A Merged Parish in the Heart of Austintown
St. Blaise Parish serves Austintown, Ohio, from two campuses that together form one of the more distinctive Catholic communities in the Diocese of Youngstown. The parish was formed on January 1, 2025, when Bishop David Bonnar merged Immaculate Heart of Mary Church and St. Joseph Church into a single community under the new name St. Blaise. The St. Joseph Campus at 4545 New Road and the IHM Campus at 4490 Norquest Boulevard remain active, with weekend and daily Mass, faith formation, and an unusually wide range of outreach programs that include a blueberry garden, a food pantry serving about 300 families a month, a prison letter-writing ministry, and livestream Masses on YouTube.
The parish's stated aspiration is to be a diverse, welcoming, Christ-centered community where faith grows and active love transforms Austintown and beyond.
The Pastor and His Team
St. Blaise Parish is led by Father Gregory F. Fedor, who was installed in 2009 as the fifth pastor of St. Joseph Church and named pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary in 2021. A native of Conneaut, Ohio, Father Fedor was ordained for the Diocese of Youngstown on June 18, 1983, after studies at Kenyon College, the Athenaeum of Ohio, Duquesne University, and St. Mary Seminary. He holds a master's degree in theology and is a candidate for a Doctor of Ministry degree, and his love of scripture takes him to the annual Scripture Institute at Georgetown University. Beyond parish duties, he serves on the Diocese of Youngstown Presbyterial Council and the Ohio Bishops' Advisory Council of the Catholic Conference of Ohio, and he has spent years as a chaplain and assistant track coach at Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown.
The pastoral team includes Jim Merhaut, pastoral associate; Jason Volovar, director of music; Jennifer Hlasta and Nick Moliterno, co-coordinators of the CCD religious education program; and Pat Wolf, director of the food pantry.
Two Campuses with Their Own Histories
The two campuses bring together decades of Catholic life in Austintown.
The IHM Campus traces its roots to January 8, 1954, when Bishop Emmet M. Walsh established Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish and named Msgr. Andrew A. Prokop as its first pastor. The first Masses were offered on January 17, 1954, in the auditorium of the old Fitch High School, drawing more than 2,000 people. A ten-acre site on Norquest Boulevard had been purchased as the home for the new church, and the present IHM Church was completed in 1959. The Altar and Rosary Society, founded the same year as the parish, still meets on the first Monday of the month from September through May.
The St. Joseph Campus was created on June 17, 1966, by Bishop James W. Malone, with Father John F. Lyons named the founding pastor. The first Mass was celebrated at the Wellman Wedgewood Cinema, and parishioners dug the foundations, planted trees, and even sold Christmas evergreens to help fund the new buildings. The first Mass in the new church on New Road was offered on June 16, 1968, and the parish school opened that September under the direction of the Sisters of Notre Dame. Over the decades the parish added Mercy Hall in 1981, art glass windows, a three-year restoration completed in 2000, and the Mackin Room, a state-of-the-art Zoom room finished in 2020. Original parishioner Paul Lettau captured the spirit of those early years when he wrote around 1980, "It took a special kind of people to bring the parish to what it is today. It is our parish and we are proud of it."
When the two parishes merged in 2025, they brought CCD, the finance council, the parish council, and many other ministries into a single structure under the new St. Blaise name.
Weekend Mass, Daily Mass, and Communion Services
The Mass schedule uses both campuses. Weekend Masses are celebrated on Saturday at 4:30 PM and Sunday at 8:30 AM at the St. Joseph Campus, and on Sunday at 11:00 AM at the IHM Campus.
Daily Mass is offered Tuesday and Thursday at 9:00 AM at St. Joseph, and Wednesday and Friday at 9:00 AM at IHM. On other weekdays, a Communion Service is held at 9:00 AM, with the campuses alternating: Monday at St. Joseph, Tuesday at IHM, Wednesday at St. Joseph, Thursday at IHM, and Friday at St. Joseph. Confessions are scheduled at the St. Joseph Campus on Saturday afternoons before the 4:30 PM Mass.
The parish livestreams Mass and Communion Services on YouTube, with a live button appearing ten to fifteen minutes before each weekend Mass and five minutes before each weekday service. A prayer for spiritual communion is offered for those joining remotely.
Eucharistic Adoration and Centering Prayer
Eucharistic Adoration is part of the weekly rhythm at both campuses. St. Joseph Church hosts adoration on Tuesday from 1:00 to 6:00 PM and on Thursday from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM, while IHM Church gathers for adoration with the rosary on Thursday evenings at 6:00 PM. The parish encourages a quiet, prayerful atmosphere and has published a Centering Prayer guide from Father Thomas Keating to help adorers settle into silent prayer, as well as suggestions for more creative approaches to the devotion.
Bible Study and Adult Faith Formation
Adults from both campuses gather for Bible Study led by Dr. Tom Sauline. Sessions meet on Tuesday from 9:30 to 11:00 AM in the Mackin Room of the St. Joseph Campus, and on Wednesday from 9:30 to 11:00 AM in the Rectory Meeting Room of the IHM Campus, with the option of joining the Tuesday session by Zoom. The program runs in six-week sessions, with assigned readings, commentaries, group discussion, and prayer. The parish also offers a Calling - Finding Purpose program with its Power of Calling documentary, a monthly First Friday Club of Greater Youngstown luncheon held at Avion on the Water in Canfield, and a Prayer Chain of parishioners who pray for the needs of others.
CCD: Religious Education for Children
The St. Blaise CCD program is open to all children from age three through eighth grade, with students who have special needs graciously welcomed. Classes meet on Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 10:45 AM at the parish religious education office at 4545 New Road. Students preparing for First Communion in second grade or Confirmation in eighth grade are expected to have one year of prior CCD or another approved faith formation program. The program is led by co-coordinators Jennifer Hlasta and Nick Moliterno. Catechists teach without needing prior experience, and the parish provides training and materials.
