About St. Mary & St. Joseph · Warren, Ohio
St. Mary & St. Joseph Parish was a Roman Catholic parish in Warren, Ohio, formed on November 28, 2021 through the merger of historic St. Mary Parish (founded 1835, often called Warren's 'mother church') and St. John Paul II Parish (itself the 2019 merger of St. Joseph, St. Pius X, and Christ Our King). Located in the Diocese of Youngstown (Trumbull Deanery), the combined community worshiped primarily at St. Mary Church at 232 Seneca Ave. N.E. The parish was staffed by the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate (PVMI) religious sisters and was closely associated with John F. Kennedy Catholic School, which the parish helped subsidize. On July 1, 2024, St. Mary & St. Joseph was merged again — together with Blessed Sacrament and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton — into the new St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish; the three former church buildings remain active worship sites, with St. Mary Church continuing its 1907 edifice and its cemeteries (St. Mary Cemetery on Niles Road and St. Joseph Cemetery on North Leavitt Road in Champion).
- Established
- 2021
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (under title of St. Mary) and St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Christopher Cicero (current pastor of the merged St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish, which now encompasses St. Mary & St. Joseph as St. Mary Church worship site)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Youngstown
Why belong here
St. Mary & St. Joseph (now St. Mary Church of St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish) is the spiritual heir of Warren's oldest Catholic community, founded in 1835, and continues a worship tradition in the same 1907 church building on Seneca Avenue. The parish offers Saturday Vigil and Sunday Mass, weekday noon Mass on Mondays and Fridays, Eucharistic Adoration with the Miraculous Medal Novena and the Divine Mercy Chaplet, regular Saturday confessions, and a full apostolate life including St. Vincent dePaul service to those in need. It is also tied to John F. Kennedy Catholic School through a parish subsidy, and is served by the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate sisters — a welcoming community with deep roots and an active mission.
Mass times at St. Mary & St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:15–3:45 PM (at St. Mary Church)
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Monday — Eucharistic Adoration with Miraculous Medal Novena, 12:30 PM (following 12:05 PM Mass)
- Friday — Eucharistic Adoration with Divine Mercy Chaplet, 12:30–1:30 PM (following 12:05 PM Mass)
History of the Parish
St. Mary & St. Joseph Parish was formed on November 28, 2021 by Bishop David J. Bonnar of the Diocese of Youngstown, uniting historic St. Mary Parish (founded 1835, Warren's 'mother church') with St. John Paul II Parish (itself the 2019 combination of St. Joseph, St. Pius X, and Christ Our King). The Polish-heritage St. Joseph Church on North Street was designated as a worship site, while St. Mary Church on Seneca Avenue NE remained the principal church. On July 1, 2024 the parish was further merged with Blessed Sacrament and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton to form St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish.
- 1835 — St. Mary Parish founded (Archbishop Patrick Purcell of Cincinnati)
- 1864 — First St. Mary church, a former Episcopal building, purchased and remodeled
- 1907 — Current St. Mary Church at Seneca & High streets built
- 1922 — St. Mary School opened
- 1923 — St. Mary purchased Riverside Hospital; Humility of Mary Sisters arrived
- 1928 (July 6) — St. Joseph Parish established by Bishop Joseph Schrembs to serve Polish Catholics
- 1929 (Oct 13) — First St. Joseph Church blessed by Bishop Schrembs
- 1944 — St. Mary High School founded
- 1964 — New St. Joseph Church dedicated by Bishop Emmett Walsh; John F. Kennedy HS opens
- 2019 — Christ Our King, St. Pius X, and St. Joseph merged into St. John Paul II Parish
- 2021 (Nov 28) — SS. Mary & Joseph Parish formed
- 2022 (Mar 17) — Old St. Joseph Church decreed closed by Bishop Bonnar
- 2024 (July 1) — Merged into St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish
St. Joseph Church (1928–2022): A Polish Catholic Heritage
St. Joseph Parish was founded in 1928 by Bishop Joseph Schrembs of Cleveland to serve the growing community of Polish Catholic families settling in Warren during the early 20th century. The first Mass was offered in a rented storeroom at 300 Hall Avenue NW before the parish purchased a site at 400 North Street and built a frame Gothic church, blessed by Bishop Schrembs on October 13, 1929. Franciscan Sisters of Chicago (originally the Polish-American Franciscan Sisters of the Blessed Kunegunda) taught the children. A larger, modernist St. Joseph Church — seating about 600 and featuring marble altars from France, faceted stained-glass windows of the Mysteries of the Rosary, Italian Stations of the Cross, and a mosaic of St. Joseph and the Christ Child — was dedicated on March 8, 1964 by Bishop Emmett Walsh. By 2022 the building had become a target for vandalism and, on Bishop Bonnar's decree, was reduced to profane but not sordid use, with all sacred objects, relics, stained-glass, altars, and confessionals carefully removed.
