About Christ the Good Shepherd Parish- St. John the Baptist · Campbell, Ohio
Christ the Good Shepherd Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Mahoning Deanery of the Diocese of Youngstown, worshiping at St. John the Baptist Church on Reed Avenue in Campbell, Ohio. Formed on April 29, 2012 from the merger of four Campbell-area parishes, the parish carries the patron title of Jesus the Good Shepherd and celebrates its heritage as a community built by successive waves of Polish, Slovak, Italian, and Hispanic immigrants. It is now served by a single worship site on Reed Avenue, and continues the work of outreach, food distribution, and the long-standing Cabbage Roll Dinner that ties its multicultural roots together.
- Established
- 2012
- Patron
- Jesus Christ under the title the Good Shepherd
- Rector
- Rev. Thomas Kraszewski
- Diocese
- Diocese of Youngstown
Why belong here
Christ the Good Shepherd is a small, multicultural parish where the heritage of four immigrant-founded Campbell communities — Polish, Slovak, Italian, and Hispanic — is still lived out. Parishioners gather for Sunday and weekday Mass at the historic St. John the Baptist Church on Reed Avenue, reach out to neighbors through a monthly food distribution (third Wednesday) and the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and keep the Slavic tradition of the annual Cabbage Roll Dinner alive. It is a welcoming place for anyone looking for a rooted Catholic community in the Youngstown area.
Mass times at Christ the Good Shepherd Parish- St. John the Baptist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment
Our History
Christ the Good Shepherd Parish was formed on April 29, 2012 from four Campbell-area parishes whose roots go back to 1919. The community began when Polish immigrants in East Youngstown (later Campbell) tried to organize a parish in 1916, were delayed by World War I, and were finally approved by Bishop J.P. Farrelly in 1919 as St. John the Baptist. A Slovak community formed a parallel St. John the Baptist the same year. Italian Catholics organized as St. Lucy (first Mass in 1937), and Puerto Rican immigrants worshiping at St. Joseph the Provider and the cathedral became Santa Rosa de Lima in 1961. In 1963 the Polish parish was renamed St. Joseph the Provider. The four communities merged in 2012 under the new name 'Christ the Good Shepherd.'
- St. John the Baptist (Polish) – founded 1919; renamed St. Joseph the Provider in 1963
- St. John the Baptist (Slovak) – founded 1919
- St. Lucy (Italian) – founded 1937
- Santa Rosa de Lima (Hispanic) – founded 1961
- Parish merged April 29, 2012 as Christ the Good Shepherd
Our Patron and Charism
When the four communities became one in 2012, parishioners chose the name 'Christ the Good Shepherd,' placing Jesus at the center and asking him to lead and protect the new parish. The parish celebrates God's gift of cultural diversity while embracing a shared future — a legacy of the immigrant communities that founded the predecessor parishes.
- Patron: Jesus Christ under the title the Good Shepherd
- Charism: cultural unity across Polish, Slovak, Italian, and Hispanic roots
Worship Site: St. John the Baptist Church
Since the November 28, 2021 consolidation, the parish has one worship site: St. John the Baptist Church at 159 Reed Avenue in Campbell. The Slovak-origin St. John the Baptist campus was selected after Bishop Bonnar's decree; the St. Lucy and St. Joseph the Provider church buildings were closed and slated to be sold.
- Address: 159 Reed Avenue, Campbell, OH 44405
- Established: 1919
- Selected as sole worship site, effective Nov. 28, 2021
Parish Staff
Pastoral leadership and parish administration are intentionally lean. The pastor, a diocesan priest, oversees the parish along with additional assignments in Struthers and Lowellville. A part-time administrative assistant keeps the office running.
- Pastor: Rev. Thomas Kraszewski ([email protected])
- Administrative Assistant: Patti Pasquale
- Parish Office: (330) 743-2955 | [email protected]
Our Ministries and Outreach
Outreach is central to parish life at Christ the Good Shepherd. The parish partners with the St. Vincent de Paul Society to serve neighbors in need, hosts a monthly food distribution on the third Wednesday of every month, and gathers the community around the annual Cabbage Roll Dinner — a cherished fundraiser rooted in the Slavic heritage of the founding parishes.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Monthly food distribution (third Wednesday of each month)
- Annual Cabbage Roll Dinner
Our Schools (Legacy)
Two of the predecessor parishes ran Catholic schools for decades. St. Joseph the Provider's school opened after World War II and was taught by the Franciscan Sisters of Blessed Kunegunda from 1947 through the 1980s, when lay teachers took over; the school moved to the St. Anthony Parish School in Youngstown in 2011. The St. John the Baptist school operated from 1926 to 1984 under the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown.
- St. Joseph the Provider School — Franciscan Sisters of Blessed Kunegunda (1947–1980s)
- St. John the Baptist School — Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown (1926–1984)
Religious Order Affiliation
The Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown (OSU) remain connected to the parish through their long service at the former St. John the Baptist school, and continue to be recognized in parish life.
- Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown (OSU)
Festivities and Fundraisers
The annual Cabbage Roll Dinner is a parish tradition that brings Campbell's Polish and Slovak heritage to the table while raising funds for parish operations. The Palermo Banquet Center at the former St. Lucy/Santa Rosa campus was retained temporarily after the 2021 consolidation for fellowship and as a source of revenue.
- Annual Cabbage Roll Dinner
- Palermo Banquet Center (former St. Lucy/Santa Rosa campus)
St. John Cemetery
The parish manages St. John Cemetery, located a few miles west of Campbell in Lowellville. It is part of the parish's continuing ministry to families in the broader Mahoning County Catholic community.
- St. John Cemetery — 3900 Villa Marie Road, Lowellville, OH 44436
Diocese and Deanery
Christ the Good Shepherd Parish belongs to the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown and sits within the Mahoning Deanery. Its parish code is 129 and it was established in 2012.
- Diocese: Catholic Diocese of Youngstown
- Deanery: Mahoning
- Parish Code: 129
- Established: 2012
Visit and Contact
Parishioners and visitors are encouraged to call ahead for appointments, including the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The parish hall line is also published for events and rentals.
- Parish Phone: (330) 743-2955
- Parish Hall: (330) 755-0036
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://doy.org/christ-the-good-shepherd-parish-campbell/
- Facebook: facebook.com/p/Christ-the-Good-Shepherd-Parish-100083133108873
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. James Korda2021
Appointed Special Administrator in June 2021 by Bishop Bonnar to help the parish's councils consolidate to one worship site.
- Rev. Thomas Kraszewski2022–2025 (Administrator); 2025–present (Pastor)
First listed as administrator; reassigned by Bishop Bonnar from administrator to pastor of Christ the Good Shepherd, Campbell (also pastor of Christ our Savior, Struthers, and Holy Rosary, Lowellville), effective July 1, 2025.