About Our Lady of the Holy Rosary · Lowellville, Ohio
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Parish is a Roman Catholic community in Lowellville, Ohio, established in 1867 to serve the railroad and steel workers who settled the Mahoning Valley. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Youngstown (Mahoning Deanery, Parish Code 132) and gathers today at 131 E. Wood Street in a limestone church built by volunteers in the 1960s. Weekday and Sunday Mass are offered in the Roman-Latin rite, and the parish continues to minister to neighbors through the Holy Rosary Food Pantry, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and parish-wide fundraisers.
- Established
- 1867
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Holy Rosary
- Rector
- Rev. Thomas Kraszewski
- Diocese
- Diocese of Youngstown (Mahoning Deanery)
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary is a small, multigenerational parish where Irish and Italian Catholic heritage continues to shape the community. Weekly Mass, devotion to the Blessed Mother under her title of the Holy Rosary, and hands-on outreach through the Holy Rosary Food Pantry and the local St. Vincent de Paul Society make it a place where families know one another and put faith into action.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment
History of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary
The parish traces its roots to 1867, when twenty Irish Catholic railroad and steel workers in Lowell were visited by the chaplain of the Humility of Mary Sisters of Villa Maria, who traveled three-and-a-half miles to offer Mass in their homes. A foundation for a church was laid in 1868, abandoned during a downturn in work, and then revived: land for a cemetery was purchased in the late 1800s, and the community's first brick church was finally completed in 1884, with its first Mass celebrated on Christmas Day.
- Parish founded 1867; Diocese of Youngstown Parish Code 132.
- First brick church completed 1884; first Mass on Christmas Day that year.
- Italian immigrant families joined the parish in the 1890s, shaping the community's identity.
- The present limestone church was dedicated at the Easter Vigil, April 13, 1968.
Building the Current Church
Honoring the parish's 100th anniversary, parishioners gathered fifty-five thousand tons of limestone from the Carbon Limestone Co. and, in a memorable moment of parish life, the pastor carried the paschal candle across the street from the temporary church (a former bowling alley acquired in 1962) into the new building at the Easter Vigil of April 13, 1968. The 1990s saw further improvements to the parish cemetery, including a new chapel and a perimeter fence.
- Temporary church housed in a former bowling alley purchased in 1962.
- 55,000 tons of limestone donated for the new church.
- Easter Vigil 1968 procession with the paschal candle.
- Cemetery improvements in the 1990s: new chapel and perimeter fence.
Patron and Devotion
The parish is named for Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, and the diocese notes that this Marian patronage reflects the community's devotion to Christ through his Blessed Mother. The parish's feasts and fundraisers — including the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Festival — flow from this Catholic heritage.
- Patron: Our Lady of the Holy Rosary (feast day October 7).
- Annual Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Festival.
- Lenten Fish Fry as a parish tradition.
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is led by Rev. Thomas Kraszewski as Pastor. Supporting staff and volunteers coordinate religious education, administration, music, and cemetery operations.
- Pastor: Rev. Thomas Kraszewski.
- P.C.R.E. (Parish Coordinator of Religious Education): Leida Shuluga.
- Administrative Assistant: Katie Wilson.
- Organist: Katrina Hayes.
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference active at the parish.
Outreach and Charity
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary ministers to the wider Lowellville and Mahoning Valley community through food and meal programs, and is affiliated with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. The Holy Rosary Food Pantry and the parish's participation in Our Community Kitchen and the St. Vincent de Paul Society Dining Hall reflect a hands-on commitment to those in need.
- Holy Rosary Food Pantry.
- Our Community Kitchen.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society Dining Hall.
- Parish partners with the St. Vincent de Paul Mahoning District Council.
Parish Cemetery
The parish owns and maintains Holy Rosary Cemetery on Lehigh Lane, originally acquired in the late 1800s as the first piece of parish property. Donations over the years have funded a cemetery chapel and perimeter fence.
- Address: 2790 Lehigh Lane, Lowellville, OH 44436.
- Cemetery phone: 330-536-6987.
- Cemetery contact: Gasper Ballone — 330-536-6436 (office) or 330-770-1988 (cell).
Educational Center
The parish operates an Educational Center a short walk from the church, used for faith formation and parish activities.
- Address: 219 East Wood St., Lowellville, OH 44436.
- Phone: 330-536-8793.
Festivities and Fundraisers
Parish life at Lowellville is marked by seasonal events that bring parishioners and neighbors together, raising funds for the parish and its ministries.
- Lenten Fish Fry.
- Parish picnic.
- Golf outing.
- Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Festival.
- Additional events as announced in the parish bulletin.
Collaboration with Christ Our Savior
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary collaborates with Christ Our Savior Parish in Struthers, sharing pastoral resources to sustain Catholic life in the lower Mahoning Valley. The arrangement reflects the small-parish reality of the area and keeps both communities connected to regular Mass and the sacraments.
- Partner parish: Christ Our Savior Parish, 764 Fifth Street, Struthers, OH 44471.
- Pastoral collaboration helps sustain Mass and sacramental life across Lowellville and Struthers.
Contact and Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the office by phone during the week, by mail at the Wood Street address, or by email. From I-680, take exit T. 224 east toward Struthers, then turn onto Kennedy Rd. and Wood St. to reach the church.
- Mailing address: 131 E. Wood St., Lowellville, OH 44436-1163.
- Phone: 330-536-6436; Fax: 330-536-6441.
- Email: [email protected].
- County: Mahoning; Deanery: Mahoning.