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Our parish has undergone tremendous growth, from the small group who founded the mission in 1864 to the nearly 900 presently registered families at St. Joseph. Our parish has been richly blessed through the years with loving, caring and welcoming parishioners who reflect the Word of God in their faith life. Together, let us celebrate our unique history, accomplishments and blessings of our parish and rededicate ourselves to serving the future needs of our community. Scroll down to learn about our beginnings and then click on the buttons at the bottom of this page to discover more about our unique history.
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Pioneer Catholics
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Catholic settlements in the area (the six counties in the northeastern part of Ohio now known as the Youngstown Diocese) date back to the early 1800's when pioneers moved westward from the Atlantic states and from Europe to settle in towns such as (New) Lisbon, Canton, Massillon, and Canal Fulton. Coming from central Ohio, Father Fenwick may have visited the log cabin of Daniel Shehy in Youngstown as early as 1815 or 1816. In 1817 the first Masses were celebrated in the log cabin home of Daniel McAllister at St. Paul Settlement near Dungannon in the dense forests of Columbiana County and under an oak tree on the property of John Shorb at Canton. Three years later the small congregation built the first permanent church in northern Ohio, St. Paul's.
But the "mother church" of the area was St. Columba's in Youngstown. Through the exertions of William Woods, a small frame church was completed in 1853. This was replaced in 1864 by a large brick Gothic church built under the pastorate of Father Eugene M. O'Callaghan. St. Columba's became the cathedral of the new diocese when it was founded in 1943, and the present cathedral building was completed in November 1958 (the first St. Columba's Cathedral burned to the ground in 1954 due to a lightning strike).
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Youngstown's first bishop was James A. McFadden, who had been auxiliary bishop of Cleveland since 1932. In 1952, Bishop McFadden was succeeded by his coadjutor, Bishop Emmet M. Walsh, formerly the bishop of Charleston, South Carolina, and who served until his illness in 1966 Bishop James W. Malone was named auxiliary bishop in 1960, apostolic administrator in 1966, and the Ordinary (bishop) of the diocese in May 1968. Bishop Thomas Tobin was appointed Youngstown Diocesan Bishop on December 5, 1995 and installed installed February 2, 1996. Upon Bishop Tobin's appointment as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, May 31, 2005, Msgr. Robert J. Siffrin was elected Diocesan Administrator of the Diocese of Youngstown until a new bishop was chosen by Pope Benedict XVI. The Most Reverend George V. Murry, S.J., was installed as the fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Youngstown on March 28, 2007. After a battle with leukemia Bishop Murry died on June 5, 2020. Msgr. Robert J. Siffrin was elected Diocesan Administrator of the Diocese of Youngstown until a new bishop was chosen by Pope Francis. The Most Reverend David J. Bonnar was installed as the sixth Bishop of the Diocese on January 12, 2021.
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St. Joseph's Mission Years ~ 1864-1923
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Bishop Amadeus Rappe of Cleveland established a mission in Mantua in 1864, with priests from Cleveland's Holy Name Church traveling to Portage County for Mass. The old Irish settlers of this area with a great desire to worship God, though few in number, welcomed the spiritual services of a faithful corps of priests. Rumors exist that Mass was said in Mantua by a Father Kindergraph in 1854 and 1855 but he must have been a missionary because no priest by that name was known in the Diocese of Cleveland. Rev. Jacob A. Kuhn took care of the new mission from 1864 to 1865. St. Joseph Mission was then attached to St. Stephen's Church in Niles and the priests from Niles (Rev. Alexander R. Sidley, Rev. Edward J. Conway, Rev. Bernard B. Kelley, Rev. Michael Ivers), came from 1865 to 1870. [Refer to Leadership page for more details on priests who served St. Joseph]
In 1870 Mantua came as a mission to Warren & Father Edward Murphy built a frame church which was blessed Christmas, 1871 (this was built on the site that the brick church building, Crestwood Schools Board offices until 2017, stands on Prospect St. in Mantua Village). Cost of this 25' x 40' structure was $1,000.00.
Until then Mass was said in the house of Patrick Calvin, the old schoolhouse, and then mostly in the house of Brian Reagan (later occupied by Mrs. Mary Paul). The money to build the church was collected from the poor people and John King, a section foreman on the Erie railroad from his men from Warren to Warrensville. He paid the contractor, Mr. Farr, as he got it, and in 1872 as the report shows, all was paid and everybody was glad, but it shows, too, the spirit among these old settlers.
