About Saint Matthias of Our Lady of Sorrows [Slovak Greek Catholic] · Youngstown, Ohio
Saint Matthias Church, located at 915 Cornell Street on the southeast side of Youngstown, Ohio, is the principal worship site of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish — a Roman Catholic community immersed in its Slovak heritage. Founded in 1914 by Slovak pioneers of the Lansingville neighborhood and now in the Diocese of Youngstown, the parish has been served by eight pastors across more than a century, with the current building, a contemporary-style brick church, dedicated in 1973. The parish traditionally served the local American-Slovak community and was one of the last ethnic Slovak parishes in the area, hosting an annual Slovak Fest and maintaining a school that required students to attend daily Mass. Following diocesan restructuring, Saint Matthias was designated a secondary worship site of the newly formed Saint Mary Magdalene Parish effective January 1, 2026, joining Saint Brendan and Saint Christine under pastor Father John M. Jerek.
- Established
- 1914
- Patron
- Saint Matthias the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. John M. Jerek
- Diocese
- Diocese of Youngstown (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
Saint Matthias has been a stable Catholic home on Youngstown's southeast side for more than a century, with a pastor who is himself a son of the parish and a community proud of its Slovak Catholic heritage. Worship is offered Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday Vigil at the church, with confession heard Saturday mornings at neighboring St. Christine, faith formation for adults is published online, and the parish still gathers annually for Slovak Fest — a 20-year tradition of food, kolachi and cultural fellowship. Although Saint Matthias is now a secondary worship site of the new Saint Mary Magdalene Parish, the building continues to be used for weddings, funerals, baptisms and feast-day celebrations, making it a living landmark of Lansingville's Slovak-American story.
Mass times at Saint Matthias of Our Lady of Sorrows [Slovak Greek Catholic]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 9:00 am (heard at St. Christine Church)
History of Saint Matthias Church
Saint Matthias was established in June 1914 after Slovak families from Lansingville petitioned the Bishop of Cleveland; the original frame church on Homewood and Harmon was dedicated in July 1915, a larger Romanesque brick church replaced it in 1926, and the present contemporary church on Cornell Street was dedicated in April 1973. The full succession of pastors — from Father Gerenda in 1914 to Father Jerek today — and the milestones of school, convent, rectory and interstate-era rebuilding are documented on the parish website and in a fuller parish history (1913–1998) published online.
- 1913 — Slovak pioneers petition Bishop of Cleveland
- June 1914 — parish established; Rev. John M. Gerenda appointed first pastor
- 1915 — original wooden-frame church dedicated
- 1917 — first parish school opens in church basement
- 1926 — red-brick Romanesque church dedicated by Bishop Schrembs
- 1938 — Rev. John G. Hamrak named third pastor; later Monsignor (1961)
- 1948 — 7½-acre property purchased on Cornell / Shady Run Road
- 1952 — Saint Matthias School built on new site
- 1957 — new convent completed
- 1966 — Interstate 680 divides the parish
- 1968 — new rectory completed on Cornell Avenue
- April 1973 — present contemporary church dedicated
- May 18, 2025 — closing Mass celebrated at Saint Matthias
- January 1, 2026 — merged into Saint Mary Magdalene Parish as a secondary worship site
Parish Identity & Slovak Heritage
The parish identifies itself as 'a Roman Catholic Community immersed in its Slovak heritage,' whose mission is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ through proclamation, catechesis and ongoing conversion, while expressing the Faith through the lens of Slovak culture. The annual Slovak Fest — reaching its 20th edition in August 2025 — along with Christmas kolachi sales and Marian devotions, keeps the community's ethnic and devotional life visible.
- Self-description: 'Catholic Parish of Slovak Heritage'
- Annual Slovak Fest (20th annual, August 9, 2025)
- Christmas kolachi (traditional pastry) sales
- Seven Sorrows of Mary devotion featured in adult formation
Clergy & Staff
The parish is served by its eighth pastor, Reverend John M. Jerek, assisted by permanent deacons and a small lay staff. Following the January 1, 2026 merger, Father Jerek continues as pastor of the new Saint Mary Magdalene Parish, with Saint Matthias retained as a secondary worship site.
- Rev. John M. Jerek — Pastor (eighth pastor, installed June 18, 2017)
- Deacon Mark Kiraly
- Deacon Mark Layko
- MaryAnn Dulay — Bookkeeper / Parish Administrative Assistant / Compliance Officer
- Robert M. Chismar, Jr. — Music Director
Ministries & Faith Formation
The parish supports liturgical ministry by schedule, music ministry under a dedicated director, and adult faith formation through online catechetical videos. Cultural fellowship is sustained through the Slovak Fest and kolachi traditions, with the broader diocesan ministries (St. Vincent de Paul, etc.) not individually listed on the parish site.
