Photo Gallery

Celebrate 70 Fun Fact: What’s Inside the Church Cornerstone?

Did you know… Our Lady of the Wayside Church’s cornerstone was laid on March 17, 1957. Sealed into it was: Every copy of “The Waysider’ (parish bulletin) to date A current issue of The New World A current Issue of [read more...]

Celebrate 70 Fun Fact: Father O’Hara’s “Tough Love” Letter

A special fund drive for building the new church concluded just before the cornerstone laying. $10,000 (the equivalent of $108,786 today) was realized, but not before Father Harold O’Hara issued a “tough love” letter to parishioners asking them to step [read more...]

Back to School 2023-24 (Elementary & Middle School)

The 2023-24 School Year has begun and Our Lady of the Wayside’s campus is once again abuzz with energy, enthusiasm, and smiles! Our teachers eagerly welcomed students into their classrooms and helped them settle in. The morning began with the [read more...]

Back to School 2023-24 (Preschool)

The 2023-24 School Year has begun, and Our Lady of the Wayside’s campus is abuzz with energy, enthusiasm, and smiles! Our preschool teachers eagerly welcomed wee ones enrolled in the PK-3 & PK-4 programs into their classrooms for a year [read more...]

New OLW School Year Begins in Prayer

Our Lady of the Wayside students returned from Summer break to begin the new 2023-2024 School Year. In the Catholic tradition, the year begins in prayer. Our parish community prays for our students, teachers and staff as they begin this exciting [read more...]

Celebrate 70 Fun Fact: OLW Church Construction Begins

On March 17, 1957, The Most Rev. Raymond P. Hillinger, Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago, blessed and laid the cornerstone of Our Lady of the Wayside’s new, permanent Church. Construction was expected to be completed in September of 1958, at a cost [read more...]

Celebrate 70 Fun Fact: Church Ground Breaking

When temporary church space in OLW School was converted to seven additional classrooms needed for rapidly growing enrollment, Father O’Hara and his loyal parishioners realized that construction of a permanent church was a necessity. There was no alternative. Money was [read more...]

Happy Scenes from Totus Tuus 2023

Totus Tuus 2023 is a wrap! The week-long summer retreat for our youth in 1st through 12th grades was a huge success. Participants grew in their faith through skits, games, songs, celebrating the sacraments, and engaging interactive teachings. The themes [read more...]

Celebrate 70! Fun Fact: Automobile Raffle Fundraisers

Automobile raffles were an important and successful fundraising tool in the earliest days of our parish. Booklets containing 12 raffle tickets of $1 each were distributed to parishioners who were expected to sell to family and friends. Money raised went [read more...]

Celebrate 70 Fun Fact: OLW School’s Rapid Growth

In four short years after Father O’Hara accepted the commission to be Our Lady of the Wayside’s first pastor, OLW School enrollment swelled from 300 to 1,000 students. The school building was designed to easily convert to additional classrooms, as [read more...]