History
Ss. Peter and Paul
Mijo (Michael) G. Domladovac, a young seminarian in Croatia, came to America from Zagreb in 1909 to finish his studies at the request of the Bishop of Cleveland. Bishop John Farrelly ordained him a priest of the Diocese of Cleveland on June 10, 1911. On June 11, he said his first Mass in Youngstown (which was part of the Cleveland Diocese at that time), at Ss. Cyril and Methodius Church. That date marks the beginning of Ss. Peter and Paul Parish. The Croatian community converted a frame house into a small church at the corner of Covington and Thomas (now Arlington) Streets, and Father Domladovac said his first Mass there on July 2, 1911. Within two years, a cornerstone was laid for a Romanesque brick church building, which was finished and dedicated in 1915. Father Domladovac’s motto was, “I will work for God and God will help me.” That spirit saw him through the beginning years of the parish with the work of gathering and building for the Croatian and Slovenian people of Youngstown, Campbell, Struthers, Girard, and surrounding areas.
Reverend John A. Stipanovic followed him as pastor and remained in that position for a remarkable 53 years. He led the parish in building a school, opened in 1929, renovating the church interior, and assisting refugees who came to the area after World War II. In reflecting on his years as pastor he wrote: “if anything has been accomplished I sincerely and humbly say: ‘Thanks be to God Who has used me as an unworthy tool in His hands. Thanks to my Croatians and Slovenians who have accepted my leadership with such generosity and Christian patience.’”
After 58 years of faithful service the school was closed in 1973 due to shrinking enrollment. In 2011, Ss. Peter and Paul merged with Our Lady of Hungary and St. Stephen of Hungary to form Holy Apostles Parish. The parish continues to care for and upgrade Ss. Peter and Paul church, hall, and rectory. They continue to celebrate the cultural connection to their faith with music, feast day celebrations, and holy day traditions special to them.
St. Stephen of Hungary
In November 1905, the Reverend John Kropacs arrived in Youngstown to organize a Catholic Parish for people of Hungarian descent. In 1907, Reverend Joseph Folytan became the first pastory and established a parish of 120 families. Masses were held in various venues, including St. Joseph Church, St. Columba, and Ss. Cyril and Methodius Church in downtown Youngstown, until 1910 when a frame church was dedicated on Wilson Avenue. Parishioners were vigorous in faith and service under the 1931-1946 leadership of Reverend Lawrence Biro, a Franciscan Friar, who formed the Altar Society, Rosary Society, Third Order, Sodality, Altar Boys, and Young Peoples’ Club.
Fr. John Vasko, a son of the parish, was one of the two priests first ordained in the newly formed Diocese of Youngstown in 1943. In 1946 he became administrator and in 1950 pastor of St. Stephen of Hungary. In 1948, he organized a building fund drive for a new church (right next to the older wooden one) which was opened in 1953. In that same period, parishioners offered homes, jobs, and spiritual help to refugees from Hungary after World War II. In 1956 and beyond, they continued such efforts for the men and women who fled Communist Rule following the Hungarian Revolution.
By 2011, changes in demographics and organization all over the diocese brought changes to St. Stephen of Hungary. Regionalization plans meant that some parishes would merge and some would close. In that year, St. Stephen, Our Lady of Hungary, and Ss. Peter and Paul merged to become Holy Apostles Parish. St. Stephen of Hungary Church had its last regular Sunday Mass in 2023 and was then closed. It leaves behind a legacy of honor to faith, service, and Hungarian traditions.
Our Lady of Hungary
Hungarians in Youngstown lived in scattered areas of the city during the first quarter of the 20th century. Many were employed in steel mills with their residences clustered nearby. Many Hungarians on the West Side of the city had difficulty getting to St. Stephen of Hungary on the East Side for Masses both because of transportation problems as well as overcrowding in the church. The idea of building a West Side Hungarian church took root and gained support in 1926, even from the pastor of St. Stephen, Reverend Sandor Varlaky. In the next few years planning proceeded, a charter was obtained, and land on North Belle Vista Avenue was purchased from the Carnegie Corporation for the site of the church. In 1928, Reverend Istvan Nyiri was appointed as pastor.
In 1929, the parish began to build a church starting, of course, with the basement. Because of the severity of the Great Depression, a roofed basement served as their worship space for 21 years. In 1930, the parish opened a school in a small frame building staffed by the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown. Again, because of hard times, the school had to close 2 years later. The people proved resilient, however, and the 1930s and 1940s saw growth and dedication, and the creation of the Altar Society, the Rosary Society, a Scout Troop, Holy Name Society, St. Vincent de Paul Society, and the Sodality of Mary.
In the late 1940s, under the guidance of their energetic pastor, Reverend Peter Hegyi, O.F.M., the faithful people undertook to raise the rest of the church building. Steelworkers of the parish built the brick structure working double shifts, taking turns during their off hours from their shifts. Bishop Emmet M. Walsh blessed the new church in April of 1950. In 1960, a shrine of the parish patroness was dedicated with an 8’ marble of Our Lady wearing the crown of St. Stephen of Hungary with its bent cross.
In the ensuing decades, the church drew its people for devotions such as May crownings, for the solemn services of Good Friday at which a statue of Jesus’ corpse would be entombed behind a sliding panel in the front altar (now preserved in diocesan archives), and for countless Masses including Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve with its pageant that assured very full pews. Generations preserved Hungarian identity with the language, food, and devotions of their people. They honored Hungarian saints in the art of the church. They assisted Hungarian refugees after the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.
By 2011, changes in demographics and organization all over the diocese brought changes to Our Lady of Hungary. Regionalization plans meant that some parishes would merge and some would close. In that year, Our Lady of Hungary, St. Stephen of Hungary, and Ss. Peter and Paul merged to become Holy Apostles Parish. Our Lady of Hungary Church had its last regular Sunday Mass on February 12, 2012 and was then closed. It leaves behind a legacy of Hungarian faith and traditions.
