Rev. Joseph Ruggieri, Parochial Vicar ~
July 1, 2022 to date

Bishop Bonnar appointed Rev. Joseph Ruggieri as parochial vicar at St. Joseph Mantua, St Ambrose, Garrettsville, Our Lady of Perpetual Aurora, and St Joan of Arc Streetsboro effective July 1, 2022. Many remember him from his seminary days when he spent a year at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church during his priestly formation.
Fr. Joe, born March 18, 1967 and a native of Austintown, was ordained in 1995 after receiving a Master of Divinity at Mount St. Mary Seminary. He served as parochial vicar at St. Patrick in Kent from 1995 to 2000, then as parochial vicar at St. Joan of Arc in Canton from 2000 to 2003. He has also served at Lady of Mount Carmel and Mother of Sorrows in parishes in Ashtabula, and Christ the Good Shepherd in Campbell as well as at Regina Coeli in Alliance, St. Joseph in Washington Township, and most recently at St. Rose in Girard. In addition, he has served on the Priests’ Personnel Board, the Diocesan Cemetery Board, the Presbyteral Council and has been a chaplain for the Kent State Police Department.

During Fr. John Lavelle's pastorate (1951-1960), 
the following associates served St. Joe's:

Rev. Henry Fabrizio, Associate Pastor ~ 1955 - 1956
Coming to the area as a child, Father Fabrizio was born October 14, 1921 in Wilburton, Oklahoma and graduated from Ursuline High School in Youngstown in 1940. He attended Western Reserve University School of Architecture (at which time he was a member of Beaux Arts Institute of Design in Parish) and St. Charles Preparatory Seminary in Catonsville, Maryland. He was ordained from St. Mary Seminary in Cleveland April 29, 1950 by Bishop James McFadden. Parish records show that he served as Associate Pastor (1955-1956) prior to his assignments as associate at St. Nicholas Church in Struthers, St. Joan of Arc in Canton, and St. Rose in Girard. Pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Youngstown from October 6, 1961 to July 1, 1973, Father Fabrizio was also a member of the faculty of Ursuline High School and taught at St. Mary's High School in Warren. During his ministry he served as dean of Mahoning Deanery, chaplain of Mahoning County Sheriff's Department and the Italian American Migration Committee, and moderator of Mahoning County Council of Catholic Nurses. Rev. Fabrizio died October 1, 1999 at the age of 77.

Rev. Paul McNally, R.P., Associate Pastor ~ 1957 - 1958
Father McNally was ordained June 14, 1930 and attended Our Lady of the Lake in Cleveland and St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, PA. Prior to serving as Associate Pastor at St. Joseph's, he was an Associate at St. Rose, Cleveland & St. Mary, Conneaut. Following his time at St. Joseph's, he was named Pastor at St. George, Lisbon and Holy Rosary, Lowellville. He also was Chaplain for the Knights of Columbus, Catholic Daughters of America and the fire department before retiring June 18, 1971. He died April 9, 1973.

Rev. Thomas E. McCarthy,
Associate Pastor (pro-tem) ~ Aug. 23, 1958 - Apr. 15, 1960
Father Thomas E. McCarthy (not to be confused with Thomas J. McCarthy who served 1994-2003) was ordained March 23, 1958. He received his education at Mt. St. Mary Seminary in Cincinnati and also attended the seminary in Innsbruck, Austria. Serving as St. Joseph's Associate Pastor (pro-tem) from August 23, 1958-April 15, 1960, Fr. McCarthy later became Associate Pastor at St. Nicholas, Struthers, St. Aloysius, East Liverpool, and St. Rose of Lima, Youngstown. Other positions he held include Assistant Director and Director of Catholic Charities, Administrator of St. Rose of Lima, Youngstown, and Knights of Columbus Chaplain. He later left the ministry.

