The Diocese of Youngstown (Latin: Dioecesis Youngstonensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in northeastern Ohio in the United States. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
The Diocese of Youngstown consists of six counties: Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana, Stark, Portage, and Ashtabula. The mother church of the diocese is St. Columba Cathedral in Youngstown.
== Statistics ==
As of 2025, the Diocese of Youngstown contained 67 parishes with 47 active diocesan priests, 56 retired diocesan priests, 5 extern priests, 18 religious priests, 68 permanent deacons, 6 male religious, and 135 female religious. In 2020, it had a Catholic population of 163,650 (13.9% of the total population) in an area totaling 3,404 square miles (8,820 km2).
As of 2025, the diocese had 8 seminarians studying at the St. Mary Seminary in Wickliffe, Ohio.
== History ==
=== 1700 to 1850 ===
During the 17th century, present-day Ohio was part of the French colony of New France. The Diocese of Quebec had jurisdiction over the region. However, unlike other parts of the future American Midwest, there were no attempts to found Catholic missions in Ohio.
In 1763, after the end of the French and Indian War, Ohio Country became part of the British Province of Quebec, forbidden from settlement by American colonists. After the American Revolution ended in 1783, Pope Pius VI wanted to remove American Catholics from the jurisdiction of their British diocese. He erected the Prefecture Apostolic of the United States in 1784, encompassing the entire territory of the new nation. In 1787, the Ohio area became part of the Northwest Territory of the United States. Pius VI in 1789 created the Diocese of Baltimore, the first diocese in the United States, to replace the prefecture apostolic.
In 1808, Pope Pius VII erected the Diocese of Bardstown, with jurisdiction over the new state of Ohio along with the other midwest states. Pope Pius VII erected the Diocese of Cincinnati in 1821, taking all of Ohio from Bardstown.Saint Philip Neri Parish was established in 1817 in Dungannon.
Pope Pius IX erected the Diocese of Cleveland in 1847, with territory taken from Cincinnati.Northeastern Ohio would remain part of the Diocese of Cleveland for the next 97 years. The first Catholic parish in Youngstown, St. Columba, was established in 1847. Its first church was completed in 1850.
=== 1850 to 1900 ===
One of the earliest Roman Catholic communities in eastern Ohio was in Ashtabula. In 1850, a small group of Catholics in Ashtabula petitioned the Diocese of Cleveland for their own parish. However, the diocese denied the request due to a shortage of clergy. Instead, it assigned a priest from Painesville to periodically undertake a day's journey by horse to Ashtabula to minister to Catholics there.
In 1858, the diocese established the St. Joseph Mission in Ashtabula and assigned Charles Coquelle as its resident priest. Its original members were primarily Irish and German immigrants, drawn to Ashtabula by the railroad industry. Masses were celebrated in private homes until 1860, when parishioners constructed a small wooden frame church. The purchase of an additional five acres in 1877 allowed construction of St. Joseph's two-story brick secondary school, staffed by the Sisters of the Humility of Mary.
In 1878, a group of Catholics began celebrating mass in a grocery store adjacent to Ashtabula Harbor. Mother of Sorrows Parish was established there in 1890. The parish constructged a permanent church in 1898.
=== 1900 to 1943 ===
Towards the turn of the century, a large influx of Italian Catholics prompted the formation of a third church in Ashtabula. In 1902, parishioners began construction of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. The first mass in the new church was celebrated in 1903. As the Catholic presence grew in Ashtabula, parishioners started building a large masonry building to replace the original St. Joseph's Church in 1905. That church cost $34,000 to build.
The Sisters of the Humility Mary in 1911 opened St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Youngstown. Today it is Mercy Health – St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital. The Sisters in 1924 also started staffing St. Joseph Warren Hospital in Warren. It is today Mercy Health - St. Joseph Warren Hospital.
=== 1943 to 1970 ===
Pope Pius XII erected the Diocese of Youngstown with territory from Diocese of Cleveland in 1943. The new diocese included the counties of Ashtabula, Columbiana, Mahoning, Portage, Stark, and Trumbull. The pope named Auxiliary Bishop James A. McFadden of Cleveland as the first bishop of Youngstown. St. Columba Church in Youngstown became the cathedral for the diocese.The new diocese covered 3,404 square miles (8,820 km2) with 110 parishes, three Catholic-run hospitals, 54 elementary schools, one junior high school, and three Catholic high schools.
In 1949, Pius XII appointed Bishop Emmet M. Walsh of the Diocese of Charleston as a coadjutor bishop to assist McFadden. After McFadden died in 1952, Walsh succeeded automatically succeeded him as bishop. In 1954, a lightening strike on St. Columba Cathedral set it on fire, resulting in a total loss. Walsh immediately started planning a new cathedral. St. Patrick Church in Youngstown served as the pro-cathedral until the new St. Columba's was dedicated in 1958.
