About St. James · North Jackson, Ohio
St. James Church is the North Jackson, Ohio worship site of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish, a merged Roman Catholic community within the Diocese of Youngstown. It is part of the Mahoning River Catholic Pastorate, which coordinates religious formation, sacramental life, and fellowship across three churches in the greater Newton Falls, North Jackson, and Lake Milton region. The parish shares its pastor and staff with St. Catherine Church in Lake Milton and, since 2025, collaborates with St. Mary/St. Joseph Parish in Newton Falls under a single pastorate. Its weekend Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 p.m. draws Catholics from the rural Berlin–Milton–Ellsworth–Jackson area that the original 1937 mission was created to serve.
- Established
- 1943 (St. James Church parish status)
- Patron
- St. James the Greater
- Rector
- Rev. Zachary Coulter
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown (Mahoning Deanery)
Why belong here
St. James offers the warmth of a small rural Catholic community with the stability of a merged multi-site parish. Worshippers find a Saturday Vigil Mass, active liturgical ministries (lectors, Eucharistic ministers, altar servers), a Women's Guild with bereavement and Sunshine outreach, and an annual Fall Festival that draws the wider community. The parish partners with the Yost Community Center food pantry, the Giving Tree Christmas program, and a St. Vincent de Paul meal site, giving members concrete ways to live the Gospel in the Jackson–Milton area.
Mass times at St. James
Weekly Mass schedule
Welcome & Identity
St. James Catholic Church in North Jackson, Ohio is the North Jackson worship site of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish, a Roman Catholic community in the Diocese of Youngstown. The parish is part of the Mahoning River Catholic Pastorate, a collaborative grouping of three churches across Newton Falls, North Jackson, and Lake Milton that share staff, faith formation, and sacramental life.
- Parish: Our Lady of the Lakes Parish (est. 2010)
- Diocese: Diocese of Youngstown, Mahoning Deanery
- Pastorate: Mahoning River Catholic Pastorate (3 churches, 2 parishes, 1 pastorate)
- Parish Code: 134
History of St. James
St. James began as a catechetical mission of St. Brendan Parish in Youngstown in the late 1920s. After a 1935 census identified 105 Catholics in Berlin, Milton, Ellsworth, and Jackson, the mission in North Jackson was formally established under the patronage of St. James the Greater. The first Mass was offered in the North Jackson High School Auditorium on June 6, 1937. The community later moved to the second floor of the town hall and, with the help of Humility of Mary Sisters from St. Brendan, organized religious education.
- Late 1920s — catechetical mission of St. Brendan Parish, Youngstown
- 1935 — census of 105 Catholics prompts formal mission
- June 6, 1937 — first Mass in North Jackson High School Auditorium
- 1943 — St. James receives parish status, months after Diocese of Youngstown established
- 1982 — Edward DeBartolo Corp. donates land; parishioners build the present church
- December 18, 1982 — first Mass in new church
The Merger into Our Lady of the Lakes Parish
In the 1990s St. James began formally collaborating with neighboring St. Catherine Church in Lake Milton under the diocesan 'Walking Together' process. Parish offices, CCD programs, Men's Clubs, Ladies' Guilds, and parish councils were combined over the years. On October 7, 2010 — the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary — Bishop George V. Murry, SJ, formally merged the two communities into Our Lady of the Lakes Parish.
- 1990s — 'Walking Together' collaboration with St. Catherine, Lake Milton
- Offices combined; CCD, Men's Club, Women's Guild, Parish Council merged
- October 7, 2010 — Bishop Murry, SJ, formally merges into Our Lady of the Lakes Parish
Mahoning River Catholic Pastorate
The Mahoning River Catholic Pastorate is the umbrella grouping of Catholic communities along the Mahoning River in northeastern Ohio. It is described on the parish website as '3 Churches, 2 Parishes, 1 Pastorate.' Our Lady of the Lakes Parish (St. James, North Jackson + St. Catherine, Lake Milton) coordinates with St. Mary/St. Joseph Parish in Newton Falls on faith formation and sacramental life, all under a single pastor.
- St. James Church — 50 Rosemont Road, North Jackson, OH 44451
- St. Catherine Church — 1254 Grandview Road, Lake Milton, OH 44429
- St. Mary Office — 120 Maple Drive, Newton Falls, OH 44444
- St. Joseph Church — 131 W Quarry Street, Newton Falls, OH 44444
Staff & Leadership
The pastorate is led by Rev. Zachary Coulter, a diocesan priest who was appointed pastor of both Our Lady of the Lakes Parish and St. Mary & St. Joseph Parish in Newton Falls in summer 2025. He was preceded as pastor by Very Rev. David W. Merzweiler, V.F. Parish and pastoral staff are based at the St. James campus in North Jackson.
