In February 1923, a plot of land was purchased—the first on Mahoning Avenue in Youngstown—as the future site of St. Brendan Parish. The parish was formed by St. Columba and St. Patrick churches’ parishioners, who lived on the west side of town, farther away from the churches they were attending. While the church was being built, the parish held Masses at the Perkins Public School. The first Mass of the parish was held there on May 6, 1923, with 125 families in attendance.
Construction formally began nearly a year later, on March 1, 1924, with the laying of the church’s cornerstone by Archbishop Joseph Schrembs, the Bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland, as Youngstown was still part of the Diocese of Cleveland at the time. St. Brendan’s is one of 62 churches constructed during Archbishop Schrembs’ tenure—27 in the city of Cleveland and 35 in the surrounding areas.
On September 13, 1925, St. Brendan Parish held its first Mass in its new church. In addition to the construction of the church proper, the parish also built a rectory on the property and opened a school in September 1925, with 265 students enrolled.
Later, after the formation of the Diocese of Youngstown, St. Brendan’s built a new convent for the Sisters of the Holy Humility of Mary—constructed by parishioner Frank O’Neill—as well as a gymnasium and auditorium for the parish school. These were dedicated in February 1959.
In July 2000, Father James Daprile was appointed pastor and oversaw various updates and renovations in the church, including the addition of a reredos—a decoration behind the altar—as well as new statues of St. Brendan and the crucifix.
Like many other parish schools in the area, St. Brendan’s school closed in 2005, due to low admissions.
Yet St. Brendan Parish remains a vibrant faith community after 100 years. Bishop David J. Bonnar celebrated Mass at St. Brendan Parish for a congregation of nearly 300 people on May 14, to mark their centennial. Following Mass, the parish held a brunch for all the families present.
“It was so joyful,” said Debora Flora, co-chair of the centennial committee. “St. Brendan is a parish that, for some time, has had to reevaluate where it was headed … But going into the celebration we had learned … that we would be collaborating with St. Christine Parish. We were very happy to celebrate our centennial and [have] some sense of what the future holds for us.”
The collaboration that Flora is referring to is part of the diocese’s ongoing regionalization efforts—a collective pooling of staff, resources and priests in order to support a wide network of parish communities in the diocese.
According to Flora, people came to their celebration from far and wide to reminisce about their years in the parish and school, catching up with old friends and acquaintances. “Nobody rushed out,” Flora said.
In addition to the centennial Mass and brunch, the parish has planned several other anniversary events this year, including the publishing of a centennial book, which will contain archival photographs from the parish’s long history.
“Just being able to represent all that St. Brendan has done over a century is a challenge, and yet we find more and more as time goes on,” Flora said.
Father Bob England, one of the three newly-ordained priests of the diocese, was just assigned as parochial vicar for St. Brendan and St. Christine parishes. He said it was very exciting for him, as a new priest, to come into a parish with such a rich history and well-established culture.
“They work together as a tight-knit group,” Father England said. “We walked in and they were very organized and it was simple to … start working right away because they have a good sense of who they are … and their meaning and purpose, their relationship with the Lord, and their relationship with one another.”
“As Youngstown has changed, so has St. Brendan’s,” Father John Jerek, pastor at St. Brendan, Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Christine parishes, added.
“Certainly, the parish has been affected by the decline in the city’s population and the relocation of many families to the suburbs. Yet the people remain very dedicated to the city and to the parish’s neighborhood. Their outreach to the disadvantaged is impressive.”
Father Jerek noted that God works through all His people to accomplish His plan for the world.
“The biggest lesson we can take from the centennial celebration is gratitude,” Father Jerek continued. “Much of God’s work has been done at and through St. Brendan’s. We are thankful that God has called us to this time and place. Thus, we place the future in God’s hands, asking that His will continue to be accomplished through us.”
To find out more information on the centennial book or any other celebrations being planned for the rest of the year, contact St. Brendan Parish at 330-792-3875.
