About St. Mary - Divine Mercy Parish · Massillon, Ohio
Divine Mercy Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Massillon, Ohio (Stark County) belonging to the Diocese of Youngstown. It was formed on January 1, 2023 by the merger of three of the oldest parishes in the diocese — St. Mary (1839), St. Joseph (1863), and St. Barbara (1867) — each of which continues to operate as a worship site under the new name. The parish's patron is the Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ, a devotion emphasized by both Pope St. John Paul II and Pope Francis and reflected in the name Bishop David J. Bonnar selected from among three proposed by parishioners. It serves a broad sacramental and community life across its three churches, including a weekly Spanish Mass, a parish school (St. Mary School), and the National Shrine of St. Dymphna, patron saint of those suffering from mental illness.
- Established
- 2023 (merged parish); constituent parishes: St. Mary 1839, St. Joseph 1863, St. Barbara 1867
- Patron
- The Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ
- Rector
- Very Rev. John E. Sheridan, J.C.L., S.T.L., V.F.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Youngstown
Why belong here
Divine Mercy Parish welcomes parishioners across three historic Massillon worship sites — each with its own character, schedule and devotional life — under one pastoral team. The parish offers daily and weekend Mass in English and a weekly Sunday Mass in Spanish at St. Joseph Church, Eucharistic Adoration at all three churches, regular Reconciliation, a faith formation program, an active youth ministry, a parish school (St. Mary School), and a robust menu of ministries including Knights of Columbus, Hispanic Ministry, Christian Women, Men's Group, pro-life work, a prayer chain, monthly Donut Sundays, and Tuesday-night bingo. It also hosts the National Shrine of St. Dymphna, a unique spiritual resource for those seeking prayer for mental-health needs.
Mass times at St. Mary - Divine Mercy Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- St. Mary Church — Saturday 8:30–9:00 AM (or until all are heard)
- St. Joseph Church — Saturday 3:00–3:45 PM
- St. Barbara Church — None regularly scheduled (see bulletin)
Adoration times
- St. Mary Church — Wednesday 10:00 AM–4:00 PM
- St. Mary Church — Third Saturday for Vocations, 8:30–9:30 AM
- St. Barbara Church — Thursday 9:45–10:30 AM
- St. Joseph Church — Friday 9:45 AM–12:45 PM
About Divine Mercy Parish
Divine Mercy Parish is a Roman Catholic community in the Diocese of Youngstown that unites three of the oldest parishes in Stark County: St. Mary (Massillon's first Catholic parish, 1839), St. Joseph (1863), and St. Barbara (1867). Each church continues to operate as a worship site under the unified parish, retaining its historic name while sharing one pastor, one staff, and one faith-formation program. The parish name — chosen by Bishop David J. Bonnar from among three proposed by parishioners — honors the Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ, the devotion championed by Pope St. John Paul II and Pope Francis.
- Patron: The Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ
- Established 2023
- Parish Code 523
- Deanery: Stark 2
- Diocese of Youngstown
Our Three Worship Sites
Parishioners can attend Mass, Adoration, and Reconciliation at any of the three worship sites. Each church carries its own architectural character and historical legacy.
- St. Mary Church — 206 Cherry Rd. NE, Massillon, OH 44646 — established 1839; on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979
- St. Joseph Church — 322 Third St. SE, Massillon, OH 44646 — established 1863; Gothic-style, on the National Register since 2010
- St. Barbara Church — 2813 Lincoln Way NW, Massillon, OH 44647 — established 1867; current church completed 1952
- Central Offices — 2809 Lincoln Way NW, Massillon, OH 44647 (Mon–Fri 8 AM–4 PM)
History of the Parish
St. Mary's beginnings date to March 11, 1839, when a one-acre lot was purchased for what became the first Catholic parish in Massillon. Mass was first celebrated in parishioners' homes (mostly Germans and Irish) until a church was completed August 22, 1847; a school opened in the basement two years later. The present St. Mary Church was built 1876–1892. St. Joseph grew out of St. Mary's as a mission for English-speaking Catholics, received its resident pastor in 1863, and dedicated a Gothic-style church in 1894. St. Barbara originated in 1866 in West Brookfield with 33 German coal-mining families. After decades of shared clergy and a successful merger process led by Father Maciej Mankowski, the three parishes were formally unified as Divine Mercy Parish on January 1, 2023.
