Wawrzyńca) was a Roman Catholic parish established in 1882 that largely served people of Polish background in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.

With fewer than fifty devoted family followers and only US$31.50 in the treasury, the Polish people petitioned Archbishop of Philadelphia James F. Wood for a church.

St. Laurentius Church was named (in Latin) after St. Lawrence, a deacon who was martyred under the reign of Roman Emperor Valerian.

Master craftsmen from Mannheim, Germany were called upon to build an ornate wooden altar, pulpit, statues and elaborate cut-glass windows.

Later, in 1912, under the stewardship of Father Gabriel Kraus, the sanctuary was embellished with oil paintings portraying the life of Christ and his Saints.

As St. Laurentius School's attendance increased in the mid-1920s, Father Julian G. Zagorski, then assistant at the church, founded the Catholic Young Men's Club.

With a focus on athletics the club promoted good sportsmanship and fostered Catholic fellowship among neighborhood boys.

Under Father Garstka's leadership a Boy Scouts of America troop was founded in 1956, and the Catholic Ladies Guild was formed for fund-raising.

In the mid-1990s the Archdiocese of Philadelphia began to lose parishioners as fewer Catholics attended Mass on a regular basis.

It is being recognized for working with The University of Pennsylvania, for a well qualified staff and for the growth its student show both academically and emotionally.

All services were moved to Holy Name of Jesus Parish nearby on Gaul Street while the Archdiocese of Philadelphia determined the fate of the building.

The money will be raised by selling unutilized buildings on the parish campus, according to CatholicPhilly, which also said that the decision would not affect the St. Laurentius School, which will continue to operate.