Welcome to St. Mary School!
Mission Statement
Preparing children for the future through spiritual and academic excellence.
History of St. Mary Catholic School in Mokena
St. Mary Catholic School opened for the first time on September 6, 1949, with Sister M. Charlotte Goetze, Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart, as the first principal. The enrollment totaled 27 students in grades one through six.
On January 6, 1955, work was begun on a new church and school under the direction of the new pastor, Father Cecil Koop, OF.M. at the current location of 195th Street and 115th Avenue. The plans were for eight classrooms in the new school building. Within two years, seventh and eighth grades were added. During the 16 years of Father Koop’s pastorate, the parish grew from 50 to 500 families.
In 1964, eight more classrooms and a second floor were added to accommodate the school’s growing enrollment. Both Mokena and the St. Mary Church communities continue to grow. St. Mary School had a waiting list in most grades, which showed the need for another addition.
Thanks to the generosity of parishioners, there was an eight million dollar parish center expansion in 2003. This addition brought a new gymnasium, cafeteria, music room, art room, science lab, and six new classrooms.
With this building expansion, plans to move from one section to two sections of each grade level began with two kindergartens. In 2008, the old 1956 church was converted into the Koop Library and Media Center, in addition to upgrades in the elementary wing of our school.
Currently, St. Mary School has two classrooms of kindergarten through grade seven. The enrollment continues to climb consistently each year. Today St. Mary School has an enrollment of 470+. St. Mary School continues to provide spiritual development and educational excellence; Studying and Sharing in the Circle of God’s Love.
St. Mary Catholic School continues its proud history as a faith-based educational ministry of St. Mary Catholic Church, and an integral part of the parochial school system of the Diocese of Joliet.
