Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown

During the 17th century, present day Ohio was part of the French colony of New France. The Diocese of Quebec, had jurisdiction over the region. However, unlike other parts of the future American Midwest, there were no attempts to found Catholic missions in Ohio.

In 1763, Ohio Country became part of the British Province of Quebec, forbidden from settlement by American colonists. After the American Revolution ended in 1783, Pope Pius VI erected in 1784 the Prefecture Apostolic of the United States, encompassing the entire territory of the new nation. In 1787, the Ohio area became part of the Northwest Territory of the United States. Pius VI created the Diocese of Baltimore, the first diocese in the United States, to replace the prefecture apostolic in 1789.[3][4]

In 1808, Pope Pius VII erected the Diocese of Bardstown in Kentucky, with jurisdiction over the new state of Ohio along with the other midwest states. Pope Pius VII on June 19, 1821, erected the Diocese of Cincinnati, taking all of Ohio from Bardstown.[5]Pope Pius IX erected the Diocese of Cleveland on April 23, 1847, with territory taken from Cincinnati. Northeastern Ohio would remain part of the Diocese of Cleveland for the next 97 years. The first Catholic parish in Youngstown, St. Columba, was established in 1847. Its first church was completed in 1850.[6]

One of the earliest Roman Catholic communities in eastern Ohio was in Ashtabula. In 1850, a small group of Catholics in Ashtabula petitioned the Diocese of Cleveland for their own parish. However, the diocese denied the request due to a shortage of clergy. Instead, a visiting priest from Painesville, would intermittently undertake an day's journey by horse to Ashtabula over secondary rural roads.

In 1858, the diocese established the St. Joseph Mission in Ashtabula and assigned Father Charles Coquelle as its resident priest. Its original members were primarily Irish and German immigrant, drawn to Ashtabula by the railroad industry. Masses were celebrated in private homes until 1860, when parishioners constructed a small wooden frame church. The purchase of an additional five acres in 1877 allowed construction of St. Joseph's two-story brick secondary school, staffed by the Sisters of the Humility of Mary.

In 1878, a group of Catholics began celebrating mass in a grocery store adjacent to Ashtabula Harbor. Mother of Sorrows Parish was established there in 1890 and a permanent church was constructed in 1898.

Towards the turn of the century, a large influx of Italian Catholics made the formation of a third church in Ashtabula desirable. In 1902, parishioners began construction of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. The first mass in the new church was celebrated in 1903. As the Catholic presence grew in Ashtabula, parishioners started building a large masonry building to replace the original St. Joseph's Church on Aug. 1, 1905. That church cost $34,000 to build..

Another early settlement of Catholics was in Dungannon. The mission was first settled on St. Paul's Street. The original log cabin is still standing today.

St. Columba's Church (1916), which became the diocesan cathedral in 1943 and was destroyed in a 1954 fire.

Pope Pius XII erected the Diocese of Youngstown with territory from Diocese of Cleveland in 1943. The new diocese included the counties of Ashtabula, Columbiana, Mahoning, Portage, Stark, and Trumbull. The pope named Auxiliary Bishop James A. McFadden of the Diocese of Cleveland as the first bishop of Youngstown. St. Columba Church in Youngstown became the cathedral for the diocese.

The Diocese of Youngstown covered 3,404 square miles (8,820 km²) with 110 parishes, three Catholic-run hospitals, 54 elementary schools, one junior high school, and three Catholic high schools.[7]

In 1949, Pius XII appointed Bishop Emmet M. Walsh of the Diocese of Charleston as a coadjutor bishop to assist McFadden. After McFadden died on November 16, 1952, Walsh succeeded automatically succeeded him as bishop. In 1954, St. Columba Cathedral was destroyed by a fire and Walsh started building a new cathedral. St. Patrick Church in Youngstown served as the pro-cathedral until the new St. Columba's was dedicated in 1958. In 1960, Pope John XXIII named Reverend James Malone as an auxiliary bishop for the diocese. Walsh College was founded in North Canton in 1960 by the Brothers of Christian Instruction.[8]After Walsh died on March 16, 1968, Pope Paul VI appointed Malone as bishop on May 2, 1968.