- 1839 — St. Mary Parish founded; first church completed 1847
- 1863 — St. Joseph receives resident pastor; Gothic church dedicated 1894
- 1866 — St. Barbara founded in West Brookfield by 33 German families
- 1979 — St. Mary Church added to the National Register of Historic Places
- 2010 — St. Joseph Church added to the National Register
- July 2022 — Father Mankowski appointed pastor of all three parishes
- January 1, 2023 — Merger effective; Divine Mercy Parish established
National Shrine of St. Dymphna
St. Mary Church is home to the National Shrine of St. Dymphna, patron saint of those suffering from mental illness. The shrine originated in 1938 on the grounds of the Massillon State Hospital (founded by the late Rev. Matthew Herttna) and moved to St. Mary's in 2012. The original interior shrine chapel was destroyed by arson on August 4, 2015; the church was repaired over 16 months and reopened Christmas Eve 2016. A new shrine was designed by Father Edward Gretchko and funded in 2017 by William and Patricia Crookston. The shrine continues to be a pilgrimage destination for those seeking prayer for mental-health needs.
- Patron: St. Dymphna
- Established 1938 at Massillon State Hospital
- Relocated to St. Mary 2012
- Restored after 2015 arson fire
Meet Our Staff
The pastoral team and parish staff serve all three worship sites out of the Central Offices at 2809 Lincoln Way NW.
- Pastor — Very Rev. John E. Sheridan, J.C.L., S.T.L., V.F.
- Parochial Vicar — Rev. Travis Seagraves
- Permanent Deacon — Steven Wyles
- Parish School Principal — Danielle Williams
- Bookkeeper — Stephanie Nikishin
- Directors of Faith Formation — Amy Davis and Cara Lipinski
- Parish Secretary — Jeanne Ryder
- Receptionist — Stephany Rose
- Clerical Assistant — Mary Kring
- Music Co-Directors — Kevin Kutz and Mark Thewes
Faith Formation & Parish School
Faith Formation is coordinated by Amy Davis and Cara Lipinski across the three worship sites. The parish also operates St. Mary School, part of the Stark County Catholic School System. Students and staff support parishioner prayer life through Prayer Boxes placed in the churches, and participate in outreach initiatives such as sending birthday cards to community members celebrating 90+ years.
- St. Mary School (parish school, Stark County Catholic School System)
- Faith Formation for children and youth
- Prayer Boxes at the churches
- Birthday Boxes for parishioners 90+
Ministries & Outreach
Divine Mercy Parish supports a wide range of parish ministries, faith communities, and outreach initiatives that meet across the three church campuses.
- Knights of Columbus
- Hispanic Ministry
- Christian Women
- Men's Group
- Youth Ministry
- Pro-Life Ministry
- Prayer Chain (submit requests online)
- Donut Sundays / 'Divine Time' (monthly fellowship)
- Rosary groups
- Tuesday-night Bingo at St. Mary Church
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners of all ages are invited to serve at Mass through a variety of liturgical ministries. Altar Serving is open to adults and children in 4th grade and above.
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Lectors
- Altar Servers (4th grade and above, and adults)
- Greeters
- Music Ministry (Sacred Music)
Visit, Contact & Giving
Parishioners and visitors can find schedules, bulletins, online giving, the parish calendar, and prayer-request tools on the parish website. The Central Offices are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
- Parish Office — 2809 Lincoln Way NW, Massillon, OH 44647
- Phone: 330-833-6898
- Email: [email protected]
- Online giving via OSV Giving and WeShare
- Weekly bulletins and parish calendar online
- Prayer Request form on the parish website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Matthew Herttna1938 onward
Founded the original St. Dymphna Shrine at the Massillon State Hospital in 1938.
- Monsignor Kolp
Preceded Father Edward Gretchko as pastor of St. Mary's Parish.
- Rev. Edward (Ed) Gretchko2000–2022
Became 21st pastor of St. Mary's in 2000; retired 2022. Designed the rebuilt National Shrine of St. Dymphna after the 2015 arson fire; oversaw reopening of the church Christmas Eve 2016.
- Rev. Maciej (Matthew) MankowskiJuly 2022–December 2022
Appointed by Bishop Bonnar as pastor of all three Massillon parishes in July 2022; shepherded them into the formal merger that created Divine Mercy Parish effective Jan 1, 2023. Also served as Pastor of Holy Family Parish in Brewster and Navarre.
- Very Rev. John E. Sheridan, J.C.L., S.T.L., V.F.2023–present
First pastor of the merged Divine Mercy Parish; also Pastor of SS. Philip and James Parish in Canal Fulton, Dean of Stark County East Deanery, Adjutant Judicial Vicar of the Diocesan Tribunal, and Diocesan Director of the Offices of Marriage & Family Life and Worship.