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                                                                 EXHIBIT 99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



Contact:   John Geary                           John P. Hyland
           Vice President - Marketing           President and CEO
           Standard Bank and Trust Co.          Security Financial Bancorp, Inc.
           708-499-2000                         219-365-4344


STANDARD BANCSHARES, INC. AND SECURITY FINANCIAL BANCORP, INC. ANNOUNCE MERGER

HICKORY HILLS, IL/ST. JOHN, IN (February 7, 2003) - Standard Bancshares, Inc.,
parent company of Standard Bank and Trust Co. (Standard Bank), and Security
Financial Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq Small Cap: SFBI), parent company of Security
Federal Bank & Trust, jointly announced today that they have entered into a
definitive agreement providing for the merger of Security Financial Bancorp with
and into Standard Bancshares, pending regulatory approval and approval by the
Security Financial Bancorp shareholders.

At December 31, 2002, Standard Bancshares had assets of $954 million and
Security Financial Bancorp had $199 million in assets. Security Federal Bank &
Trust's six branch network will be integrated into Standard Bank after the
transaction is completed. The transaction is expected to be completed in the
second quarter of 2003.

Pursuant to the merger agreement, shareholders of Security Financial Bancorp
will receive $24.00 in cash for each share of common stock of Security Financial
Bancorp. The transaction has a total cash value on a fully diluted basis of
approximately $45.9 million.

Standard Bank was founded in 1947, and is the privately held subsidiary of
Standard Bancshares, Inc. of Hickory Hills. Standard Bank currently has 20 bank
branches located in the southern and western regions of the Chicagoland area
encompassing Cook, DuPage, Will and Grundy counties.

Security Federal Bank & Trust, headquartered in St. John, Indiana, currently has
six locations located throughout northwest Indiana, immediately southeast of
Chicago; five in Lake County and one in Porter County. Customers of Security
Federal Bank & Trust will benefit from access to a broader range of products and
services and an expanded network of banking facilities offered through Standard
Bank.

"This transaction provides excellent opportunities for both our bank and our
customers. The acquisition of Security Financial continues our strategy of
expanding our presence into new communities while continuing to provide
outstanding customer service", said Lawrence P. Kelley, President and Chief
Executive Officer of Standard Bancshares. "In addition to increasing our
customer base, this acquisition allows all of our customers the convenience of
more branch and ATM locations as well as an increased breadth of products and
services."

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John P. Hyland, President & Chief Executive Officer of Security Financial
Bancorp, added, "We are excited for this excellent opportunity to combine with a
fine organization like Standard Bancshares. Our Board of Directors is very
pleased with the enhanced value this transaction offers to our shareholders.
Additionally, the combined company will create new and exciting opportunities
for our customers, and a great benefit to the communities in which we do
business." John Palmer, Chairman of the Board of Security Financial Bancorp,
stated "This acquisition will allow our customers more convenience with expanded
full service banking centers and ATM locations, while at the same time providing
our employees with additional opportunities."

This is the fourth significant bank acquisition for Standard Bancshares. The
Bank of Hickory Hills, based in Hickory Hills, was acquired in 1986. The second
transaction occurred in 1999 with the acquisition of Exchange Bank - located
throughout Grundy County and headquartered in Gardner, IL.

Just last December, Standard Bancshares announced that it entered into an
agreement to acquire the parent company of BankChicago, which will, pending
regulatory and shareholder approval, add six bank branches; three in Chicago,
two in Lyons, IL and one in Oak Forest, IL.

When all acquisitions are completed, Standard Bank will have assets of
approximately $1.4 billion and thirty-two full service banking centers located
throughout the Chicagoland area encompassing Cook, DuPage, Will, Grundy and the
northwest Indiana counties of Lake and Porter.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

