Parish Happenings

Meetings and Event Planning 

The Parish Community of St. Joseph is a very busy place with dozens of groups using the facilities year round. Please check with the Parish Office to confirm a date whenever you are planning a meeting, event, fundraiser, etc. Don’t assume that a space or date is available before you check the master calendar through the Parish Office staff (330-274-2253 or ktrares@stjosephmantua.com). They should always know what is going on throughout the buildings and on the grounds not only for organizational purposes but also for safety and security concerns. As pastor, Fr. Ed has final approval on everything. He should be contacted in person or by phone, 330-575-9105 (not by text or email please). We also take pride in accurately publicizing the many activities in the bulletin and on the parish website and Facebook pages. We appreciate your assistance in help to keep the parish running smoothly and efficiently by following good rules of communication:  clear, concise, complete, correct, and courteous.

Diocese Continues Pastoral Planning To Address Concerns

From Bishop Murry . . .
"As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Youngstown, we have been inspired by the stories of the lives of priests, deacons, religious, and laity who have built a strong presence for the Church in our six counties of Northeast Ohio. Looking to the future, we face opportunities and challenges. While the challenges are different from the ones our predecessors faced, the need to confront them as a community of faithful disciples remains the same. Facing those challenges together opens us to unbounded opportunities which are present before us."   

To look at the statistics, realities the church is facing, and our diocese's vision for the future, please visit the Diocese of Youngstown's website. For a look at this story on WKBN27 News, click here.

Appreciating Time, Talent & Treasure
A wonderful celebration of stewardship at our Parish Appreciation Dinner on Saturday, March 2nd. Everyone enjoyed the "Light of Christ" theme with good food (thanks to Jake's), door prizes, cash donations for the parish's renovations from the Woman's Auxiliary, music & fun. Thank you to everyone at St. Joe's for making it the great parish that it is. Kuddos to the committee & all who made the evening special.

Celebrating the Holy Family
On the Feast of the Holy Family, December 30th, Fr. Ed blessed our new Holy Family sculpture created by parishioner Rick Cermak. Our parish is blessed with Rick's sharing of time, talent & treasure.
 

Prayer to the Holy Family
Here is a prayer to the most Holy Family of Nazareth. All families should pray to the Holy Family for blessings and should strive to live a Holy Life.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, bless us and grant us the grace to love the Church as we ought, above ever other thing, and always to show forth our love by deeds.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, bless us and grant us the grace to profess openly as we ought the faith given to us in Baptism, without fear or human respect.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, bless us and grant us the grace to share in the defense and propagation of the Faith whether by word or by the sacrifice of our fortunes and our lives.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, bless us and grant us the grace to love one another, and to live together in perfect harmony of thought, will and action, under the rule and guidance of our pastors.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, bless us and grant us the grace to conform our lives to the precepts of God and of the Church, so as to live always in that charity which they set forth.
Amen

Christmas Cheer Cookie Project A Success!
Thank you to all who participated in organizing and baking and assembling for our “cookie cheer” project. About 30 boxes of beautifully made cookies were delivered throughout our community this week and we still had cookies to share with our fire department, police department, Mantua Village office, and delivery folks. These gifts brought joy, and you may imagine folks sitting with a cup of coffee or tea, munching a homemade cookie and feeling for a moment the warmth of God’s love. Merry Christmas to you all!

Church Carpeting Project Complete
Thanks to the generosity of of time, talent, and treasure of our parishioners, our church space and narthex are getting new carpeting installed. On November 12, a dozen and a half volunteers came together to move the pews into Hughes Hall and tear out the old carpeting. Workers then applied a skim coat and sealer to the floors. The carpeting in the church and Narthex has now been installed.

   

   

Celebrating Advent with Mary
A Morning of Reflection for Women
On Saturday, November 24th, a dozen women gathered for a morning reflection "Celebrating Advent with Mary". Thank you to all those who took the time to deepen your their knowledge of Mary of Nazareth and offered to share their time & talents with our upcoming Christmas Cheer Cookie Project. We appreciate Sr. Joyce Schreiber & Peg Haney for leading this event.

Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed
On All Souls' Day, Friday, November 2, the parish held a special remembrance for all deceased parishioners and their family members at the 7:00 p.m. Mass. During the Mass candles were lit as the names of parishioners’ family members who died this last year were read. Thank you to all who participated. We especially wish to show our appreciation to our Worship Committee, choir, liturgical ministers, staff, and all those who helped to make this event special. For more photos, please visit our Facebook page.

Halloween Bash

Our Halloween Bash on October 27th was a big success with 100+ people in attendance. Thank you to the Parish Social Life Committee for hosting this event especially Deacon Gerry & Lori Duriak and their crew. We also thank Ken Zander for his creature creations and pumpkin painting. Look for more photos on our Facebook page.

