Donations of clean, wearable condition clothing for all ages as well as diapers (especially sizes 4-6) and wipes are welcome before and after Mass May 14th and 21st. Please have all clothes folded and bagged and place in the All-Purpose Room. Large plastic garbage bags with ties are also needed. The next Free Clothing Giveaway is Saturday, June 3rd, from 9 a.m. until Noon in the school building. You do not need to be a resident, there is no limit, and no questions are asked. If you’d like to volunteer or have any questions, please contact the Parish Office (330-274-2253 or [email protected]).

“Receive the Holy Spirit!” The words spoken to the Apostles on that first day of the week are spoken to us this weekend as we celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost – The Birth of the Church. Throughout the Easter season, we have journeyed week after week with the Acts of the Apostles – the work of the early Church. We are called to model ourselves after their labors: to increase the number of believers, to devote ourselves to the sharing of the Word, and to be of service to others so that no one goes without. One of the opportunities provided for us to model that attribute of the early Church’s care for those in need is through the Annual Diocesan Appeal: One in Hope, One in Mission. A little over a week ago, we reached the $3,000,000 mark in our $4,000,000 Appeal goal. While this is great news, the last million is always the hardest to raise. As of May 25th, our parish family has pledged $31,623.00 toward our parish goal of $34,500.00. Recently, letters went out to 4,000 households who made a gift last year but had yet done so this year. We are already receiving wonderful responses to that request. If you received one of those letters, please take some time to prayerfully reflect on your ability to make a gift. Every gift of any amount helps put us closer to the goal. On behalf of Bishop Bonnar and those served by the Appeal, thank you to everyone who has already made a gift and to those who are prayerfully considering their gift. As members of the One Church – Happy Birthday! May the Spirit of God dwell in and through us every day. For more information and to donate, please visit https://doy.org/appeal/

Vacation Bible School is being planned for June 26-30, 9 a.m.-Noon at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Aurora. All Portage North Parishes are welcome. For questions or more information, please contact Kimberly Lefoer [email protected]

Do you enjoy minor league baseball? Plans are set for a parish outing on Friday, June 2, to see the Akron Rubber Ducks play at Canal Park in downtown Akron. The game starts at 7:05 p.m. vs. Hartford Yard Goats and includes fireworks! ​​​ Cost is $12.00 per person (Purchase Deadline: June 2nd @ 4:59 p.m.). Go to https://fevogm.com/event/Stjosephs to purchase online. After your purchase you should receive a confirmation email as well as an email containing your ticket. You may also contact Annette Carlisle to purchase tickets (330-274-7587 or [email protected]). Dinner tickets will be provided from St. Joseph’s after you book your seats. Come have fun & celebrate our 100th Birthday!!!

Do you have an hour to help save a life? As a proud Premier Blood Partner with the Red Cross, we know that just that short amount of time donating blood can mean a lifetime to a patient battling illness or injury. Roll up a sleeve and join us in giving back to the community. St. Joseph’s will host a Blood Drive on Monday, June 19 , 1 to 6 p.m. Visit www.redcrossblood.org today to schedule your appointment to give to an upcoming blood drive!

First Step for Change is an annual fundraiser held Mother's Day through Father's Day by Catholic Charities to assist low-income women, children, infants and families in need.  We have asked our parish families to take home “First Step Packets,” learn about the program, complete a participation card, and return the packets to church. 

Email accounts continue to have issues with hackers that pop up every few months. If you receive a suspicious email or text, please do not respond and report it as phishing and/or mark it as spam. Thank you for helping to deter these fraudulent attacks. For information on how to recognize and avoid phishing scams, go to https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams.

The Most Reverend David J. Bonnar, Bishop of Youngstown, proudly announces that he has released Rev. Shawn Conoboy, Ph.D. for an assignment at the Vatican on the staff of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. Father Conoboy remains a priest of the Diocese of Youngstown and has been released for this special assignment effective May 1, 2023, with his appointment at the Vatican beginning on June 1, 2023. Follow the link to read the full press release.

Did you know that St. Joseph Church will celebrate it's 100th anniversary as a parish this year?! We became a mission in 1864. Plans are in the works to celebrate this big occasion throughout 2023 - visit https://stjosephmantua.com/parishs-100th-anniversary for details. To learn more about the history of St. Joseph Church, please visit https://stjosephmantua.com/parish-history-timeline.

Two weeks ago. while preparing for routine eye surgery, I found out that I have A-fib and, sometime in the last 18 months, had had a heart attack (my last EKG was 18 months ago). So, I am on blood thinners, am completing a round of testing, and been told to cut back on my schedule. I am a little tired and very surprised at this news. Otherwise, my health is very good. I continue to work two days a week at our local Catholic hospital as a priest chaplain.  Peace, Fr. Mike Garvey CARDS MAY BE SENT TO: Rev. Michael Garvey, 1448 Cacao Ln., Pensacola, FL 32507-7910

It is with an extremely heavy heart that the president of J.S. Paluch Co., Inc. announces that they will be ceasing their 110-year mission to provide communication tools to Catholic Parishes across the United States (as of Feb. 26 bulletin). Cost cutting measures over the last decade have failed to keep this third-generation company afloat. Our new bulletin publishing company is Diocesan who have been helping serve the needs of Catholic parishes since 1956. The deadline for submitting info. to our bulletin editor, Kathi Trares ([email protected]), is 10 days prior to the weekend it is to appear. To advertise on our bulletin, please call 1-800-997-4986 or [email protected] Your support of St. Joseph Parish is appreciated.

Dear Friends, I again want to thank everyone for the prayers and support during my journey with cancer. I recently had a scan which was very positive. The chemo treatment and all the prayers were successful. I am now in the midst of sevens weeks of radiation and continue to appreciate your prayers as I offer prayers of thanksgiving for each of you. —Sister Rose Anne Krantz Sr. Rose Anne Krantz, CDP, our Pastoral Minister Sept. 1, 2006 - June 30, 2010, has asked for prayers as she battles cancer. If you wish to send a card, her address: Sisters of Divine Providence, 9000 Babcock Blvd., Allison Park, PA 15101.

An easy way to generate some funds for parish improvements was started in 2018 through recycling aluminum cans. Collect your clean cans in plastic bags, crushing if possible, and deposit in the designated box in it's NEW LOCATION near the dumpster on the northeast corner of the school building. Thank you for participating in this effort!

Fr. James-Peter Trares, OP, recently received the License in Theology, which prepared him for his current doctoral program at the Angelicum in Rome. The degree certifies him to teach at the graduate level in seminaries. He continues on for the next two years with in-depth research to complete a doctorate, opening up opportunities to be a full-time professor. Congratulations and God bless.

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 [email protected]). 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. For Hughes Hall rental information, please contact Debbie Kruis (330-221-0272). 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.

To be a registered member of a parish is to have a sense of belonging to a family. Registration is important when it comes to requesting the Sacraments or becoming involved in the life of the parish family. Please do not take for granted that you are registered just because you attend Mass here. Are you on our database? Do your receive envelopes? If not, you are most likely not registered as an active parishioner. Each family member, 21 years of age or older, should be registered separately (parents–encourage adult children to register if they still consider themselves members). If you’d like to become an active registered member of the parish, please contact the Parish Office (330-274-2253 or [email protected]). Also, if you move, change your phone number, would like to add your e-mail address, or have any other family changes, please let us know. We would like everyone at St. Joe’s to feel welcome as a part of our parish community family. Thank you for helping us keep up-to-date.