        THIS NEWS RELEASE CONTAINS CERTAIN FORWARD-LOOKING  STATEMENTS  (WITHIN
THE MEANING OF SECTION 21E OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED)
ABOUT THE PROPOSED MERGER OF STANDARD BANCSHARES AND SECURITY FINANCIAL BANCORP.
STANDARD BANCSHARES AND SECURITY FINANCIAL BANCORP INTEND SUCH FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS TO BE COVERED BY THE SAFE HARBOR PROVISIONS FOR FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS CONTAINED IN THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995,
AND ARE INCLUDING THIS STATEMENT FOR PURPOSES OF INVOKING THOSE SAFE HARBOR
PROVISIONS. THESE STATEMENTS INCLUDE STATEMENTS REGARDING THE ANTICIPATED
CLOSING DATE OF THE TRANSACTION, ANTICIPATED COST SAVINGS, AND ANTICIPATED
FUTURE RESULTS. THE COMPANIES UNDERTAKE NO OBLIGATION TO UPDATE THESE
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS IN THE FUTURE. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS CAN BE
IDENTIFIED BY THE FACT THAT THEY DO NOT RELATE STRICTLY TO HISTORICAL OR CURRENT
FACTS. THEY OFTEN INCLUDE WORDS LIKE "BELIEVE," "EXPECT," "ANTICIPATE,"
"ESTIMATE," AND "INTEND" OR FUTURE OR CONDITIONAL VERBS SUCH AS "WILL," "WOULD,"
"SHOULD," "COULD" OR "MAY." CERTAIN FACTORS THAT COULD CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS TO
DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM EXPECTED RESULTS INCLUDE DELAYS IN COMPLETING THE MERGER,
DIFFICULTIES IN ACHIEVING COST SAVINGS FROM THE MERGER OR IN ACHIEVING SUCH COST
SAVINGS WITHIN THE EXPECTED TIME FRAME, DIFFICULTIES IN INTEGRATING STANDARD
BANCSHARES AND SECURITY FINANCIAL BANCORP, INCREASED COMPETITIVE PRESSURES,
CHANGES IN THE INTEREST RATE ENVIRONMENT, CHANGES IN GENERAL ECONOMIC AND
POLITICAL CONDITIONS, LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY CHANGES THAT ADVERSELY AFFECT
THE BUSINESS

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IN WHICH STANDARD BANCSHARES AND SECURITY FINANCIAL BANCORP ARE ENGAGED, AND
CHANGES IN THE SECURITIES MARKETS. THESE RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES SHOULD BE
CONSIDERED IN EVALUATING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND UNDUE RELIANCE SHOULD
NOT BE PLACED ON SUCH STATEMENTS.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE MERGER AND WHERE TO FIND IT

         SHAREHOLDERS OF SECURITY FINANCIAL BANCORP AND OTHER INVESTORS ARE
URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT THAT SECURITY FINANCIAL BANCORP WILL FILE WITH
THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ("SEC") IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED
MERGER, BECAUSE IT WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT SECURITY FINANCIAL
BANCORP, THE MERGER, THE PERSONS SOLICITING PROXIES IN THE MERGER AND THEIR
INTERESTS IN THE MERGER AND RELATED MATTERS. INVESTORS WILL BE ABLE TO OBTAIN
THE PROXY STATEMENT AND ALL OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC BY SECURITY
FINANCIAL BANCORP FREE OF CHARGE AT THE SEC'S WEBSITE, WWW.SEC.GOV. IN ADDITION,
DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC BY SECURITY FINANCIAL BANCORP WILL BE AVAILABLE
FREE OF CHARGE FROM JOHN NICHOLAS, PUBLIC RELATIONS, SECURITY FINANCIAL BANCORP
AT 9321 WICKER AVENUE, ST. JOHN, INDIANA 46373, TELEPHONE (219) 365-4344.
SHAREHOLDERS OF SECURITY FINANCIAL BANCORP SHOULD READ THE PROXY STATEMENT
CAREFULLY BEFORE MAKING A DECISION CONCERNING THE MERGER.

         SECURITY FINANCIAL BANCORP AND ITS DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS MAY
BE DEEMED TO BE PARTICIPANTS IN THE SOLICITATION OF PROXIES FROM SECURITY
FINANCIAL BANCORP'S SHAREHOLDERS TO APPROVE THE MERGER. INFORMATION ABOUT THE
DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF SECURITY FINANCIAL BANCORP AND THEIR
OWNERSHIP OF SECURITY FINANCIAL BANCORP'S COMMON STOCK IS SET FORTH IN SECURITY
FINANCIAL BANCORP'S PROXY STATEMENT FOR ITS 2002 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS,
AS FILED WITH THE SEC ON NOVEMBER 18, 2002, WHICH IS AVAILABLE AS DESCRIBED IN
THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH.