CANTON – Reflecting on his half-century as a priest, Msgr. Frank Carfagna, a veteran pastor who retired last year, sees his priesthood as “a great spiritual and physical adventure.”
Msgr. Carfagna served in four of the six counties of the diocese, including three pastorates, two tenures as associate pastor, decades as diocesan director of cemeteries, and he served as a high school teacher and director of plays.
In addition, over the course of his priesthood, he has also served in a variety of roles — including the Diocesan Liturgical Commission, and the Priests Senate (forerunner of the Presbyteral Council) — where he served as secretary and vice-chair.
For several terms, Msgr. Carfagna was a member of the diocesan finance council. He served as dean of the Stark West deanery and as a judge on the appellate section of the diocesan Tribunal. At different times, he served as confessor to various communities of women religious.
In May of 1997, Pope John Paul II named him a prelate of honor with the title of “Monsignor.”
Born to Felix and Mary Louise Carfagna, Msgr. Carfagna attended Canton St. Peter and Canton St. John the Baptist elementary schools and Canton Central Catholic High School.
He completed his high school and college studies at St. Gregory Seminary in Cincinnati and earned a master’s in theology at Mount St. Mary of the West Seminary — also in Cincinnati. During summer breaks he served as waterfront director at Father Kane Camp, Lake Milton, for five seasons.
Ordained May 27, 1967, in St. Columba Cathedral by Bishop James Malone, his first assignment was associate pastor of Ashtabula Mother of Sorrows Parish. He also taught religion at Ashtabula St. John High School.
After two years there, Msgr. Carfagna was named to the faculty of Youngstown Cardinal Mooney High School, where he taught religion and directed student plays and other performing arts activities — including Christmas shows.
Barbara Bilas Zorn, cantor for St. Columba Cathedral, Mooney class of 1971, recalls performing on the piano for the school’s 1970 Christmas play, a rendition of Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker.” She noted that Msgr. Carfagna’s direction was “quite impressive.”
In 1972, he was transferred to Youngstown St. Edward Parish as associate pastor, serving there five years.
Then, he was appointed to his first pastorate, Vienna St. Vincent de Paul, where he remained until 1984.
In 1981 he took on the additional responsibility of diocesan director of cemeteries, a position that he would hold for decades.
Highlights of this tenure included overseeing the construction of the fourth diocesan cemetery, Resurrection, in Austintown.
Msgr. Carfagna would regularly write guest columns for the Exponent on the ministry of Catholic cemeteries.
In one such column for Cemetery Sunday, he noted that Catholic cemeteries are for the living as well as the dead – serving as “mute but eloquent witnesses to our belief in the Resurrection and the hope of eternal life.”
In 1984, Msgr. Carfagna was transferred to Alliance St. Joseph Parish as pastor.
Then, in 1990, he was appointed pastor of Canton St. Joseph, where he would serve for more than a quarter-century.
Phil Salasek, 61, business manager for St. Joseph Parish as well Canton St. Joan of Arc, is a lifelong parishioner who knows Msgr. Carfagna both as a parishioner and from having served as parish business manager since 2018.
“Perhaps the most important thing about Msgr. Carfagna is his spiritual focus,” Salasek said. “Everything revolves around the celebration of the Mass and other services.”
“I think most of the people in the parish see him as the stabilizing force for the parish,” Salasek continued. “He is decisive and he speaks his mind,” but for those who get to know him. Msgr. Cafagna shows “a good sense of humor.”
Margaret Lehnert, also a veteran St. Joseph parishioner, described Msgr. Carfagna as “a very good spiritual leader. He loves St. Joseph and he has taken very good care of the church.”
Lehnert also praised Msgr. Carfagna for his preaching. “His homilies are always so well prepared and so insightful.” She noted his knowledge of Scripture. “He can talk about the geography and political climate of the day.”
Though she described her longtime pastor as “no nonsense,” Lehnert said that Msgr. Carfagna has a “kind and loving heart” as well as a “great sense of humor.” She added that parishioners generally appreciated his qualities.