Rev. Kevin P. Coleman, Associate Pastor ~
Apr. 15, 1960 - Aug. 17, 1962
Father Coleman was ordained May 31, 1958 from Mt. St. Mary Seminary in Cincinnati. He served as Associate Pastor at St. Nicholas in Struthers, St. Joseph in Mantua, and St. Paul in Salem. He also was the Assistant Director of the Family Life Bureau and taught at Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown and Central Catholic High School in Canton. Father Coleman and his brother were both active priests in the Kent community. They were also affiliated with St. Patrick Church in Kent and performed duties with the youth group and youth ministry. In 1978 a group of citizens founded the Kevin Coleman Mental Health Center to provide community-based services for local citizens who were being discharged in large numbers from the state psychiatric hospitals. It was named in memory of Fr. Kevin Coleman who was an inspiration to Kent State University students and community members who came to him for counseling (in 1996 the mental health center was renamed Coleman Professional Services). The Kevin Coleman Foundation was started in 1989 as a way for the mental health center to raise philanthropic dollars in the community. Rev. Coleman died March 28, 1973, at the age of 42, from complications with internal hemorrhaging.

Coleman - A name to be proud of

During Fr. Francis Hughes pastorate
(Nov., 18, 1960-June 17, 1966),
the following associates served St. Joe's:

Rev. John Wirtz, Associate Pastor ~ 1962 - 1964
Attending St. Mary College in St. Mary, Kentucky, and St. Mary Seminary in Cleveland, Father Wirtz was ordained December 18, 1954. He was Associate Pastor of St. Brendan in Youngstown, Mother of Sorrows in Ashtabula, Immaculate Conception in Wellsville, Immaculate Conception in Youngstown, St. Joseph's, St. Paul in New Middletown, and St. Edward in Youngstown. He was the founding organizer of St. Joseph's Ox Roast Fair.
He also started the roller skating program for families in the parish hall which lasted through the 1970's (skates were purchased from a Pittsburgh wholesaler), the 300 Club (raffle benefit for the school), and Saturday evening dances for high schoolers. Shortly after leaving St. Joe's, Rev. Wirtz left the ministry and later married (1966) and had a family. He is now retired from the financial planning business and resides in Poland, Ohio (wife Evelyn pictured in 2007, passed away in 2011).

Rev. Norbert Rupprecht, O.S.B.,
(Interim) Associate Pastor ~ 1964
There were Benedictines from Latrobe, PA and Benet Lake, WI serving in the Diocese at the time. It is probable that Fr. Norbert may have served at St. Joseph's while he was assigned to the Mission Band for his order. Although, records from St. Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, PA, show that he was pastor in a Pittsburgh parish at the time. Rev. Rupprecht, a monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey, died on December 28, 1996, at the age of 88, after an extended illness.

Rev. Martin E. Matulik, Associate Pastor ~
May 7, 1965 - Aug. 25, 1967
Ordained May 30, 1952, Father Matulik attended St. Thomas Seminary in Denver. He served as Associate Pastor at Immaculate Conception in Canton, St. Joseph in Canton, St. Mary in Warren, and St. Joseph in Mantua. Father Matulik was then Pastor of St. Philip in Dungannon and Our Lady of Lourdes in East Palestine. He also was Diocesan Tribunal Notary and was involved with development activities for St. Jude Children's Hospital in Denver. Rev. Matulik died February 19, 1998.

Rev. Donald L. Marchand, Associate Pastor ~ 1966
Father Marchand was ordained May 27, 1966 and attended St. Mary Seminary in Cincinnati. Diocesan records show he served St. Joseph's as summer and weekend help. His assignments included assistant pastor of Holy Family Parish in Poland, Ohio and teacher at Cardinal Mooney High School.  He also was chaplain at St. Joseph's Hospice Louisville, Ohio and pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Canton.  While a pastor in Canton he taught at Canton Central Catholic. In addition, he was chaplain for the Daughters of America, Knights of Columbus and St. Joseph Hospice. He left the ministry in 1978  to become a self employed owner-operator of Brookfield Bake Shoppe in Massillon, retiring in 2013 after 35 years. Donald Marchand died from cancer on October 21, 2004, at the age of 74.

