About St. James · Waynesburg, Ohio
St. James Parish is a small Catholic community in Waynesburg, Stark County, Ohio, part of the Diocese of Youngstown (Stark 1 Deanery, Parish Code 528). The parish was established in 1926 with its first Mass celebrated on October 24, 1926, in the Donato Building, and a permanent wooden church was built by parishioners in 1928. Today St. James is anchored by its parish school — where religion classes have been taught by the Sisters of the Divine Spirit since 2010 — and by a tight-knit group of ministries including a Knights of Columbus council and a nursing home visitation ministry. The parish is currently collaborating with St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Canton and Holy Family Parish in Navarre & Brewster, sharing clergy and resources across the deanery.
- Established
- 1926
- Patron
- St. James the Greater
- Rector
- Very Rev. Kevin Peters, V.F.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Youngstown (Stark 1 Deanery)
Why belong here
St. James offers the warmth of a small, family-sized Catholic community where parishioners know one another by name, alongside the strength of the wider Stark County Catholic school system. Visitors are welcomed into a parish that values discipleship after its patron, St. James the Greater — the first apostle and first martyr — and that runs an active school, a Knights of Columbus council, a nursing home visitation ministry, and a Helping Hands outreach that supports both the local community and the parish school. With daily Friday Mass, Sunday Mass, Monday Eucharistic Adoration, and Saturday confessions, the parish provides the rhythm of Catholic sacramental life in a way that fits a busy small-town schedule.
Mass times at St. James
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM (or by appointment)
Adoration times
- Monday 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM (per Diocese of Youngstown adoration listing; check parish bulletin for current schedule)
Parish History
St. James Parish was established in 1926, the first Catholic parish to serve the small village of Waynesburg in Stark County. Although Catholics had been present in the county since 1816, for most of the previous century they had traveled to Canton for worship; by the 1920s the local community had grown enough to sustain its own parish. The first Mass was celebrated on October 24, 1926, in the Donato Building, and on June 28, 1928, parishioners themselves began building a permanent wooden church. Cleveland Archbishop Joseph Schrembs celebrated Mass in that new church on October 14, 1928. As the community continued to grow, a new brick church was completed next to the original on May 21, 1962, and the original wooden structure was repurposed as the parish school, which formally opened in 1964.
- Parish established 1926 (first Mass Oct. 24, 1926, at the Donato Building)
- Permanent wooden church built by parishioners, blessed Oct. 14, 1928, by Archbishop Schrembs
- New brick church completed May 21, 1962, adjacent to the original
- Original wooden church converted into St. James School, founded 1964
Our Patron — St. James the Greater
The parish takes its name and its missionary spirit from St. James the Greater, one of the Twelve Apostles and the first to follow Jesus and the first to be martyred in the Christian faith. The parish describes its community as 'built on discipleship,' modeled on St. James' example of missionary witness. His feast day is celebrated on July 25.
- Patron: St. James the Greater
- Feast day: July 25
- Parish motto: 'St. James Community is built on discipleship.'
Clergy & Parish Staff
The parish is currently served by a collaborative pastoral team that also cares for St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Canton and Holy Family Parish in Navarre & Brewster. The pastor is Very Rev. Kevin Peters, V.F., assisted by Parochial Vicar Rev. Frederick Schlueter and Permanent Deacons Alfredo Aguirre and Dave Kenney. The Director of Religious Education is Georgeann Richards, and the Administrative Assistant is Aimee DiMinno. School Principal Mrs. Sandi Fusillo leads St. James School.
- Pastor: Very Rev. Kevin Peters, V.F.
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Frederick Schlueter
- Permanent Deacons: Alfredo Aguirre and Dave Kenney
- D.R.E.: Georgeann Richards
- Administrative Assistant: Aimee DiMinno
- School Principal: Mrs. Sandi Fusillo
Saint James School
St. James School is a parish elementary school serving preschool through sixth grade, and is part of the Stark County Catholic Schools system. The school shares the parish campus at 400 W. Lisbon St., Waynesburg, and is led by Principal Mrs. Sandi Fusillo. Since 2010, all religion classes at the school have been taught by the Sisters of the Congregation of the Divine Spirit (CDS), a Canton-based religious community whose charism is the sanctification of the Christian family.
- Grades: Preschool through 6
- Principal: Mrs. Sandi Fusillo
- Phone: 330-866-9556
- Address: 400 W. Lisbon St., Waynesburg, OH 44688
- Religious instruction by the Sisters of the Congregation of the Divine Spirit since 2010
- Member of the Stark County Catholic Schools system
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education is woven into parish life both through the school and through a parish DRE program led by Georgeann Richards. School-age children receive systematic catechesis at St. James School — including preparation for First Communion and First Confession, study of the Marks of the Church, the Ten Commandments, and the Seven Sacraments in the upper grades — and many students serve as lectors at parish Masses.
- D.R.E.: Georgeann Richards
- First Communion and First Confession preparation (school-based)
- Sacramental catechesis covering the Marks of the Church, Commandments, and Seven Sacraments
- Student lectors at parish Mass
Ministries & Outreach
St. James is a small but active community whose members take seriously the call to donate and volunteer. The parish runs a Helping Hands outreach that channels goods to the local community and the school, supports a Knights of Columbus council (St. James Council 14491), and maintains a nursing home visitation ministry that brings the Eucharist and companionship to elderly neighbors. The Sisters of the Divine Spirit describe their work at the parish as one of their central ministries alongside the House of Loreto for the elderly and Our Lady of Peace School in Canton.
- Knights of Columbus — St. James Council 14491
- Nursing home visitation ministry
- Helping Hands (donations to local community and the parish school)
- Collaboration with the Congregation of the Divine Spirit sisters
Festivities & Fundraisers
The parish life of St. James is marked by a number of beloved seasonal traditions that bring the community together and raise funds for the parish and school. These are highlighted on the parish's own page and form a regular rhythm of fellowship through the year.
- Lenten Fish Fry
- Parish Dinners (October–May)
- Line Dancing
- Adoration and the Rosary
Sacraments
As a parish of the Diocese of Youngstown, St. James celebrates the seven sacraments and prepares parishioners to receive them. Inquiries about Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation preparation, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick are directed to the parish office. Confession is offered weekly on Saturday afternoons and by appointment.
- Baptism — contact parish office
- First Eucharist & First Reconciliation — school- and DRE-based preparation
- Confirmation — through the parish / diocese
- Marriage — contact parish office for preparation
- Anointing of the Sick — contact parish office
- Confession: Saturday 3:30–4:00 PM, or by appointment
Contact & Visit
St. James Parish sits on West Lisbon Street in the small village of Waynesburg, sharing its campus with the parish school. The parish office can be reached by phone, email, or — for the most up-to-date news and announcements — through its Facebook page and the parish bulletin linked on the diocesan website.
- Address: 400 W. Lisbon St., Waynesburg, OH 44688
- Parish Office Phone: 330-866-9449; Fax: 330-866-1750
- Email: [email protected]
- School Office Phone: 330-866-9556
- Parish Facebook: facebook.com/p/St-James-Catholic-Parish-Waynesburg-61572847512121
- Diocesan parish page: doy.org/saint-james-parish-waynesburg