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Father Murphy had left Warren in 1873 and Father Timothy A. Mahoney came from Niles 1871 to 1873 and took care of Mantua, too. From 1873 to 1875 Father Angelo Paganini and Joseph Paganini, cousins, took care of Warren and Mantua. From 1876 to 1877, Fr. Bernard Kelley returned to St. Joseph mission as pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Warren. From 1877 to 1879, Father M. Murphy came who was then succeeded by Father William J. Manning from 1879 to 1882. In July, 1882, came Father Felix Scullin until February, 1884. He was succeeded by Father Denis O'Brien, who died in the late 1930's, in Chicago. In August, 1886, came Rev. Ambrose Weber and served until 1901. Under his guidance the church was beautified and a steeple added.
Father Patrick Dwyer came to Mantua until 1903. Jesuits from St. Ignatius College (forerunner of John Carroll University) in Cleveland were given charge of St. Joseph Mission starting on March 15, 1903 through 1910. During this time the mission was attended twice a month. Click here to more information about the Jesuits & other leaders of St. Joseph's. In 1911 Father Michael F. Shannon received charge of Mantua as a mission, January 1, 1911 through 1918 while pastor of Assumption in Royalton (now Broadview Heights). The 1919 and 1920 Official Catholic Directories list Mantua as being administered from St. Mary Seminary. Rev. James A. McFadden (later bishop of Youngstown) was the rector. Rev. Richard Brennan was listed as being a professor of Canon Law, Introductory Sacred Scripture & Liturgy during that time period. It is safe to say that they probably took care of Mantua during these years. From March 19, 1920 to June 15, 1938, Diocese of Cleveland records show Father Shannon was once again Pastor of Assumption in Royalton and took care of St. Joseph, Mantua until Father Gracey was assigned as the first resident pastor in 1923.
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Parish Established In 1923
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On August 17, 1923, Father Gracey became Mantua's first resident pastor and St. Joseph's became a parish serving thirty-five to forty families. Under Rev. Gracey's supervision the first St. Joseph Church was built and was dedicated in May, 1924 (building 4571 Prospect St., now known as the "Old" Church, was bought by the Crestwood School District Board of Education in 1968 and was used to house Special Services). It was hard labor to bring all members, who had been coming only once or twice a month to come to the church every Sunday, but by and by they got used to it and everything went fine. St. Joseph's became a parish with 35 to 40 families. Father Gracey opened two missions - one in Nelson Circle (which eventually became St. Ambrose), and one in a cottage at Geauga Lake Park (which was established as St. Rita's, Solon) to give those people, especially during the summer time, an opportunity to fulfill their Sunday duties.Father Edward Gracey was followed in 1925 by Father Hugh L. Collins, coming from the St. Joseph's Church in Collinwood. Father Oldrich Mazanec was pastor after Father Collins and served from 1927 to 1930 with Geauga Lake as a mission. Then, Solon established a mission and when in 1930 as St. Rita's became an independent parish, Father Mazanec left Mantua where he had worked faithfully. As Father Mazanec became pastor of St. Rita's in Solon, Father Frank P. Brennan came to Mantua in 1930 from St. Catherine's Church, where he had worked as assistant pastor. Mantua was his first parish and so his first love. He worked hard as all these priests did. He was transferred to Immaculate Conception in Willoughby in October, 1934.
In 1934 Father Anton (Anthony) L. Battes followed Father Brennan & built the "new" rectory in 1935. In 1968, this building located at 4565 Prospect St. in Mantua (next to the "Old" Church) was bought by the Crestwood School District Board of Education and was used as Board & Administration offices until 2017.
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Diocese of Youngstown Established May 15, 1943
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The Catholic Church in this area grew to such an extent that in 1943, the Holy Father announced the establishment of the Youngstown Diocese, comprising the six counties of Northeastern Ohio.
Msgr. John Toole, whose fatherly guidance and love of his people, imprinted the character of what a priest is and must be upon his people. He served at St. Joseph's from 1945 to 1951.
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Current Property Purchased
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Msgr. Father John Lavelle, with big heart and booming voice, made St. Joseph's remember priestly service and dedication. He was pastor from 1951 to 1960. It was he who renovated the old church and extended his service to the mission in Aurora, and who planned well for the future by purchasing ninety-six acres of property on Pioneer Trail for future development just north of the Village of Mantua. In November 1957 he also led the fund drive for the first parochial school in northern Portage County. While funds were being raised, classes were held in the basement of the church on Prospect Street.
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New Church &School Dedication
Father Francis Hughes served from 1960 to 1966 and opened St. Joseph's first "school" in the basement of the old church, using also the facilities across the street loaned by the Hilltop Christian Church. He later served as Pro-Tem Administrator from March to July, 1989, and from April 30 to July 1, 1994, when the parish was without an assigned pastor.