Church Renovations
Thanks to the generous offering of time, talent & treasure from Bill Hafemeister and his workers, the long awaited renovations to the interior of St. Joseph Church have begun. The altar wall's water damaged wallpaper was removed, decorative columns were added, the mold issue was addressed, and new wood-grain textured wallpaper was installed. In addition, the canopy above the altar and the ceiling fans were cleaned and LED lighting was installed throughout the church. Next, plans are to clean the wood beams and take care of the rest of the church walls and flooring issues as funds become available.


You may have also noticed that our St. Joseph niche now has votive candles on the carpenter's bench and a new table crafted by Char Baumbick. As with the Blessed Mother statue, you may light a candle while praying for your intention or offering thanks and then leave the flame burning as signs of our prayers (donation envelopes are available).
 

Good Stewards

• Thanks to logging of trees on church property & the generosity of parishioners, church roofing has been replaced with an energy efficient white surface.
• LED lighting installed in Hughes Hall, kitchen, school hallways, downstairs rooms, and offices (church space to be done soon).
• Sacristies received painting of cupboards & walls, new hardware and reorganization thanks to some wonderful volunteers.
• Electric meters have been shut off when not in use in areas like ac units and  pavilion saving considerable monthly fees.
• Back-up well work done to comply with EPA regulations & donor paid deductible from insurance claim (lightning strike).
• Many kneelers were repaired & background of Joseph & the Children artpiece received some sanding & painting thanks to one of our faithful volunteers.
• Devotional candle stand for St. Joseph niche crafted by one of our loyal volunteers (decorative screen to be added soon).
• Church’s north wall has been cleaned & new wallpaper installed thanks to a generous parishioner (other walls done as funds allow).
• Parish's Hughes Hall Kitchen very old stove has been replaced by two new units with electronic ignitors & safety gas shut off.
• Non-working large freezer unit from kitchen was sold allowing for better kitchen lay-out.
• Permanent metal building was installed where Ox Roast Fair pizza, sausage sandwich & pierogi booths are located. This will allow easier set-up & provide much needed storage for Fair's equipment.

Finance Council & our Pastor continue to prioritize our parish facility needs & address them as funding becomes available.

Fr. James-Peter Trares, O.P. Celebrates Mass of Thanksgiving
The Parish Community of St. Joseph was honored to celebrate a beautiful Mass with the newly ordained Fr. James-Peter on Sunday, June 4, 2017, at the 8:30 a.m. liturgy. Our pastor, Fr. Ed Stafford, welcomed our parish son as he concelebrated this Mass of Thanksgiving on the Feast of Pentecost. The chalice used was a gift to Fr. James-Peter from Bernice Heritage on behalf of the Knights of Columbus Council #3766 in memory of her late husband, Austin, a 4th Degree member with the Knights of Columbus (the Mass intention happened to be for him as well).
Many thanks to Fr. Ed, Deacon Gerry Scopilitti, Bill Davies, Director of Music, our Music Ministry, the Worship Committee, the Women's Auxiliary of the Mantua Knights of Columbus Council #3766, and the Parish Staff for their help, guidance, and support. Click here for more photos from the day.

Fr. James-Peter graduated from Crestwood High School in Mantua in 2006, then earned a Bachelor of Music in Liturgical Music and a minor in Theology from Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, MI, in 2010. He entered the novitiate for the Province of St. Albert the Great (Central Province) in Denver in 2010 and made his first profession of vows in August, 2011. He received a dual Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Theology from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, MO, on May 12. We congratulate Fr. James-Peter who was ordained a Catholic priest on May 20, at St. Pius V Catholic Church in St. Louis, MO.
Fr. James-Peter will be assigned as a campus minister and theology professor at the University of St. Thomas based in the twin cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, MN. He’ll reside with ten other Dominicans at St. Albert the Great Priory, 2833 32^nd Ave., South, Minneapolis, MN  55406.

"I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you" (Philippians 1:3). These words from St. Paul sum up beautifully what I want to say to you all. Being back home and celebrating Mass at the parish in which I grew up was a great blessing. When people ask what it was like, I say that it just felt right.
 
I would like to thank all of you for your constant prayers and encouragement. The faith and dedication of the parish community is so vital to all of us fulfilling our vocations, whatever they may be. Thank you especially to Fr. Ed for his warm welcome and hospitality. The parish is blessed to have him. Thank you to my parents for working so hard to prepare for the celebration. Thank you to the Knights of Columbus Women's Auxiliary for putting together such a great brunch at the reception. It was a delight to visit with everyone--parishioners, family, and guests. Thank you also to all who gave cards and gifts. I have read through each of them, and will be remembering each of you in prayer over the coming weeks.

Let's keep in touch and keep praying for each other. I hope to see many of you when I return to Ohio in a few weeks.