- Rev. Adolph Bernas — founding pastor (1928)
- Rev. John Foster — pastor from April 8, 1932
- Rev. Ignatius Piotrowski — pastor from Aug. 9, 1935
- Rev. Alphonse A. Konarski — pastor from Aug. 3, 1939 (d. June 14, 1961)
- Rev. Joseph Czaja — pastor from Aug. 6, 1961; built the 1964 church
- Organizations: Holy Rosary Society (1930), Holy Name Society (1936), Infant Jesus of Prague Guild (Feb. 1949)
Clergy, Staff & Religious Sisters
St. Mary & St. Joseph has been served by diocesan priests assigned by the Bishop of Youngstown. The first pastor of the merged parish was Rev. Frantisek Katrinak (2021–2023); he was succeeded by Rev. Christopher Cicero, who continues as pastor of the present-day St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish. The community is assisted by Permanent Deacons Ed Kleese (Liturgy Director) and Robert Simmerly, and is ministered to by the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate (PVMI) sisters, who live at the Blessed Sacrament convent.
- Rev. Christopher Cicero — Pastor
- Rev. Edward Stafford — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Frantisek Katrinak — first pastor of SS. Mary & Joseph (2021–May 2023); also Dean of Trumbull County Deanery from August 2022
- Rev. Thomas Eisweirth — Pastor Emeritus, Blessed Sacrament Church
- Deacon Edward Kleese — Permanent Deacon & Liturgy Director
- Deacon Robert Simmerly — Permanent Deacon
- Sr. Alina Marie, PVMI — Director of Religious Education
- Sr. Debra Marie, PVMI — Director of Evangelization & Young Adult Ministry
Ministries & Apostolates
The parish supports a wide range of spiritual and outreach ministries, many coordinated across the three worship sites of today's St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish. Eucharistic Adoration is a hallmark, paired each week with the Miraculous Medal Novena and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Outreach flows through St. Vincent dePaul and the Caritas apostolate, with monthly free community meals and an annual Community Engagement Day.
- Eucharistic Adoration with Miraculous Medal Novena (Mon.) and Divine Mercy Chaplet (Fri.)
- St. Vincent dePaul Society — Saint Mary Conference
- Parish Cemetery ministry (St. Mary Cemetery, Niles Rd.; St. Joseph Cemetery, North Leavitt Rd., Champion)
- Caritas apostolate — outreach to those in need, monthly free community meal at St. James
- JOY apostolate — care for grieving families, new parishioners, the infirm, and families at Baptism
- Evangelization, Vocations Awareness, Family Life / MOMS apostolates
- Religious Education and Youth Ministry programs
- Sacred Music program at St. Mary Church (Director: Sam Trina)
Faith Formation & Parish School
Faith formation is led by Sr. Alina Marie, PVMI (Director of Religious Education) and supported by Sr. Debra Marie, PVMI (Director of Evangelization and Young Adult Ministry). The parish subsidizes student attendance at John F. Kennedy Catholic School in Warren, the school historically descended from St. Mary High School (est. 1944) and now serving as the consolidated Catholic school of the region.
- Parish subsidy for John F. Kennedy Catholic School (Lower Campus)
- Religious Education for parish children
- Youth Ministry & Family Life programs (Director: Ana Prince)
- Young Adult Ministry
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the seven Catholic sacraments in cooperation with the parish office and the broader St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish team. Reconciliation is regularly scheduled; Baptisms, Marriages, Anointing of the Sick, and First Communion/Confirmation preparation are coordinated through the office.
- Baptism — coordinated through the parish office and the JOY apostolate
- Marriage — contact the parish office for preparation
- Penance and Reconciliation — Saturdays 3:15–3:45 PM at St. Mary Church or by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick — contact the parish office
- Holy Day Masses — consult the parish bulletin
Cemeteries
The parish manages two historic cemeteries inherited from its predecessor communities. St. Mary Cemetery lies on Niles Road in Warren, while St. Joseph Cemetery is located on North Leavitt Road NW in Champion Township. Inquiries about plots and records are handled through the parish office.
- St. Mary Cemetery — Niles Road, Warren, Ohio
- St. Joseph Cemetery — North Leavitt Road NW, Champion, Ohio
- Cemetery inquiries — contact the parish office (330-372-2215)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Frantisek Katrinak2021–May 2023
First pastor of the merged SS. Mary & Joseph Parish (formed Nov 28, 2021); also appointed Dean of Trumbull County Deanery in August 2022; reassigned May 1, 2023 to parishes in Portage County.
- Rev. Christopher CiceroMay 2023–present (as part of St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish from July 2024)
Took over as pastor of SS. Mary & Joseph on May 1, 2023 while continuing as pastor of Blessed Sacrament and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and chaplain of John F. Kennedy Lower Campus; became pastor of the merged St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish on July 1, 2024.