80th Anniversary of the Diocese Celebration

The Diocese of Youngstown is celebrating its 80th Anniversary! All are welcome at the 80th Anniversary Mass on Sunday, June 25, at 4 p.m. at Saint Columba Cathedral in Youngstown, with Bishop Bonnar as principal celebrant and the diocese’s priests as concelebrants.

After Mass, there will also be an outdoor tented reception on the cathedral campus, with accessibility for those with disabilities.

The celebration will also feature an indoor historical display of the diocese’s history presented by the Diocesan Archives Office. The historical display will be open at 2pm before Mass, and then again after Mass.

The Diocese of Youngstown was established on May 15, 1943. Celebration of the 80th Anniversary will continue through next year, and has already included a diocesan pilgrimage to Scotland and Ireland the first week of June, led by Bishop David Bonnar with parishioners from throughout the diocese. The pilgrimage included Mass on the island of Iona on June 9th, the Feast Day of Saint Columba, patron of the diocese.

In conjunction with the 80th Anniversary, Bishop Bonnar also released his second pastoral letter, Practicing Faith, Hope, and Love: Living the Virtues Together in Tough Times, available at www.doy.org/faith-hope-love/

For more about the Diocese of Youngstown’s history, see The Catholic Echo’s May feature at catholicecho.org/2023/04/28/celebrating-80-years/