church history

church history

St. Elizabeth Church, 124 Keystone Ave., Campbell, is closing as part of the Parish Implementation Plan in the Diocese of Youngstown. Parish members will be part of a merged unit of other Catholic churches in the city, St. John the Baptist, St. Joseph the Provider, St. Lucy and St. Rose of Lima. There will be one pastor, one parochial vicar, one parish and the number of worship sites to be determined.

The beginning: The people who founded St. Elizabeth Slovak Catholic Church first built a school in 1917 on Haseltine Avenue, where a church was also built. On Easter Sunday, 1922, the first Mass was said. The Rev. Joseph L. Kostik was appointed pastor in 1922 and continued in that role until 1967. The school officially opened as St. Elizabeth Parochial School in 1924 under the supervision of Sister M. Dorothea of the Order of St. Vincent DePaul, Perrysville, Pa. Father Kostik lived at 92 Haseltine Ave. The church faced hard times during the Great Depression but survived and grew.

New church: The groundbreaking for the church at 124 Keystone Ave. took place Aug. 22, 1954; the cornerstone was laid July 1, 1956. Bishop Emmet M. Walsh of the Youngstown diocese blessed the church.

Shrine: Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto was dedicated May 21, 1961. It was built by church members during the Youngstown Sheet and Tube strike in the early 1960s. The largest offering for the shrine, $2,500, came from Mr. and Mrs. William Cafaro, who paid the expense of construction. The Infant Jesus of Prague Guild gave $1,000. The statue of Our Lady was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Michael Volosin, the statue of Bernadette by Sokolky Wreath 107, the crucifix on the altar by Mr. and Mrs. Frank Schuster and daughter Darlene and shrubbery by Mr. and Mrs. Jake Schuster.

Remembrance book: The parish is compiling a remembrance book for members.

Final services: The church will have its final Mass at 9 a.m. Jan. 2 with Monsignor Cyril Adamko as celebrant; he was pastor from 1967 to 1991. Bishop George V. Murry, bishop of the Diocese of Youngstown, will give the homily and the Rev. Michael Swierz, administrator of St. Elizabeth and pastor of St. Joseph the Provider, also will participate. The church will have Christmas Eve Mass at 9 p.m. and Christmas Day Mass at 9 a.m.