
Monsignor James Kolp was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Youngstown on April 29, 1950, by Bishop James McFadden in St. Columba Cathedral. Originally from Canton, Monsignor Kolp attended St. Paul School in North Canton and the former St. John High School—now Canton Central Catholic. He studied for the priesthood at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit and St. Mary Seminary in Cleveland.
Following his ordination in 1950, Monsignor Kolp first served as associate pastor at St. Columba Cathedral until 1957, when he was assigned as spiritual director and guidance counselor at Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown—working there until 1962.
In 1962, he was appointed to the faculty of Ursuline High School in Youngstown and also named to his first pastorate, St. Philip Neri Parish in Dungannon and St. Agatha Mission in West Point. In 1966, he taught part-time at John F. Kennedy High School in Warren. His subsequent pastorates were at St. Bernadette in Masury from 1965 to 1967 (now St. Thomas the Apostle Parish) and St. James in Warren from 1967 to 1973 (now St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish), before he was named pastor of St. Mary in Massillon (now Divine Mercy Parish). He remained there until his retirement. In 1987, he served as administrator pro-tem at All Saints Parish in Canton.
He was named Prelate of Honor, with the title of “Monsignor” in April 2000. Monsignor Kolp retired July 1, 2000. During his priesthood, Monsignor Kolp was also active in various ministries including teaching at then-Walsh College in the 1960s. He had also been involved in numerous civic and diocesan appointments, including chaplaincy and membership positions with the Knights of Columbus at various councils, Boy Scouts of America Buckeye Council executive committee and myriad Boy Scout chaplaincies, the Massillon Area Clergy Association, the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (Trumbull County) and the Massillon Fair Employment Commission. He also served as diocesan director of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, the Massillon Rotary Club, the diocesan Priests Council, United Way and as Trumbull County Family Life director and coordinator of Warren’s center-city apostolate. He has served on the Priests Retirement Board, the Canton Mercy Hospital Development Board, and he was regional Catholic Scouting chaplain for Ohio and Michigan. He continues as chaplain for the Knights of Columbus of Massillon.