The former St. Lawrence O’Toole Catholic Church and adjacent school are on the market for $2.7 million, according to the Chicago real estate firm listing the Matteson property.
The church closed last year as part of a consolidation by the Chicago Archdiocese of three south suburban churches.
The property, 4101 St. Lawrence Drive, is nearly 15 acres on the west side of Governors Highway south of U.S. 30.
Immediately south of the St. Lawrence property is Matteson’s 21-acre Governors Trail Park.
The Chicago Archdiocese announced in January 2022 that as part of its Renew My Church initiative, St. Lawrence O’Toole would, along with St. Irenaeus in Park Forest, consolidate with Flossmoor’s Infant Jesus of Prague Parish and School.
Launched in 2015, the Renew My Church program has resulted in several church closings and mergers in the south and southwest suburbs.
Real estate firm Root Realty is representing the archdiocese in the sale. The church was built in 1961 and is 9,400 square feet, according to the listing by Root Realty.
The school, built in 1964, is 29,000 square feet and the Sullivan Center, which includes an auditorium, gymnasium and additional classrooms, was built in 1993 and is 18,000 square feet.
The church, school and Sullivan Center are connected, according to the property information.
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There is also a rectory, church offices and a maintenance building on the property.
The buildings together comprise 62,000 square feet, according to the offering information.
The property is zoned for residential use, and new uses for the site could include residential, commercial or educational, according to the property information.
The church’s school closed at the end of the 2014-2015 school year after the archdiocese announced in the fall of 2014 that St. Lawrence O’Toole would be among several Catholic schools slated to close. The archdiocese cited low enrollment and growing debt as reasons for the decision to close the Matteson parochial school.
Parents rallied in an effort to convince the archdiocese to change its mind, with school officials noting at St. Lawrence had a strong academic reputation and had been an Illinois Blue Ribbon school.
School officials, in appealing to the archdiocese, said enrollment for the 2014-2015 school year had risen to about 170 students, and that debt had been trimmed to $300,000 from $500,000 in the preceding 18 months, with expectations it would be further cut during the school year.
mnolan@tribpub.com