- Liturgical Ministers (scheduled)
- Music Ministry (Robert M. Chismar, Jr.)
- Adult Faith Formation videos: Seven Sorrows of Mary; Teaching the Mass; The Mass: Liturgical Parts and Purposes; Seven Corporal Works of Mercy
- Slovak Fest committee
- Kolachi (Christmas pastry) sales
Architecture & Buildings
The present church, dedicated in April 1973, is a contemporary-style brick building that seats 582 parishioners in a semi-circular arrangement. To honor continuity with the earlier buildings, the rose window and pipe organ from the 1926 Romanesque church were reinstalled, with the rose window set as the backdrop of the tabernacle. The original copper bell and cornerstone from the wooden 1915 church were also preserved on the grounds.
- 1973 contemporary brick church — 582 seats, semi-circular
- Stained-glass rose window from the 1926 church — backdrop of the tabernacle
- Original pipe organ from the 1926 church — still in use
- Salvaged altar section, suspended crucifix, copper bell and cornerstone preserved on site
- Earlier buildings: 1915 frame church (Homewood & Harmon) and 1926 Romanesque brick church (Indianola & Homewood)
Parish School (Historical)
Saint Matthias School first opened in September 1917 in the basement of the original frame church, with the Slovak Vincentian Sisters of Charity of Perrysville, Pennsylvania staffing it. A purpose-built school opened on the present Cornell Street property in September 1952, and at its peak in the late 1990s enrolled 164 students, making it the only Slovak-heritage school in Youngstown and uniquely requiring students to attend daily Mass before class.
- 1917 — first school opens in church basement (grades 1–4)
- 1921 — convent built for the Vincentian Sisters
- September 1952 — new school on Cornell Street property dedicated
- November 1957 — larger convent (16 sisters) completed
- 1988 — Marian Shrine dedicated on the property; kindergarten added
- Late 1990s — 164 students; only Slovak school in Youngstown; required daily Mass attendance
Contact & Practical Information
The parish office has been relocated to the St. Christine Rectory. Mail and visitors to Saint Matthias should use the Cornell Street address; the parish email and a single main phone line are listed on the website's Contact page.
- Address: 915 Cornell Street, Youngstown, Ohio 44502
- Parish office phone: 330-792-3829 (now at St. Christine Rectory)
- Church phone: 330-788-5802
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://ourlady915.org/
- Office hours: Monday — call for appointment
Merger into Saint Mary Magdalene Parish
On May 18, 2025, Bishop David J. Bonnar celebrated the closing Mass at Saint Matthias Church, marking the end of regular weekly worship in its independent form. Effective January 1, 2026, Saint Matthias was merged with Saint Brendan and Saint Christine to form the new Saint Mary Magdalene Parish, with Saint Christine as the primary worship site and Saint Matthias and Saint Brendan retained as secondary sites for weddings, funerals, baptisms and feast-day celebrations. Father John M. Jerek continues as pastor.
- Closing Mass — May 18, 2025 (Bishop David J. Bonnar)
- New parish — Saint Mary Magdalene Parish (effective January 1, 2026)
- Pastor — Rev. John M. Jerek (continuing)
- Deacons — Mark Kiraly, Mark Layko
- Primary worship site — St. Christine Church (3165 S. Schenley Ave., Youngstown, OH 44515)
- Secondary worship sites — St. Matthias (915 Cornell St.) and St. Brendan (2800 Oakwood Ave.)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John M. Gerenda1914–1922
Founding pastor; oversaw construction of the 1915 frame church and opening of the parish school.
- Rev. Francis Kozelek1922–1938
Built the 1926 Romanesque brick church at Indianola and Homewood; resigned due to illness.
- Rev. John G. Hamrak1938–1965
Native son of the parish; later Monsignor (1961, Pope John XXIII); died February 18, 1965.
- Rev. George F. Winca1965–1974
Former associate pastor; guided parish through the I-680 disruption and the new property development.
- Rev. Francis Snock1974–1994
Retired August 1994.
- Rev. Msgr. Peter M. Polando, D.Min., J.C.L.1994–2013
Awarded Chaplain of His Holiness by Pope John Paul II in 1997; also served as diocesan tribunal judge.
- Rev. Martin Celuch, J.C.L.2013–2017
Seventh pastor.
- Rev. John M. Jerek2017–present
Eighth pastor; native son of the parish; now pastor of the merged Saint Mary Magdalene Parish.