After the closing of Youngstown Sheet and Tube in 1977, 5,000 workers in the Youngstown area lost their jobs. Malone led an unsuccessful effort by clergy from different faiths to stop it.[9]A strong advocate of interfaith communication, Malone was elected as the first Catholic leader of the Ohio Council of Churches. He delivered sermons in Protestant churches and urged his priests to establish contacts with non-Catholic congregations.[10] Malone retired in 1996 after 28 years as bishop of Youngstown. Pope John Paul II appointed Auxiliary Bishop Bishop Thomas J. Tobin from the Diocese of Pittsburgh as the fourth bishop of Youngstown in 1996.

On March 31, 2005, John Paul II appointed Tobin as bishop of the Diocese of Providence.[11] The post of bishop remained vacant for almost two years, with Monsignor Robert J. Siffrin serving as diocesan administrator. On January 30, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI named Bishop George Murry of the Diocese of St. Thomas as the fifth bishop of Youngstown.[12]On May 28, 2010, Murry announced the reconfiguration of parishes in the diocese to reduce their total number to 87.[13]

In May 2020, Murry died of leukemia. Siffrin served again as diocesan administrator from June 6, 2020 to January 12, 2021. During the absence of a bishop, Bishop Emeritus Martin J. Amos of the Diocese of Davenport performed ordinations for the diocese. In November 2020, Pope Francis named Reverend David J. Bonnar of Pittsburgh as the sixth bishop of Youngstown.[14] Bonnar is the current bishop of Youngstown.

From 2000 to 2018 in the diocese, baptisms fell by 69%, weddings by 62%, first communions by 61%, and funerals by 25%. The numbers of Catholics in the six counties of the diocese fell by 36%, compared with a total population decrease of 4.3%.[15]

1. James A. McFadden (1943–1952)
2. Emmet M. Walsh (1952–1968; Coadjutor 1949–1952)
3. James W. Malone (1968–1995)
4. Thomas J. Tobin (1995–2005), appointed Bishop of Providence
5. George V. Murry (2007–2020)
6. David Bonnar (2021–present)

• James W. Malone (1960–1968), appointed Bishop of Youngstown
• William A. Hughes (1974–1979), appointed Bishop of Covington
• Benedict C. Franzetta (1980–1996)

The Diocese of Youngstown operates the following elementary/middle schools (Grades PreK-8 unless otherwise noted):[16]

Most of the elementary/middle schools within Mahoning County, plus one school within Trumbull County, are part of a singular system named Lumen Christi Catholic Schools. The Academy is composed of 8 campuses:

• Early Childhood Learning Center at Holy Family, Poland (PreK-K)
• Early Childhood Learning Center at St. Christine, Youngstown (PreK-K)
• Early Childhood Learning Center at St. Joseph, Austintown (PreK-K)
• Early Childhood Learning Center at St. Luke, Boardman (PreK-K)
• Holy Family School, Poland
• Saint Charles School, Boardman
• Saint Christine School, Youngstown
• Saint Nicholas School, Struthers
• Saint Rose School, Girard

Most of the elementary/middle schools within Stark County are part of a singular system named Holy Cross Academy. The Academy is composed of 10 campuses:

• Our Lady of Peace, Canton (PreK-5th.)
• Regina Coeli-St. Joseph, Alliance (PreK-5th.)
• Saint Barbara, Massillon (PreK-7th.; PreK-8th. starting with the 2017–2018 school year)
• Saint Joan of Arc, Canton
• Saint Louis, Louisville (PreK-5th.) (closed at end of 2018–2019 school year)[17]
• Saint Mary, Massillon
• Saint Michael the Archangel, Canton
• Saint Paul, North Canton
• Saint Peter, Canton (PreK-5th.)
• Saints Philip and James, Canal Fulton