In 1960, Pope John XXIII named James Malone of Youngstown as an auxiliary bishop for the diocese. Walsh College, a men's college, was founded in North Canton in 1960 by the Brothers of Christian Instruction. Today it is Walsh University After Walsh died in 1968, Pope Paul VI appointed Malone as bishop that same year.
=== 1970 to present ===
The closing of Youngstown Sheet and Tube in Youngstown in 1977 resulted in 5,000 workers losing their jobs. Malone had led an unsuccessful effort by clergy from different faiths to stop the factory closing. A strong advocate of interfaith communication, Malone was elected as the first Catholic leader of the Ohio Council of Churches. He delivered sermons in Protestant churches and urged his priests to establish contacts with non-Catholic congregations. Malone retired as bishop of Youngstown in 1996 after 28 years. Pope John Paul II appointed Auxiliary Bishop Thomas J. Tobin from the Diocese of Pittsburgh as the fourth bishop of Youngstown in 1996.
In 2005, John Paul II appointed Tobin as bishop of the Diocese of Providence. The pope did not replace Tobin for almost two years. During the interim, Robert J. Siffrin served as diocesan administrator. In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI named Bishop George Murry of the Diocese of St. Thomas as the fifth bishop of Youngstown. In 2010, Murry announced the reconfiguration of parishes in the diocese, reducing them to 87.
In May 2020, Murry died of leukemia. Siffrin served again as diocesan administrator from June 2020 to January 2021. During the absence of a bishop, Bishop Emeritus Martin J. Amos of the Diocese of Davenport performed ordinations for the diocese. In November 2020, Pope Francis named David J. Bonnar of Pittsburgh as the sixth bishop of Youngstown.
From 2000 to 2018, baptisms fell by 69%, weddings by 62%, first communions by 61%, and funerals by 25% in the diocese. The Catholic population fell by 36%, compared with a total population decrease of 4.3%. As of 2026, Bonnar is the bishop of Youngstown.
=== Sex abuse ===
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) released in June 2002 the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The document set mandates and guidelines for the handling of sexual abuse allegations against clergy. The Safe Environment Office in the Diocese of Youngstown is responsible for compliance with the USCCB Charter as well as the diocesan Safe Environment Policy including Standards of Ministerial Conduct and Sexual Harassment Policy which were most recently updated in 2024. An independent Diocesan Review Board reviews all sex abuse allegations. The office provides instructions and referrals to report child abuse and neglect, elder abuse and neglect, and human trafficking to civil authorities.
In 2013, the diocese settled 11 sexual abuse lawsuits brought by former high school students in Warren who had been sexually abused by Stephen Baker, a Franciscan friar. Serving as a baseball coach at John F. Kennedy High School, he abused teenagers under the pretense of providing athletic massages. When the settlement was announced, Baker committed suicide at his monastery in Pennsylvania. In 2016, the diocese and the Franciscans were ordered to pay $900,000 to settle 28 more claims of sexual abuse by him.In October 2018, the diocese released a list of over 30 priests and other clergy with credible accusations of sexual abuse of minors.
Denis G. Bouchard, former pastor of Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish in Vienna, sued the diocese and three individuals who had accused him of child sexual abuse in October 2019. He had been on administrative leave since the accusations arose in November 2018. William Smalz, a former priest, filed a defamation lawsuit against the diocese in October 2020. When the diocese published their list of accused priests in 2018, they included Smalz on the list. The diocese removed his name in May 2020, saying that new information had proved the allegations against Smalz were not credible.
In April 2023, Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard III released an investigative report on sexual abuse by priests in that state. The report related the history of John Hammer, a priest who served in Youngstown and East Liverpool during the early 1980s. The diocese had sent him to a treatment facility in Maryland in 1985. After his treatment, Bishop Malone said that Hammer could not return to Youngstown. After serving as chaplain at St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, for several years, Hammer was allowed to serve in a parish in Michigan. Hammer was accused of abusing a child in Michigan. In 2002, three former altar servers sued the Diocese of Youngstown, saying that it knew about Hammer's problems, but kept him in ministry. Hammer was removed from ministry in 2002.
