What would become St. Benedict Church in Canton, Stark County, was formally developed in the summer of 1923, when Cleveland’s Archbishop Joseph Schrembs established a Catholic district in the Canton area. He put this district under the care of the Benedictine fathers of St. Vincent Archabbey of Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Father James Spalding was named the first pastor, and the new parishioners began attending Mass in a temporary structure in November 1923, while their permanent church was being built.
A few months later, the name of St. Benedict was bestowed on this new parish, which served 162 Catholic families. According to the first yearly financial statement of St. Benedict, the parish brought in $21,655.22 and had total expenditures of $17,363.57. Early church life included social events—ladies’ meetings, drama club performances and choir practices.
Only 10 months after his arrival, Father Spalding died. In June 1924, Benedictine Father Nicholas Seidl became pastor and was determined to build upon Father Spalding’s early efforts to grow the faith in the area. Father Seidl had big plans, including opening a school and building a convent. The school, led by the Franciscan Sisters of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened to 175 students in September 1925, and the convent was built on 3rd Street. The present church edifice of St. Benedict Church was dedicated that same year.
Then, later in 1925, Father Seidl died. Just two years into its existence, the parishioners of St. Benedict had to bury their only two pastors.
Over the next 60 years, 15 pastors—all Benedictine priests—served the parish. In 1984, the Benedictine fathers left the administration of St. Benedict. Bishop of Youngstown James Malone appointed Father Donald Feicht as pastor. Under Father Feicht’s care, the church grounds received many renovations, including new flower beds and greenery to beautify the area. Enhanced lighting in the parking lot and pathways have also made the campus more accessible. Other major renovations took place in the 1930s and 1960s. The school was closed in 1978.
In March 2011, St. Benedict merged with St. Mary Parish on Market Avenue in Canton. Then, this spring, after a period of consultation among parish representatives and review of pastoral statistics, Bishop David Bonnar announced the merging of St. Benedict/St. Mary with St. Anthony/All Saints Parish to form St. Francis of Assisi Parish, effective July 1, 2023. On this date, Father Kevin Peters assumed the role as pastor of the newly established parish, as well as of Holy Family Parish in Navarre.
Following his recent ordination to the priesthood, Father Frederick Schlueter serves as parochial vicar for the parishes.
Once new leadership becomes acclimated to the area, the parish plans to discuss events to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of St. Benedict. A town hall meeting was held in July, bringing together the members of St. Francis of Assisi Parish to talk about moving forward toward a bright future as a new community of faith. Contact St. Francis of Assisi Parish at 330-453-2110 to learn more.
