Kent, Ravenna parishes to merge
Three Portage County parishes are the latest to join the Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown’s list of mergers.
St. Patrick in Kent, Immaculate Conception in Ravenna and the University Parish Newman Center at Kent State University will be merged as the Portage Deanery as of July 1.
Bonnar takes the helm: Pope appoints new bishop for Youngstown diocese
The Most Rev. David J. Bonnar, bishop of the Youngstown Diocese, made the announcement over the weekend. The Portage parishes were among locations in three of the diocese’s six counties to receive the news.
Earlier this year, the Diocesan Presbyteral Council met to review the progress of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan, which began under late Bishop George Murry in 2019 and has continued to be developed since the 2021 installation of Bonnar.
The regional plan has resulted in structural changes aimed at developing effective ministries and supporting missionary activity. Criteria include the number of parishioners and worshipers, parish finances, population shifts within the region, effective use of buildings and effective use of a limited number of priests and lay ecclesial ministers.
St. Patrick, at 313 N. Depeyster St in Kent, shares its pastoral staff with the Kent State parish. The Rev. David Bridling is pastor, and the churches’ pastoral vicar, Rev. Michael Marcelli, also serve. The parishes also share two permanent deacons, Timothy DeFrange and Michael Stabilla.
In Ravenna, the Rev. William B. Kraynak is pastor, and is joined by deacons Eric Ruehr and Christopher Germak.
Mass schedules at the churches offer times that cover much of Sunday. Saturday Masses are said at 4 p.m. at Immaculate Conception, while one is said at 5 p.m. at St. Patrick in Kent. On Sundays, Parishioners gather at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. at St. Patrick, while times are offered at 9 a.m., 11:15 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the Newman Center. In Ravenna, Sunday Masses are 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
During the week, Masses are said at 7:30 a.m. Monday through Thursday at the Newman Center; 8:30 a.m. Tuesdays through Fridays at St. Patrick; and 8 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at Immaculate Conception. The Ravenna church also has a 6 p.m. Mass on Tuesdays.
As a result of the pastoral plan, almost all of the diocese’s 80 parishes are now part of a collaborative unit or exist as a multi-site parish.
Bonnar accepted the recommendation of the diocese’s Personnel Board and Diocesan Presbyteral Council to form several new parish collaborative units, in which parishes will continue to function as distinct entities, but share priests and other personnel. The units also will collaborate on Mass times and in other ways.
“Even when parishes have their own identity, parish partnerships remind us that we all share in a common mission as the Church and help us be intentional about staffing our parishes and responding to the shortage of priests,” Bonnar said. “We have come a long way on the diocesan pastoral plan, and we will make refinements and additional steps as needed. I want to express my gratitude to the clergy and faithful for their work and prayer for many years.”
Other churches that are part of this round of collaboration are in Mahoning and Stark counties.
Creating the Mahoning Deanery will be:
● Christ Our Savior Parish in Struthers, Holy Rosary Parish in Lowellville, effective July 1.
● Holy Family Parish in Poland and St. Paul Parish in New Middletown, effective May 1.
● St. Angela Merici Parish and St. Patrick Parish, both in Youngstown, and Christ the Good Shepherd Parish in Campbell, effective May 1.
Creating the Stark Deanery will be:
● Christ the Servant Parish in Canton and Little Flower Parish in Plain Township, effective July 1.
● St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Plain Township and Sts. Philip and James Parish in Canal Fulton, effective July 1.
This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Youngstown Diocese says Kent, Ravenna parishes to merge