== Bishops ==
=== Bishops of Youngstown ===
James A. McFadden (1943–1952)
Emmet M. Walsh (1952–1968; Coadjutor 1949–1952)
James W. Malone (1968–1995)
Thomas J. Tobin (1995–2005), appointed Bishop of Providence
George V. Murry (2007–2020)
David Bonnar (2021–present)
=== Auxiliary bishops of Youngstown ===
James W. Malone (1960–1968), appointed Bishop of Youngstown
William A. Hughes (1974–1979), appointed Bishop of Covington
Benedict C. Franzetta (1980–1996)
=== Other affiliated bishops ===
John Keehner, Bishop of Sioux City (2025–)
== Education ==
=== Schools operated by diocese ===
==== Early childhood education and pre-schools ====
Early Childhood Learning Center at Holy Family – Poland
Early Childhood Learning Center at St. Charles – Boardman
Early Childhood Learning Center at St. Christine – Youngstown
Early Childhood Learning Center at St. Joseph – Austintown
Early Childhood Learning Center at St. Luke – Boardman
St. Jude Preschool – Columbiana
St. Patrick Preschool – Hubbard
==== Elementary and middle schools ====
Holy Family School (K-8 grades) – Poland
John F. Kennedy Catholic School (K-5 grades) – Warren (Lower Campus)
St. Charles School (K-8 grades) – Boardman
St. Christine School (K-8 grades) – Youngstown
St. John School (K-12 grades) – Ashtabula
St. Joseph the Provider School (K-8 grades) – Youngstown
St. Joseph (PreK-8 grades) – Mogadore
St. Nicholas School (K-8 grades) – Struthers
St. Patrick School (k-8 grades) – Kent
St. Paul School (K-8 grades) – Salem
St. Rose School (K-8 grades) – Girard
===== High schools =====
Cardinal Mooney High School (9-12 grades) – Youngstown
Central Catholic High School (9-12 grades) – Canton
John F. Kennedy High School (6-12 grades) – Warren (Upper Campus)
St. John School (K-12 grades) - Ashtabula
St. Thomas Aquinas High School (6-12 grades) – Louisville
Ursuline High School (9-12 grades) – Youngstown
==== Stark County Catholic Schools ====
Most of the Catholic elementary/middle schools within Stark County are part of Stark County Catholic Schools, formerly known as Holy Cross Academy. As of 2023, the system has the following campuses:
Our Lady of Peace – Canton
Regina Coeli – Alliance
St. Barbara – Massillon
St. James – Waynesburg
St. Joan of Arc – Canton
St. Mary – Massillon
St. Michael the Archangel – Canton
St. Paul – North Canton
St. Peter – Canton
Saints Philip and James – Canal Fulton
St. Thomas Aquinas Middle & High School – Louisville
Central Catholic High School – Canton
=== Independent schools ===
John F. Kennedy Catholic School – Warren. The lower campus was named Notre Dame School: Blessed Sacrament Campus until 2010.
Saint John High School* – Ashtabula
Saint John School – Ashtabula
Saint Joseph School – Randolph
Saint Joseph the Provider School – Youngstown
Saint Patrick School – Kent
Saint Paul School – Salem
Saint Rose School – Girard
Ursuline Preschool and Kindergarten – Youngstown
Villa Maria Teresa Preschool and Kindergarten – Hubbard
=== Former preschools and elementary/middle schools ===
Assumption School – Geneva (closed 2015)
Byzantine Catholic Central School – Youngstown (closed 2009)
Holy Cross Academy at Saint Joseph Canton Campus – Canton (closed 2014)
Holy Trinity School – Struthers, Ohio/Mahoning (closed 1992)
Immaculate Conception School – Ravenna (closed 2004)
Immaculate Conception School – Youngstown (closed 2006)
Mother of Sorrows School – Ashtabula (merged with St. John School)
Notre Dame School – Saint Pius X Campus – Warren (closed 2010 )
Our Lady of Mount Carmel School – Ashtabula (Merged with St. John School)
Sacred Heart of Mary School – Harrisburg/Louisville (closed 2009)
Saint Aloysius School – East Liverpool (closed 2015)
Saint Anthony School – Youngstown (closed; building now used by St. Joseph the Provider School)
Saint Anthony School – Canton (closed 1980s)
Saint Barbara School – Massillon (closed 2022)
Saint Brendan School – Youngstown (closed 2005)
Saint Clement School – Navarre (closed 2008)
Saint Edward School – Youngstown (closed 2003)
Saint Frances Cabrini School – Conneaut (closed 2002)
Saint John the Baptist School – Canton (closed 1982)
Saint Joseph and Immaculate Heart of Mary School – Austintown (closed 2014)
Saint Joseph School – Ashtabula (closed 1980s)
Saint Joseph Mantua School – Mantua (closed 2010)
Saint Louis – Louisville (closed 2019)
Saint Mary's of the Immaculate Conception School – Canton (closed 1985)
Saint Matthias School – Youngstown (closed 2006)
Saint Mary School – Conneaut (closed 1972 – merged with St. Frances Cabrini School)
Saints Mary and Joseph School – Newton Falls (closed 2011)
Saint Patrick School – Hubbard (closed 2016)
Saint Patrick School – Youngstown
=== Higher education ===
Walsh University – North Canton
=== Catholic campus ministry ===
Hiram College is served by the parish community of St. Ambrose Church in Garrettsville.
Kent State University Parish Newman Center – Kent
Kent State University (Stark Campus) and Stark State College partner for collegiate Interfaith Campus Ministry.
University of Mount Union is served by the University Chaplain and Regina Coeli Parish in Alliance.
Youngstown State University Newman Center – Youngstown
== Print media ==
The Diocese of Youngstown for 78 years published a print newspaper, The Catholic Exponent. Started in 1944, the Exponent was replaced in 2023 by the Catholic Echo, a magazine published 10 times a year.
== References ==
== External links ==
Official Website
Vocations website
Faith and Family Festival website