St. Francis Xavier

Parish History

The parish was begun as a Catholic mission in 1848 in the village of Lodi (now Malvern) under the direction of Rev. H. Mankenheide, pastor of St. Mary's in Morges. Frances Stoltz donated the land and the founding parishioners built the red-brick church themselves. The mission grew steadily enough that Bishop Watterson appointed Rev. Bernard Wisman as the first resident pastor in 1882, and the church was lengthened by thirty feet with a new parish house in 1884. Through the Depression Rev. John Diegelman served the parish; after his retirement in 1942, Rev. Leo L. Wiggins oversaw a 1948 church renovation and the 1949 completion of St. Francis Xavier Hall, which remains a center for parish and community life.

Modern Era: 1974 to Today

On May 14, 1974 the parish's 'favorite son,' Victor Cinson, was ordained at St. Francis Xavier itself. Fr. Thomas Marut became pastor in 1993 and shepherded the 150th anniversary in 1998; Bishop Gilbert I. Sheldon then appointed Msgr. John Michael Campbell as pastor in 2000. Msgr. Campbell guided a major 2001–2002 building project that reversed and expanded the church toward the cemetery; Bishop R. Daniel Conlon dedicated the renovated church on December 8, 2002. On July 1, 2004 Fr. Victor Cinson — by then a veteran liturgical scholar and diocesan officeholder — was named pastor, a role he continues to hold today.

Pastor — Rev. Victor P. Cinson

Fr. Victor P. Cinson is a native of Malvern, born November 5, 1947, to Victor and Mary Cinson. He attended Malvern Grade School and was a member of the first graduating class of St. Edward Central Catholic High School in Carrollton in 1966. He earned a BA in philosophy from the College of Steubenville (via St. John Vianney Seminary College) and was ordained at St. Francis Xavier on May 14, 1974. He went on to receive an MA in Theology/Liturgical Studies from the University of Notre Dame in 1985. Before returning to his home parish he served as administrator of St. Mary's, Morges; associate pastor at St. Pius X, Steubenville; associate pastor at St. Mary's, Martins Ferry; co-pastor and later associate pastor of Blessed Sacrament, Wintersville; Director of the Office of Worship for the Diocese of Steubenville; and pastor of Our Lady of Mercy, Lowell, and St. Henry, Harriettsville. He was appointed pastor of St. Francis Xavier and St. Gabriel on July 1, 2004. He chairs the Diocesan Liturgical Commission and serves on the Diocesan Personnel Board, the Board of Consultors, and the Marriage Tribunal as a Pro Synodal Judge.

• Ordained: May 14, 1974 (at St. Francis Xavier, Malvern)
• Appointed pastor of St. Francis Xavier: July 1, 2004
• 50th anniversary of ordination: May 14, 2024
• Education: BA Philosophy, College of Steubenville; MA Theology/Liturgical Studies, University of Notre Dame (1985)

Sister Parish — St. Gabriel the Archangel, Minerva

St. Francis Xavier is paired with St. Gabriel the Archangel in Minerva, about five miles east on SR 183. The two parishes share a pastor (Fr. Victor Cinson), a single parish office, a joint website (stgabriel-stfrancis.org), and a coordinated Mass and confession schedule. St. Gabriel itself began as a mission established on April 16, 1950, when Mass was first offered in a basement storeroom loaned by Mr. Jake Shiffman; three days later, on April 19, 1950, Bishop of Steubenville declared it an independent parish, with Fr. Joseph Malara as administrator.

• Joint office: P.O. Box 275, Minerva, OH 44657
• Office hours: 10 AM – 4 PM, Monday–Thursday
• Shared email: [email protected]
• St. Gabriel church address: 400 West High Street, Minerva, OH 44657

Parish Office & Contact

The combined parish office for St. Francis Xavier and St. Gabriel is reached at (330) 868-4498 or [email protected], and is staffed Monday through Thursday from 10 AM to 4 PM. Hall rentals (Good Shepherd Hall at 125 S. Carrollton Street) and wedding, funeral, and sacramental scheduling are handled through the same office.

• Phone: (330) 868-4498
• Email: [email protected]
• Office hours: 10 AM – 4 PM, Monday–Thursday
• Mailing address: P.O. Box 275, Minerva, OH 44657

Catholic Women's Club & Community Life

The Catholic Women's Clubs of St. Francis Xavier and St. Gabriel are active in parish life and frequently sponsor social and fundraising events — including the May 19, 2024 open house in Good Shepherd Hall honoring Fr. Cinson's 50th jubilee of priesthood. Good Shepherd Hall (the same building known historically as St. Francis Xavier Hall, completed in 1949) hosts parish gatherings and is also rented out for community events such as the Minerva Area Chamber of Commerce Home Improvement Expo.

• Catholic Women's Clubs of both parishes (joint)
• Hall rentals — contact parish office at (330) 868-4498
• Joint community events such as the Home Improvement Expo at Good Shepherd Hall

Diocese of Steubenville

St. Francis Xavier is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Steubenville and belongs to the Mother of Hope Deanery. The parish has been served by diocesan priests for its entire history, and its current pastor, Fr. Cinson, has held senior leadership roles within the diocese — including Chair of the Diocesan Liturgical Commission, member of the Board of Consultors and Personnel Board, and Pro Synodal Judge on the Marriage Tribunal.

• Diocese: Steubenville
• Deanery: Mother of Hope
• Rite: Roman-Latin
• Bishop at the 2002 dedication: Most Rev. R. Daniel Conlon