God Bless,
Fr. James-Peter

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Beautiful Parish Additions

Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, a new crucifix was added to our altar space on March 11, 2017. Due to the crumbling condition of our Blessed Mary, a new statue was added as a gift from the Kotkowski family. It was given in memory of Rita Kotkowski because of her devotion to the Rosary.
 
Both the Crucifix and Blessed Mother statue were obtained from the warehouse of Henninger’s in Cleveland (authorized agent for the disposition of items from closed parishes in the Cleveland, Youngstown, Toledo and Steubenville Dioceses).
 
The Crucifix came from St. Hedwig Church in Toledo (the original Polish church of the Toledo Diocese) and was a “Mission Crucifix”. Details from the 1975 History of Saint Hedwig Church (parishioners wrote this book in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Parish):

“To the left of the pulpit, on the west wall from the Church is the very large Crucifix known as the ‘Mission Crucifix’. It is an integral part of the parish church décor as it is a reminder of the establishment of the parish as a place designated for the preaching and living of the Gospel of Christ Crucified. A gift of the Redemptorist Order, it contains a written record of the Parish Missions from 1893 to 1927. This legend is found in an arch type window at the foot of the Cross; it reads:

          Pamiątki                                                          In Remembrance [of]
          Misyi Sw.                                                         Parish Missions
 
od 5=12 Lutego 1893                                5-12 February 1893 (would’ve been in the old church)
od 15=23 Lutego 1902                             15-23 February 1902 (first Mission in new church)
od 11=26 Lutego 1911                              11-26 February 1911
od 24 Lutego do 11 go Marca 1917          24 February to 11 March 1917
od 18 Listopada do 3 go Grudnia 1922    18 November to 3 December 1922
1-16 Pazdziernika 1927                             1-6 October 1927”
 
The Mission Crucifix is believed to be from the original church which was located down the street from the “new” church. St. Hedwig Church closed September 2012 and merged with St. Adalbert Church now known as the parish of Saints Adalbert & Hedwig. St. Hedwig Church was not used for any purposes since July 1, 2014 and became a maintenance burden. The church lost its consecration (no longer used for sacred or liturgical events) on August 25, 2016. You can go to http://www.stadalbertsthedwig.org/parish_history.aspx and scroll down to bottom for St. Hedwig Building Virtual Tour.
 
The newly acquired Blessed Mother statue came from St. Stanislaus Church in Maynard, Ohio, (near Wheeling, West Virginia) in the Steubenville Diocese (Founded: 1888; Completed: 1904; New Church: 1963; Closed 1/2/2015). It was one of four parishes in that area that closed in a short time span. St. Mary’s in St. Clairsville, Ohio was responsible for finding homes for items and Henniger’s became owners through them. We thank the Kotkowski family for their generosity for their donation to St. Joseph's.

We appreciate the time and talent of Deacon Gerry Scopilliti, John Kruis, Frank Scopilliti, and Bill Curtin who installed the new item and moved the Risen Christ to its new location above the Narthex doors.
 
Likewise, our Saint Joseph statue is deteriorating and will be replaced. Rick Cermak, a local artist and member of St. Joe's, is currently carving a new piece that will be placed in the corner where the tabernacle used to be located.

Stewardship In Action!
The Hughes Hall ceiling project is completed thanks to the hard work of our volunteers. It began with a donation of gently used ceiling tiles (Dave O’Donnell’s workplace replaced theirs) and a Saturday, January 7 work day with members of the K of C, Boy Scouts, and other volunteers. Available volunteers continued on weekdays through February 8.

The rails were repainted, additional support was fabricated and installed, and the tiles were cut and installed. A big thank you to all who had a part in beautifying our Hall including:  Bill Cleary, Bill Curtin, Bill Custer, Kyle Gregel, John Kruis, Marvin Litz, Mel Romanello, Dan Nuti, Connor Rowe, Jake Rowe, Mike Rowe, George Trares, Jack Wilk, Richard Wilk, and Steve Zwolinski.
 

Wonder what the activity is in the woods on St. Joseph Church property? We're having some logging done to raise some much needed funds for the parish. With this revenue and through additional donations, our hope is to fix the leaking church roof this spring. Those who wish to contribute toward this effort may do so by donating to our Building & Grounds Maintenance Fund either through the collection or our WeShare Online Giving site. This is the first step in making future improvements to our church interior.

St. Joseph Church, Mantua, OH YouTube Channel
Did you know that St. Joe's now has a YouTube Channel? Our first endeavor is a video of "The Sights & Sounds of Ox Roast Fair 2016". Check it out!

Father Ed's Installation
We like to thank Bishop George V. Murry, S.J., Bishop of the Diocese of Youngstown, for being at St. Joseph's on Sunday, April 10, 2016 at the 8:30 a.m. Mass to officially install Fr. Ed Stafford as pastor of St. Joseph Church. It was a beautiful celebration and reception. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event so special. Click here for more photos.