St. Stephen of Hungary in Youngstown vows to stay open
Parishoners of St. Stephen of Hungary in Youngstown met Monday night to discuss ways to ensure its future.
Parishioners of St. Stephen of Hungary in Youngstown met Monday night to discuss ways to ensure its future.
St. Stephen's is one of the seven churches the Youngstown Diocese says will close or undergo changes in 2020. It's on the list to be closed.
Church members met in a meeting closed to the media where they are hoping to convince the diocese to provide them with one Mass still a week.
They are sending a formal appeal to the Bishop.
"The Diocese as a whole seems to forget about the ethnic parishes and the blood, sweat, and tears of these people who built these parishes on," said parishioner Damian Tarantino.
Fr. Joseph Rudjak of St. Stephen said, "The Catholic Diocese of Youngstown should be fostering ethnicity, should be fostering ethnic parishes. They should be subsidizing them if necessary so that this heritage that belongs to Youngstown is alive and vibrant!"
St. Stephen will still hold their annual fundraiser this coming Sunday, July 14th.
It will be held at St. Anne's on Kirk Road.