Becoming Catholic Through OCIA
Adults interested in joining the Catholic Church are welcomed through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. The program serves three groups: unbaptized persons at the age of reason, baptized Christians from other traditions seeking full communion, and baptized Catholic adults who have never received further sacramental formation. Catechumens and candidates journey through the four stages of formation in the context of the parish community, culminating in the Easter Vigil.
The Food Pantry at IHM
The Fr. Stephen Popovich Food Pantry at the IHM Campus distributes food to approximately 300 families each month, usually on the fourth Friday from 12:00 to 4:00 PM. Clients come from the 44509, 44511, 44515, and 44406 zip codes. Every dollar donated allows the pantry to purchase ten dollars' worth of food from Second Harvest Food Bank, and non-perishable donations are accepted in collection boxes at both churches. The pantry is named for the late Father Popovich, whose generous gift helped establish the ministry.
The Blueberry Patch and the Garden Ministry
A distinctive feature of the St. Joseph Campus is the Blueberry Patch, an organic garden ministry started in response to a 2022 county-wide survey in which Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Youngstown identified food insecurity as a top need in Mahoning County. Parishioners and friends can adopt one or more blueberry bushes, care for them through a single growing season, and either take their berries home or donate them to organizations serving food-insecure neighbors. The garden is open for walking and prayer at any time, and the parish describes it as both a place of service and a place of spiritual reflection. The IHM Campus, meanwhile, has its own IHM Garden Club, founded in 1960, which tends the landscaping around the church.
Caring Neighbors and the Social Concerns Ministry
Caring Neighbors grew out of a parish planning survey that found parishioners eager to live their faith in daily acts of service. The ministry divides the parish into nine neighborhood units and helps members respond to needs through listening, transportation, meals, and connection to outside agencies. A Caring Neighbors Story form invites parishioners to share examples of neighbor helping neighbor, so the good works can be told and inspire others. At the IHM Campus, the Social Concerns Committee addresses justice issues and organizes parish responses to those in need.
St. Vincent de Paul and Prison Ministry
The St. Vincent de Paul Society at the St. Joseph Campus offers temporary, person-to-person assistance to neighbors experiencing difficulty due to unemployment, sickness, or other hardship, usually in the form of food, clothing, and immediate relief. Twice a year, the Vincent de Paul truck comes to the parking lot to collect non-perishable donations before weekend Masses.
The parish also runs a prison ministry that began with a Hope Letters group, in which parishioners write letters to prisoners preparing to re-enter society, following guidance from professional prison ministers to keep the work safe and effective. The parish takes part in the Kolbe Gathering, a semi-monthly fellowship of formerly incarcerated persons, their families, and parish volunteers, held at Holy Apostles SS Peter and Paul Church in Youngstown.
Music Ministry and the Concert Series
Music at St. Blaise is led by Jason Volovar, director of music. The St. Joseph Choir sings at the 8:30 AM Sunday Mass, with practice on Tuesday at 5:30 PM, and the IHM Choir sings at the 11:00 AM Sunday Mass, with practice on Wednesday at 6:30 PM. Choir season runs from September through Pentecost, and new members are always welcome. The parish also supports cantors (selected by audition), a Special Music Ensemble that plays once a month, a Handbell Choir, and developing men's and women's quartets.
Beyond weekly liturgy, St. Blaise hosts a Concert Series at the St. Joseph Campus, featuring the award-winning Astralis Chamber Ensemble and other visiting musicians.
Seniors, Men's Mile Marker, and Parish Life
The IHM Senior Citizens Group meets at noon on the third Thursday of the month in the parish center for a catered lunch, games, and friendship. Membership is open to anyone with at least one spouse age 55 or older, with yearly dues of $5 per person. The Men's Mile Marker program gathers men for fellowship and spiritual growth, and the Altar and Rosary Society brings together women and men in support of the IHM sanctuary. The Parish Life Committee sponsors a chili cook-off, Oktoberfest, the St. Joseph Feast Day, the parish picnic, and the Ss. Cyril and Methodius Dinner, welcoming parishioners of every age and circumstance. The local Knights of Columbus council, #3930, also meets at the parish and hosts community events such as hoagie dinners.
Digital Ministry and Livestream Mass
St. Blaise has invested heavily in digital outreach, especially since 2020. The parish now live-streams every Mass and Communion Service on YouTube, with a high-quality setup that includes a state-of-the-art Zoom room in the Mackin Room at the St. Joseph Campus, video screens in the church and vestibules, a digital street sign, and a cloud database that supports email and text blasts to the whole parish. The Digital Ministry team welcomes volunteers with tech skills to assist with livestream, video production, communications, and Zoom room operation. The parish also maintains an active Facebook page, an Instagram account, and music and educational videos on its YouTube channel.
Hall Rentals, the ECLC Preschool, and Safe Environment
The St. Joseph Campus has three halls available for rent. The Mackin Room, named for the principal donor who funded its renovation, seats 75 and offers full Zoom room capabilities for an hourly rate; Mercy Hall, with a small attached kitchen, also seats 75; and the Social Hall, with a full-service kitchen, seats 260. Catering is provided by three approved local companies, Marino's Italian Café, Fusillo Catering, and Trax Restaurant.
The ECLC preschool operates on the St. Joseph Campus, continuing the parish's long tradition of Catholic education that began with St. Joseph School in 1968. The parish also follows the Diocese of Youngstown's safe environment policies for the protection of children and vulnerable adults, with reporting guidelines in place and staff required to complete Protecting God's Children training.