Bishop assigns clergy to merging parishes

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

As part of the Diocese of Youngstown Parish Reconfiguration Plan, Bishop George V. Murry has appointed 24 priests as pastors and associate pastors in parishes that are merging, collaborating or remaining as single units in the six-county diocese.

Two other priests also have new assignments. The diocese covers Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana, Ashtabula, Portage and Stark counties.

This is the largest reassignment of clergy to date in the diocese. Previous announcements have involved one or two moves. Most appointments are effective Aug. 1.

The Rev. Nicholas Shori, director of the plan, said the announcement involving the reassignments of such a large number of priests is another major step in the process of churches merging and collaborating. “The leadership of even more parishes will be in place,” he said.

In addition to the parish assignments, the Rev. Gerald DeLucia has been appointed chaplain at Cardinal Mooney High School, and the Rev. Michael Swierz has been appointed administrator of St. Joseph the Provider School.

Father Shori said the diocese is “pursing the possibility” of moving the school from its current location in Campbell to the former St. Anthony School building on Turin Avenue. That building is not in use as a school. He said Father Swierz will have a year to develop a plan for the school.

“Most of the students come from Youngstown,” Father Shori said of the student body of St. Joseph the Provider School. Moving the school from its current location to Youngstown would give it “a more centralized location,” he said.