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Church and community say goodbye to Rev. Greg Maturi
By LINDA M. LINONIS
YOUNGSTOWN
The Rev. Greg Maturi’s six years at St. Dominic Church were shaped by catastrophe and collaboration, both propelling the congregation and the priest into the local and national spotlight.
The pastor, whose term as prior of the South Side church at 77 E. Lucius Ave., ends today, was honored Sunday at a farewell reception in the parish center. More than 250 people attended.
Father Maturi began as pastor Nov. 1, 2009. Just as he was settling into that role, tragedy struck the congregation. Angeline Fimognari, 80, a faithful member, was murdered after she left the 8 a.m. Mass on Jan. 23, 2010.
Eight months later, parishioner Thomas Repchic, 74, was killed and his wife, Jacqueline, was wounded Sept. 25 by gunfire as they rode in a car near the church. The shooting was a case of mistaken identity. She was a secretary at the church.
After the murders of Fimognari and Repchic, Father Maturi said he was motivated into a leadership role. “The goal was to eliminate the blight ... some 65 derelict houses in the neighborhood that were used as gang hangouts, for drug use and criminal activities,” he said.
The priest said he made it his mission to contact state, county and local political leaders about crime and blight. His effort earned him the No. 2 spot on The Vindicator’s Top 10 Newsmakers in 2010.
The city launched Operation Redemption on the South Side, and 65 abandoned houses were demolished.
Former Mayor Jay Williams promised more police presence in St. Dominic neighborhoods. Safety summits with national, state, county and city law enforcement personnel took place; the effort to reduce crime and violence is ongoing.
“The attention to the blight and crime was the catalyst for better uses of law enforcement and more cooperation,” Father Maturi said. The priest’s plea to address crime also received national attention with coverage by CNN.
While those efforts showed positive results, the church and its pastor also saw the need to invest in the community.
A partnership with ICU Block Watch involves sponsorship of the Neighborhood Harvest event, which will be Oct. 30 with food, music and games.Agencies, such as the Youngstown police and fire departments and Mahoning County Dive Team will take part. The priest credited Victoria Allen of ICU Block Watch with valuable assistance in her ability to “get things done.”
The church sold its school, which had been closed for a decade, to Horizon Science Academy, where 400 students attend. “Having an active school in the neighborhood goes a long way to help revitalization,” he said.
The church also stepped up its youth outreach by involving some 300 young people from 4 to 14 years old. “We focus on family- oriented activities,” Father Maturi said. On various outings, children have had pizza parties then gone to the Covelli Centre, where they have seen the Harlem Globetrotters, Disney on Ice, Walking with Dinosaurs and other events.
St. Dominic and New Bethel Baptist Church partnered to offer a six-week summer program. That’s among other collaborations with the Boys and Girls Club, YMCA and McGuffey Centre.
“Generous organizations such as the Difference Makers contributed to events,” Father Maturi said. “What’s in place will continue.”
The parish center of 4,000 square feet that cost $1.3 million demonstrates “St. Dominic’s investment in the community and commitment to renewal,” Father Maturi said. The parish center is busy most weekends with private and community gatherings.
“All of this really is God’s work,” he said. “What I have learned has helped my priesthood.”
At St. Dominic, Father Maturi filled various roles. He was church pastor, which he explained is an “open-ended” assignment and was elected prior, or leader of the priory at the church, where there are four other Dominican priests.
“In our order, you can only be a prior for six years,” he said. He explained there is a difference between a diocesan priest, who serves in a diocese, and a priest in the Dominicans, who may be assigned to one of four provinces in the United States. “The differences are geographic and governmental in that provinces are much bigger than dioceses, and as Dominicans, we elected superiors,” he said.
He does not yet know his next assignment. “There’s sadness on leaving but anticipation about what is ahead,” Father Maturi said.