Sister Joyce Schreiber, S.N.D. ~ Pastoral Minister  
Oct. 1, 2010 - July 1, 2020
Sr. Joyce grew up on Cleveland's West Side, attending church and school along with her seven brothers and sisters at St. Vincent de Paul Parish on Lorain Avenue. Her mother was of proud Polish descent and her father was Jewish (later Catholic). Her choice of high school, St. Stephen, on the near West Side, brought her into contact with the Sisters of Notre Dame and she subsequently "entered the convent" after graduation. Sister trained to be an elementary school teacher, attending Notre Dame College and graduating from St. John College. She taught grades four through eight in various schools in the Dioceses of Cleveland, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Youngstown. Besides teaching and administration, Sr. Joyce has never been too far from continuing her own education, earning MA degrees from the University of Dayton and Virginia Tech and completing studies in theology for certification in Pastoral Ministry. In between she enjoyed summer studies in English, history and administration at Gonzaga University, the University of Nevada, Reno, Elmira College, New York, and Fordham University, New York. Sr. Joyce made the transition from teaching to parish ministry in 2004, serving as Directory of Religious Education at Assumption Church in Geneva, Ohio, before coming to St. Joseph, Mantua, in 2010. Sister greatly enjoys the people of the parish and the community and environs of Mantua. Along with her ministries at St. Joseph, Sr. Joyce enjoys keeping house in Mantua as well as visiting family, friends, and her own Notre Dame community in Chardon. She retired from active ministry July 1, 2020 and resides in Mantua.

Sister Rose Anne Krantz, C.D.P. ~ Pastoral Minister
Sept. 1, 2006 - June 30, 2010
Born in Dover, Ohio, one of five children, Rose Anne Krantz grew up on a farm outside of Dover. She entered the Sisters of Divine Providence in 1962. Her first years of ministry were spent in the Catholic School System in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania where she worked both as teacher and principal. The next 17 years she ministered in West Virginia as a Pastoral Associate and Religious Ed Director. From 2001 until she came to St. Joseph's September 1, 2006, she served as Co-director of her Community’s Retirement House in Pittsburgh, PA. Sister Rose Anne's professional education includes a Bachelor’s Degree from La Roche College, a Masters in the Arts of Teaching from Duquesne University and extended work at Mt. St. Joseph in Cincinnati in Family Religious Studies. When not engaged in ministry her passions include quilting, camping, bike riding and hiking. Sister Rose Anne enjoyed working at St. Joseph and meeting the many people who make up the community. As Pastoral Minister she coordinated the RCIA process for adults and instructed a class for those young people who need sacramental preparation. In addition, she developed some much needed ministries and outreach programs for our parish including Bible Study, Bereavement, Homebound & Hospitalized Ministries (her last day in the office was May 27, 2010). In July, 2010, Sr. Rose Anne began in ministry at Immaculate Conception in Ravenna. She then became Pastoral Minister at St. Patrick's in Kent continuing to reside in Aurora with Sr. Lu Haidnick, C.D.P. In 2020, she returned to her motherhouse in Allison Park, Pennsylvania to serve. Sister Rose Anne, an avid quilter, who has made a quilt for every Community Oktoberfest, describes herself as compassionate, other-centered, and creative. She also enjoys tent camping and biking.

Sister Linda Valasik, H.M. ~ Pastoral Minister, Director of RCIA
1989-1992
Serving as Pastoral Minister at St. Joseph's, Sister Linda earned her bachelor of science in education from St. John College, Cleveland, her master of religious education from Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and her MM (ministry) from Seattle University, Seattle, Washington. She graduated from Lourdes Academy, Cleveland, and entered the HM community from St. Francis de Sales Parish, Parma. She is the daughter of the late Stephen and Catherine (Lukcso) Valasik. Her ministries in the Youngstown Diocese also include teaching for one year at St. Paul, Canton, and serving as Pastoral Minister at St. Joan of Arc, Streetsboro. She was a part-time member of the Membership and Affiliation Team for the Sisters of the Humility of Mary, taught in the Portage County Adult Basic Education Program, and was an ABLE and ESL instructor for the Kent City Schools. Currently, Sister Linda is the coordinator for the Religion Division for The Center for Learning, an educational publisher, Villa Maria, PA, and celebrated her golden jubilee May 16, 2009.

