Our Mission

The mission of St. Mary Nativity School is to provide a safe and dynamic catholic environment where faith is nourished, knowledge grows, and mutual respect is evident. We partner with parents and the parish community to create an inclusive, diverse, and flexible atmosphere for learning that provides for global, responsible, lifelong learners.

A Brief History of St Mary Nativity School

Croatian settlers initially attended St. John the Baptist and later St. Joseph Church. However, within a short time, the growing community of 100 Croatian settlers petitioned the bishop to find a Croatian parish reflecting their language and heritage. Permission was granted and Rev. George Violich came to Joliet from Croatia in May 1906 to establish the parish, which today is St. Mary Nativity.

The parish school was always an integral part of the life of St. Mary’s and the Joliet immigrant community. Through the untiring efforts of the Sisters of the Precious Blood from Alton, Illinois, who originally staffed the school, and later the School Sisters of St. Francis of Christ the King from Lemont, the school thrived.

In 1914 an addition was built to accommodate the increasing school enrollment and in 1943 two buses for school use were purchased. A fire destroyed much of the school on June 27, 1953, in the process of rebuilding and updating the structure, a gym was added. Recent additions have provided easy indoor access for students to the church for liturgy and other activities.

The student body represents a wide spectrum of backgrounds. There are children whose forebears were founding families, those of second and third-generation graduates, along with children whose parents newly arrived to the area searching for a stable educational environment for their children.