In 2013, as part of the Academy's "Transition for Growth" plan, the Diocese of Youngstown announced that St. Joseph Canton would close after the 2013 to 2014 school year, and Saint Peter and Saint Louis would become "Family Preschool Centers" only. The three schools conducted an appeal process in order to keep them open as PreK-8 schools. On February 27, 2014, the diocese announced the results of the appeal. Within the report, it was announced that the St. Joseph Canton campus would still close at the end of the 2013 to 2014 school year. For the 2014 to 2015 school year, the St. Peter and St. Louis campuses would remain open, but serve only grades PreK-5th. The Regina Coeli/St. Joseph and Our Lady of Peace campuses would also serve only grades PreK through 5. The 6-8th grade students within the diocese would be served by a new middle school operating on the campus of St. Thomas Aquinas High School.

The following preschools and elementary/middle schools operate independently of a regional system:

Ashtabula County: Saint John School, Ashtabula (K-12)

Columbiana County: Saint Paul School, Salem

Mahoning County:

• Saint Joseph the Provider School, Youngstown
• Ursuline Preschool and Kindergarten, Youngstown

Portage County:

• Saint Joseph School, Randolph
• Saint Patrick School, Kent

Stark County:

• Saint James School, Waynesburg (PreK-6)
• St. Thomas Aquinas Middle School, Louisville (Grades 6-8)

Trumbull County:

• John F. Kennedy Catholic School, Warren (Lower Campus: PreK-5) (Upper Campus: 6-12) (Note: The Lower Campus was formerly named Notre Dame School: Blessed Sacrament Campus, up until the 2010–2011 school year)
• Saint Rose School, Girard
• Villa Maria Teresa Preschool and Kindergarten, Hubbard (PreK-K)

• Assumption School, Geneva (Closed 2015)
• Byzantine Catholic Central School, Youngstown (Closed 2009)
• Holy Cross Academy at Saint Joseph Canton Campus, Canton (Closed 2014)
• Holy Trinity School (Struthers, Ohio/Mahoning (Closed 1992)
• Immaculate Conception School, Ravenna (Closed 2004)
• Mother of Sorrows School, Ashtabula (Merged with St. John School)
• Notre Dame School, Saint Pius X Campus, Warren (Closed 2010 )
• Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, Ashtabula (Merged with St. John School)
• Sacred Heart of Mary School, Harrisburg/Louisville (Closed 2009)
• Saint Aloysius School, East Liverpool (Closed 2015)
• Saint Anthony School, Canton (Closed 1980s)
• Saint Clement School, Navarre (Closed 2008)
• Saint Frances Cabrini School, Conneaut (Closed 2002)
• Saint John the Baptist School, Canton (Closed1982)
• Saint Joseph and Immaculate Heart of Mary School, Austintown (Closed 2014. An Early Childhood Learning Center remains at St. Joseph.)
• St. Joseph School, Ashtabula (Closed 1980s)
• Saint Joseph Mantua School, Mantua (Closed 2010)
• Saint Mary's of the Immaculate Conception School, Canton (Closed1985)
• Saint Matthias School, Youngstown (Closed 2006)[18][19]
• Saint Mary School, Conneaut (Closed 1972, merged with St. Frances Cabrini School)
• Saints Mary and Joseph School, Newton Falls (Closed 2011)
• Saint Patrick School, Hubbard (Closed 2016)

• Cardinal Mooney High School, Youngstown
• Central Catholic High School, Canton
• John F. Kennedy High School (Upper Campus), Warren
• St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Louisville
• Saint John High School*, Ashtabula
• Ursuline High School, Youngstown

* Independently operated with the approval of the diocese

• Walsh University, North Canton

• Kent State University Parish Newman Center, Kent
• Youngstown State University Newman Center, Youngstown