Sister Marilyn Ruflin, H.M. ~ Pastoral Minister
July, 1984-July, 1985
Serving the parish as Pastoral Minister, Born in Canton, Sister Marilyn graduated in 1957 from Canton Central Catholic High School and entered the Sisters of the Humility of Mary Congregation from St. Louis Parish, Louisville, Ohio. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Education at St. John College in Cleveland, a Bachelor of Arts at Siena Heights College in Adrian, Michigan (1975), and did her Master's work at Notre Dame University and St. John College. Sr. Marilyn's many talents, especially her love of art and her deep prayerfulness, enriched her ministries as a teacher, diocesan office director, liturgical consultant and in HM Congregational leadership. She taught elementary grades at St. Cecelia School in Cleveland, 1962-1965, St. Martha School in Akron, 1965-1970, and St. Louis School in Louisville, 1970-1977. From 1977 through 1981 she was the Facilitator of Parish Liturgy at St. Louis and then went on to serve as Pastoral Minister at St. Pius X in Warren (1981-1984). She was an active member of the Liturgical Commission of the Diocese of Youngstown serving from 1977 to 2002 and again from 2009 to 2011. During her brief time at St. Joseph's (July, 1984 to July, 1985) Sister Marilyn's main responsibilities were RCIA, Liturgy and Environment, and the Adult Education Team. Then she went on to work for the Diocese of Youngstown as Coordinator of RCIA (1985-1987) and Director of Worship (1987-1992). From there she returned to her order, the Sisters of the Humility of Mary, to serve as Director of Pastoral Planning (1992-1993) and on the Leadership Team (1993-2001). Following a year-long sabbatical (2001-2002), Sister became the Director of Worship for Adrian Dominican Sisters in Michigan (2003-2005) and worked with the Spiritual Environment for Humility of Mary Healthcare Partners (2006). She also provided the spiritual environment for the former Humility of Mary Health Partners (now Mercy Health) facilities including St. Elizabeth, Youngstown, St. Elizabeth, Boardman, and St. Joseph, Warren from 2006 to late 2011. Due to illness in 2012, Sr. Marilyn returned to her motherhouse in Villa Maria, Pennsylvania., where she served in the ministry of faith-filled presence until her death. Sister Marilyn passed away on April 1, 2016 at Villa Maria Community Center.

Sister Mary Ann Wieseman, O.P. ~ Pastoral Ministry
1982-1984
Sister Mary Ann was hired to serve as Associate Pastor at St. Joseph Parish in Mantua, Ohio, serving seven years in the parish. Invited by pastor Fr. Joseph Fata to assume the co-responsibility for preaching, she discovered a natural talent in this area. Besides preaching at St. Joseph's, she also served the parish through Homebound Ministry and & Outreach to the Homebound and Hospitalized as well as serving on the RCIA team. To learn more about Sister Mary Ann, please go to our Women Religious page.

Sister Mary Chad, H.M. 
(Sister Mary Catherine Blooming) ~ Pastoral Minister
1982-?
Serving the parish as Pastoral Minister, Sister Mary Chad was originally from Parma, Ohio, and the daughter of the late Thomas M. Blooming and Cornelia (Fodor) Blooming Histen. She received her BA from Notre Dame College, Cleveland, and her M. Ed. in Library Science from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh. She has served as a teacher, librarian, director of religious education and pastoral minister in the Cleveland, Greensburg, Pittsburgh and Youngstown dioceses. Her ministries in Youngstown include St. John High School, Youngstown; Central Catholic High School, Canton; St. Benedict Parish, Canton; St. Joseph Parish, Mantua; Holy Spirit Parish, Uniontown; and St. Pius X Parish, Warren. She was a staff member of the House of Prayer in Youngstown and a librarian at Youngstown State University and also served in the diocesan Religious Education Office. Sister Mary Catherine celebrated her Golden Jubilee October 22, 2006 and is currently teaching religion at St. Joseph High School, Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania. She received the Golden Apple Award in 2016 from the Diocese of Pittsburgh for excellent performance in the classroom, church and community.