- Pastor: Rev. Zachary Coulter
- Music Director: Jaden Karr
- Secretary: Patty Pauscher
- Pastor Residence: 1254 Grandview Rd., Lake Milton 44429 (phone 330-654-4001)
Mass & Worship Schedule
At St. James Church in North Jackson the regular weekend Mass is the Saturday Vigil at 4:00 p.m. The Sunday obligation is fulfilled at St. Catherine Church in Lake Milton at 9:00 a.m. Weekday Masses and other liturgies rotate between sites; Holy Day schedules are announced in the parish bulletin.
- Saturday Vigil — 4:00 p.m. at St. James, North Jackson
- Sunday — 9:00 a.m. at St. Catherine, Lake Milton
- Tuesday — 9:00 a.m. at St. James, North Jackson
- Wednesday — 6:30 p.m. at St. Catherine, Lake Milton
- Holy Day — consult bulletin
Sacraments
The pastorate celebrates the seven Catholic sacraments across its two parishes. Information for each is available on the parish Sacraments page; preparation programs and scheduled Healing Masses are listed there, and the Women's Guild supports anointing services with a Healing Mass meal.
- Baptism
- Reconciliation (Confession)
- Communion (First Eucharist)
- Confirmation
- Marriage
- Anointing of the Sick (scheduled Healing Masses)
- Last Rites / Funerals
Ministries & Outreach
Liturgical ministry opportunities (lector, Eucharistic minister, altar server) are coordinated through Vickie Takacs. The Our Lady of the Lakes Women's Guild functions as a service group, raising funds, providing bereavement and Healing Mass meals, and reaching out through the Sunshine Committee. The parish supports the ecumenical Yost Community Center Food Pantry (3rd Saturday distribution), the Giving Tree Christmas program, and the St. Vincent de Paul meal site. Men's Club, Parish Council, Music Ministry, and combined Religious Education round out parish life.
- Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Altar Servers (contact: Vickie Takacs, 330-322-7908)
- Our Lady of the Lakes Women's Guild
- Men's Club
- Combined Parish Council
- Music Ministry (Director: Jaden Karr)
- Religious Education / CCD (pastorate-wide)
- Yost Community Center Food Pantry
- The Giving Tree
- St. Vincent de Paul meal site
Fellowship & Festivities
The parish comes together several times a year for parish-wide meals and fundraisers, with the annual Fall Festival as a flagship community event. Seasonal gatherings — Palm Sunday hot cross buns social, Shrove Tuesday service and meal, Holy Thursday Agape meal, and Soup and Bread — punctuate the liturgical year and invite participation from neighbors beyond the parish.
- Fall Festival (flagship community event)
- Pasta Dinner
- Soup and Bread
- Lenten Shrove Tuesday service and meal
- Palm Sunday hot cross buns social
- Holy Thursday Agape meal
Parish Mission
The parish has hosted multi-evening parish missions, including 'Stories of Hope: How to Discover Your Life-Changing Faith Story' led by Jim Merhaut with testimonies from Dr. Tom Sauline and parishioner David Bailey. These missions focus on storytelling as a way of teaching and transforming Christian faith through love, inspiration, the gospels, community, and mission.
- Featured speaker: Jim Merhaut
- Testimonies: Dr. Tom Sauline, David Bailey
Visiting & Contact
The combined parish office is located at St. James, 50 Rosemont Rd., North Jackson, OH 44451. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Telephone (330) 538-2602; fax (330) 538-9580; email [email protected]. The parish website at ourladyotl.org serves all three pastorate churches.
- Parish office: 50 Rosemont Rd., North Jackson, OH 44451
- Phone: (330) 538-2602
- Fax: (330) 538-9580
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Thu, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. David W. Merzweiler, V.F.
Listed as Pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish in the 2024–2025 Diocese of Youngstown directory; reassigned in summer 2025 per diocesan clergy announcement.
- Rev. Zachary Coulter2025–present
Appointed Pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes (Lake Milton & North Jackson) and St. Mary & St. Joseph (Newton Falls) effective summer 2025, per Diocese of Youngstown clergy announcement; previously Administrator of Christ Our Savior, Struthers and Holy Rosary, Lowellville.