As the city of Joliet expanded in the early 20th century, Archbishop George Mundelein of Chicago established St. Raymond Parish on June 28, 1917.

Initially, mass was celebrated for the parish at the Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate on Plainfield Road.

Roger Kaffer, a native of the parish, briefly served as the cathedral rector in 1985.

On April 25 of that year Pope John Paul II appointed Father Kaffer as auxiliary bishop of Joliet.

The altar was repositioned closer to the congregation and the baptismal font was moved into the nave of the church.