Sister Jean Gillespie, O.P. ~ Parish Ministry
1979-1981
Need profile; Deceased

Mrs. Kathi Trares ~ September 21, 1992-present
Currently handling the administrative secretary duties of the parish, Kathi grew up in Stow where she graduated from Stow High School completing the Intensive Office Education program. She has worked as a receptionist for H & R Block, Inc. and as a secretary for Stow High School's Athletic Director, Kent's Huntington Bank loan department, Kelly Services, and Lamson & Sessions in Kent. Living in Shalersville Twp. since 1984, she and her husband, George, have three children, Jeff who's an engineer, Fr. James-Peter a Dominican priest, and daughter Wendy (Ralph) Harner, an occupational therapy assistant, who's married and has two sons, Gabriel and Liam. She serves as a Eucharistic Minister and volunteers for St. Joseph Parish activities and is a lifetime member of the Girl Scouts. Kathi also enjoys gardening, hiking, trail building, genealogy, photography, traveling, and spending time with family.

Mrs. Cindy Clark ~ February 1, 2016-present
Handling our parish bookkeeping responsibilities as Business Officer Manager, Cindy was born and grew up in the "Old Brooklyn" area on the west side of Cleveland. She is a graduate of the first class of Erieview High School (formerly St. Peter's) in downtown Cleveland and is a licensed cosmetologist. Previous employments include a hair dresser for many funeral homes, Funeral Director's Assistant at Tomon & Sons Funeral Home and Johnson Romito Funeral Home, Family Services Counselor at Crown Hill Cemetery, Secretary/Dental Assistant at Dr. Betzholds, D.D.S. (Aurora), and Secretary/Receptionist at the Chiropractic Clinic of Solon. Married to husband, Ron, in September of 1975, the couple have three adult children, Stephen (Tamra), M. Scott (Denise), and Cadie (Eric Shaffer), and four grandchildren. Moving to Mantua in 1984, Cindy has been a member of St. Joseph Parish since 1989 and was involved in the St. Joseph's Garden Club, K of C Women's Auxiliary, and Reception Committee. She has served as a Eucharistic Minister, and former Eucharistic Bread Baker. Her hobbies include spending lots of time with her grandchildren, gardening, crafts, painting, playing cards, and baking.

Mrs. Marcy Fleming ~ Office Assistant (May 2, 2022-present)

Marcy was born and raised south of Boston. She graduated from Bryant University with a BS in Business Administration. After getting married in 1996, her husband Don and children took an opportunity to move to Birmingham, Alabama and stayed for 12 years. While in Alabama, Marcy converted to Catholicism and has continued to learn about her faith. Marcy worked in both the PSR Office as Assistant DRE and helped in the Parish Office of the large parish.  Her husband's job opportunity took them to Northeast Ohio, where they settled in Akron for three years and then moved to Mantua in October of 2021. They have two children attending college. Marcy and Don stay busy volunteering with the any group helping the homeless or food insecure. Her hobbies include hiking with her two dogs, cycling, gardening, watching Notre Dame football, and attending almost anything with “festival” in the name. She looks forward to getting to know her new community of St. Joseph Parish. 

Mrs. Ruth Fitzgerald ~
March 1, 2015-August, 2018
Growing up in Virginia, Ruth graduated from Radford University with a Bachelor’s in Journalism/Public Relations. She has worked in the real estate field as an office manager and administrative assistant and as a claims processor for an insurance company. She currently is an office manager for a commercial real estate company. Having moved to Ohio in 1997, Ruth and her husband, Shawn, live in Aurora with their two sons, Jeremiah and Adam, and one grandchild. She has volunteered her time at St. Joseph’s as our Ox Roast Fair Volunteer Secretary, Eucharistic Minister, Mass Set-up, and Children’s Liturgy of the Word Catechist.

Ms. Jan Huter ~ November 13, 1995-February 27, 2015
Serving the parish as Administrative Secretary for nearly 20 years, Jan is a long time parishioner who has been involved in a variety of aspects of the parish including Liturgy Committee, Garden Club, Ox Roast Fair, Home & School Association, and Sacristan. She is the proud mom of three daughters, one son, and three grandchildren. Jan retired at the end of February, 2015.

Mrs. Mary Hladky ~ 
1992-October 28, 1995

Mrs. Irene Hickman ~ 1984-1992

Mrs. Tiny Ricciuti ~ 1982-?

Mrs. Bette Cruz ~ 1982-?