CANTON – Reflecting on his half-century as a priest, Msgr. Frank Carfagna, a veteran pastor who retired last year, sees his priesthood as “a great spiritual and physical adventure.”
Msgr. Carfagna served in four of the six counties of the diocese, including three pastorates, two tenures as associate pastor, decades as diocesan director of cemeteries, and he served as a high school teacher and director of plays.
In addition, over the course of his priesthood, he has also served in a variety of roles — including the Diocesan Liturgical Commission, and the Priests Senate (forerunner of the Presbyteral Council) — where he served as secretary and vice-chair.
For several terms, Msgr. Carfagna was a member of the diocesan finance council. He served as dean of the Stark West deanery and as a judge on the appellate section of the diocesan Tribunal. At different times, he served as confessor to various communities of women religious.
In May of 1997, Pope John Paul II named him a prelate of honor with the title of “Monsignor.”
Born to Felix and Mary Louise Carfagna, Msgr. Carfagna attended Canton St. Peter and Canton St. John the Baptist elementary schools and Canton Central Catholic High School.
He completed his high school and college studies at St. Gregory Seminary in Cincinnati and earned a master’s in theology at Mount St. Mary of the West Seminary — also in Cincinnati. During summer breaks he served as waterfront director at Father Kane Camp, Lake Milton, for five seasons.
Ordained May 27, 1967, in St. Columba Cathedral by Bishop James Malone, his first assignment was associate pastor of Ashtabula Mother of Sorrows Parish. He also taught religion at Ashtabula St. John High School.
After two years there, Msgr. Carfagna was named to the faculty of Youngstown Cardinal Mooney High School, where he taught religion and directed student plays and other performing arts activities — including Christmas shows.
Barbara Bilas Zorn, cantor for St. Columba Cathedral, Mooney class of 1971, recalls performing on the piano for the school’s 1970 Christmas play, a rendition of Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker.” She noted that Msgr. Carfagna’s direction was “quite impressive.”
In 1972, he was transferred to Youngstown St. Edward Parish as associate pastor, serving there five years.
Then, he was appointed to his first pastorate, Vienna St. Vincent de Paul, where he remained until 1984.
In 1981 he took on the additional responsibility of diocesan director of cemeteries, a position that he would hold for decades.
Highlights of this tenure included overseeing the construction of the fourth diocesan cemetery, Resurrection, in Austintown.
Msgr. Carfagna would regularly write guest columns for the Exponent on the ministry of Catholic cemeteries.
In one such column for Cemetery Sunday, he noted that Catholic cemeteries are for the living as well as the dead – serving as “mute but eloquent witnesses to our belief in the Resurrection and the hope of eternal life.”
In 1984, Msgr. Carfagna was transferred to Alliance St. Joseph Parish as pastor.
Then, in 1990, he was appointed pastor of Canton St. Joseph, where he would serve for more than a quarter-century.
Phil Salasek, 61, business manager for St. Joseph Parish as well Canton St. Joan of Arc, is a lifelong parishioner who knows Msgr. Carfagna both as a parishioner and from having served as parish business manager since 2018.
“Perhaps the most important thing about Msgr. Carfagna is his spiritual focus,” Salasek said. “Everything revolves around the celebration of the Mass and other services.”
“I think most of the people in the parish see him as the stabilizing force for the parish,” Salasek continued. “He is decisive and he speaks his mind,” but for those who get to know him. Msgr. Cafagna shows “a good sense of humor.”
Margaret Lehnert, also a veteran St. Joseph parishioner, described Msgr. Carfagna as “a very good spiritual leader. He loves St. Joseph and he has taken very good care of the church.”
Lehnert also praised Msgr. Carfagna for his preaching. “His homilies are always so well prepared and so insightful.” She noted his knowledge of Scripture. “He can talk about the geography and political climate of the day.”
Though she described her longtime pastor as “no nonsense,” Lehnert said that Msgr. Carfagna has a “kind and loving heart” as well as a “great sense of humor.” She added that parishioners generally appreciated his qualities.