With zeal and selflessness, Father Hughes continued the plans of his predecessor and brought about the building of the first portion of a million and half dollar dream of a parish complex on the new, 96-acre property - a church, school and auditorium. Climaxing nearly a century of spiritual service to the Catholics of Mantua, Ohio, St. Joseph's formally dedicated its new church and school on Sunday, July 28, 1963. The Most Reverend Emmet Michael Walsh, D.D., Bishop of Youngstown, officiated at the ceremony. Located off Pioneer Trail, on one of the highest points in Portage County, the new church and school unit was designed by Architect Charles J. Faroni. The plan was to eventually build a permanent church and use the "temporary church" space as a gymnasium and convert part of the hall into classroom space.
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Father Hughes enlisted the services of the Dominican Sisters of Akron (Our Lady of the Elms is their mother house), whose pioneer spirit and dedication made St. Joseph the recognized school that it is today. Under his supervision the men of the parish renovated an old building (known as the The Faragher House) on the corner of the new property to house the nuns during the school year. This was a red-brick Victorian home built around 1885 by Martin B. Sanford [son of Jason and Hannah (Ladd) Sanford]. This building still exists today as a private residence (Bill and Valerie Fosnight), 10941 Main St., on the corner of St. Rt. 44 and the entrance to Crestwood High School.
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Description and photos from the church and school dedication booklet (July 28, 1963) . . .
"The focal point on the left side of the building is the artistic entrance to the church, which has a seating capacity of 679. The altar from the old church continues to hold the place of honor in the new St. Joseph's. Decorative wrought ireon frames the drapery backdrop. The unique seating arrangement of six sections of pews formed in a semi-circle around the altar was designed to permit a better view of the altar by a greater number of people."
"To the left of the vestibule is the sacristy and the altar boys' room; to the right are the baptistry and the mothers' crying room for babies [this was later converted into a Day Chapel and is now our All-Purpose Room]. Two confessionals are located adjacent to the sacristy to allow the priests to enter them directly from the sacristy. Two more with similar access are adjacent to the baptistry."
"Another front entrance, which features modern ornamentation, opens into a corridor which affords easy access into the church or lower level school area. This hallway also leads into the kitchen and cafeteria."
"The cafeteria can be used as a social hall or all-purpose room, providing a church-centered place for meetings and recreation for all age groups. There is ample space in the cafeteria to create four meeting rooms in part of this all-purpose hall. If needed, this space can also be used for classrooms."
"The first floor school area includes two classrooms, administrative offices, a checkroom, religious article store, a book store, rest rooms, lay faculty and Sisters' lounges and a boiler room and janitor's shop. The boiler room houses two oil-burning furnaces, an incinerator and a hot water tank. This lower level school area also has it's own entrance on the right side of the building."
"The second floor features six classrooms, a library and rest room, in addition to the choir loft, which overlooks the church proper [this choir loft is now our computer lab]."
In September of 1963, St. Joseph School had five grades and continued to add another grade each year. At that time, three school buses provided the children with transportation.
Father Hughes stated that this was the start of a new chapter in the history of St. Joseph's Church and it was his hope that this chapter would continue until some day we would have the dedication of a permanent church.
In 1973, the parish celebrated its Golden Anniversary with a Mass and Banquet. The main celebrant was Msgr. William Hughes, Vicar General of the Diocese of Youngstown. Concelebrants included Rev. Francis Snock, Pastor, Rev. Francis Hughes (Pastor, St. Patrick, Hubbard), Rev. Timothy Kenney (Pastor, St. Joseph, Randolph), Rev. Theodore Coward (Co-Pastor, St. Mary, Massillon), Rev. George Popovich (Personnel Director, Diocese of Youngstown), Rev. William Yurko (Pastor, Sts. Cyril and Methodius, Youngstown), Rev. Cyril Adamko (Pastor, St. Elizabeth, Campbell), and Rev. Donald Marchand (Faculty, Central Catholic High School, Canton). Master of Ceremonies was Rev. David Rhodes (Vice-Chancellor, Diocese of Youngstown). The banquet was held in the parish hall with Troop 575's color guard leading the Star-Spangled Banner, music by Jim Reboudo and entertainment by the Mother Singers of Garrettsville, Frank Malloy serving as toastmaster, Einar Kropp speaking abou the parish and Mantua Mayor Robert Thomas adding remarks, Msgr. William Hughes giving the main address, with Rev. Snock adding his piece, and Rev. Marchand giving the benediction.
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