Mrs. Julie Buonpane ~ 1960's?-1981
A resident of Mantua since 1952, Julie was a dedicated member of St. Joseph Church where for over 20 years she served as church secretary. She was involved with the Crestwood Teacher's bowling league with her husband, Tony, volunteering at the Crestwood Primary School, Robinson Memorial Hospital, "Meals-on-Wheels", and St. Joseph School. She enjoyed cooking, writing poetry, and the loves of her life, her family and grandchildren. She was married for nearly 58 years to Anthony "Tony" Buonpane until his passing on April 29, 2006. Mrs. Buonpane died December 27, 2011.

Mrs. Carolee Smith ~ 1960's?

Mrs. Leona Redhead ~ 1950's?

Mr. Al Roberts ~ Food Service Supervisor
Oct., 1994 - Sept. 30, 2010
Supervising Ox Roast Fair dinners and other parish and private events using the kitchen/hall (and formally our school meal program and the Bingo Snack Bar), Mr. Roberts was been employed at St. Joseph's October, 1994 (hot lunch program began January 1995) through September, 2010. Growing up in Ocala, Florida, where his family owned a grocery store and full service meat market, Al earned his GED. Past employment includes WMOP-AM/WFUZ-FM radio in Ocala, FL (1968-1976), Portage County Sheriff's Office (1977-1983), Havre Motors in Ravenna (1983-1993) and co-hosted "The Other Side of Medicine" radio talk show on WHK, Cleveland with Dr. James Krystosik (1994-2001). He has been the President of the School Nutrition Association of Ohio (2005/2006) and also served the parish as a Lay Leader of Prayer, Liturgical Minister, Homebound Minister, president of the Christian Service Organization, and organizer of the Cruise In. He and wife Diane live in Hiram Township and have two children, who are both St. Joseph School alumni - David Roberts who has one son; Kelly and husband Daniel Cartwright have four sons. In his free time, Al enjoys old TV shows.
Al Roberts Retires - On September 13, Al Roberts completed over sixteen years as Food Service Supervisor. Al was hired to begin the daily hot lunch program in the fall of 1994 (began January 1995). Through the years he rounded it out to become a model in providing healthy, nourishing lunches at a reasonable price. Many times he went above and beyond the call of duty for our students and our parish. In addition, Al frugally ordered food for the Ox Roast Fair, saving St. Joe's many dollars. Well done, good and faithful servant.

Food Service Program ended upon
closing of St. Joseph School, June, 2010.

Mrs. Rebecca Edmonson ~ Food Service Specialist
2008-2010
Born in Chattsworth, California and growing up in Newbury, Ohio, Becky graduated from Newbury High School. Prior to coming to St. Joseph School as our Food Service Specialist for the 2008/2009 school year, she worked as Kitchen Director for the Geauga County Sheriff's Office for 17 years. She and her husband were married in 1980 and live in Mantua. They have two married sons.

Mrs. Dawn Sara ~ Assistant Food Service Supervisor
2007-2008
Growing up in Warrensville Heights, Ohio and graduating from Warrensville High School, Mrs. Dawn Sara comes to assist with our Food Service program this school year. Previously, she working 10 years in the kitchen and 6 years as proctor at Kenston Schools. Residing in Mantua with her husband, John, the couple has three grown children. In their spare time, they enjoy their miniature horses, camping, and their grandchildren.

Mrs. Lisa DeYoung ~ Asst. Food Service Supervisor
2006-2007
Joining the Food Service staff in 2006, Mrs. DeYoung was born in Bedford and grew up in Mantua. She attended Crestwood High School and Bohecker's Business College and has worked at Med Center One in Kent/Streetsboro. She is married to husband Jason and mom to Jeffrey, Allison, Emily, and Jason. Mrs. DeYoung and her family moved out of state for her husband's job.

Ms. Amy Seink ~ Asst. Food Service Supervisor
2001-2006
Living in Newton Falls, Amy is single with three boys, Joshua, Jacob, and Jarrod. She enjoys breeding and training exotic birds.

Mrs. Bonnie Rosati ~ Food Service Prep.
2002-2003

Mrs. Gayle Jones ~
Food Service Asst. Manager
1997-2002

Mrs. Patty Keenan ~
Food Service Prep.
1999-2002

Mrs. Kim Gray ~ Kitchen
1993-1999

Prior to 1994 St. Joseph School did not have a
hot lunch program except for volunteer mothers who
provided soup and pizza each offered one day a week.