind the main shrine, fifteen mosaic 'Shrinettes' depict the mysteries of the rosary, each commemorating a person or family. The shrine was blessed in 1954 and again in 1962.
- Located off old U.S. 52, eight miles west of Ironton (557 Old U.S. 52, Ironton, OH 45638)
- Built under Fr. Louis Phillips after his pilgrimage to Fatima, Portugal
- Central statue of Our Lady and the three children visible from the highway
- Reflecting pond, concrete walkway, wrought-iron fence
- Fifteen mosaic 'Shrinettes' depicting the mysteries of the rosary
- Blessed 1954; re-blessed 1962
Parish School: St. Lawrence Elementary
St. Lawrence Elementary has long been the parish school of St. Lawrence O'Toole, located at 315 South Sixth Street, Ironton, OH 45638. A school building replaced the parish's original wood church (Gilmour Hall) on the Seventh and Center lot in 1929. The school sits within the Ironton Catholic Schools system and serves the children of the parish.
- Address: 315 South Sixth St., Ironton, OH 45638
- Phone: (740) 532-5052
- Website: http://www.irontoncatholicschools.org
- Part of Ironton Catholic Schools
- School Masses held at St. Lawrence O'Toole during the academic year
Lawrence County Catholic Community
St. Lawrence O'Toole is one of four parishes that together form the Lawrence County Catholic Community, a single pastoral team serving the Catholic faithful of Lawrence County, Ohio. The sister parishes are St. Joseph (501 Chestnut St., Ironton), St. Ann (310 3rd Ave., Chesapeake), and St. Mary (1059 County Rd 26, Pine Grove). The community shares a Parish Office at PO Box 499, Ironton, OH 45638, and publishes a unified bulletin, online giving, and YouTube live-streamed Masses.
- St. Joseph — 501 Chestnut St., Ironton
- St. Lawrence O'Toole — 611 Center St., Ironton
- St. Ann — 310 3rd Ave., Chesapeake
- St. Mary — 1059 County Rd 26, Pine Grove
- Shared Parish Office: PO Box 499, Ironton, OH 45638
- Parish Office phone: (740) 532-0712
- Shared bulletin, online giving, YouTube live streams
Ministries & Devotions
The parish's life of devotion has been enriched over the decades by ministries begun by its pastors. Fr. Louis Phillips founded the Immaculate Heart of Mary Praesidium of the Legion of Mary at St. Lawrence and led a daily 15-minute rosary broadcast on local radio. The parish maintains a prayer network that anyone can request inclusion in by contacting the parish office, and St. Lawrence participates in regular school Masses with its elementary school during the academic year.
- Legion of Mary — Immaculate Heart of Mary Praesidium (founded by Fr. Louis Phillips)
- Daily radio rosary (15 minutes, originated by Fr. Louis Phillips)
- School Masses for St. Lawrence Elementary during the academic year
- Parish prayer network
- Monthly Mass at Jo-Linn Nursing Home (10 a.m., first Tuesday)
- Online Giving through the Lawrence County Catholic Community
Visit, Contact & Office Hours
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish through the shared Lawrence County Catholic Community Parish Office. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 10:30 AM to 4:00 PM. For emergency sacramental needs (such as Anointing of the Sick), an after-hours priest line is available.
- Parish Office: (740) 532-0712
- Office email: [email protected]
- Mailing: PO Box 499, Ironton, OH 45638
- Office hours: Mon–Fri 10:30 AM – 4:00 PM
- Emergency priest line: (740) 532-0712, opt. 8
- St. Lawrence Activities Center: (740) 532-0561
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Richard GilmourSeptember 1852 – c. 1859
First pastor of St. Lawrence parish; arrived to serve Irish railroad workers.
- Fr. Phillip O'Donoghue1859 – 1870
- Fr. F. Bric1876 – 1889
Laid the foundation for the present St. Lawrence Church in 1887.
- Fr. CotterAugust 12, 1889 – c. 1947
Native of Ireland; served over 58 years; appointed the building committee that erected the 1892 church; led renovations in 1918 and 1946.
- Fr. Louis Phillips1952 onward
Originally from Johnstown, PA; founded the Immaculate Heart of Mary Praesidium of the Legion of Mary; led construction of the Our Lady of Fatima Shrine off old U.S. 52; broadcast a daily 15-minute rosary on the radio.
- Fr. James Dirkerfrom 1967
Native Irontonian; oversaw the 1977 renovation of the church.