Hubbard pastor resigns amid probe
St. Patrick’s Swierz on leave as Diocese investigates ‘actions’ from 1980s
YOUNGSTOWN — The Rev. Michael Swierz, who has served most recently as pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Hubbard, has submitted his resignation, according to a news release from the Diocese of Youngstown.
The release states Bishop David Bonnar on June 17 accepted the resignation of Swierz, who has been placed on administrative leave as pastor of St. Patrick, president of St. Joseph the Provider School in Youngstown and as president of the Trumbull County Deanery.
“Father Swierz has been placed on administrative leave because of admitted actions that constituted violations of Diocesan policies. The actions at issue occurred while he was at St. Rose Parish in Girard in the late 1980s,” the release states.
“The investigation into these matters is ongoing and Father Swierz is cooperating in the investigation. The Diocese will not provide further comment on either the investigation or Father Swierz’s situation at this time.”
A letter from the bishop was read at all weekend Masses at both St. Rose and St. Patrick.
Swierz was named pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Hubbard in 2015 and was at the parish when it was severely damaged by a fire in January 2021 that caused between $4 million and $5 million in smoke and fire damage. The parish reopened on St. Patrick’s Day earlier this year after $15 million in renovations.
Swierz was ordained in 1985 and served as pastor for St. Peter in Canton before being assigned to St. Rose in Girard until 1992. Swierz moved to Holy Family Church in Poland until 1998 and then spent time as pastor of St. Christine Church in Youngstown.
In 2000, Swierz became pastor of St. Joseph the Provider Church in Campbell and under his leadership, the parish’s namesake school moved from Campbell to Turin Avenue in the Brier Hill neighborhood of Youngstown to better serve its mostly inner city students.
While at St. Joseph, he took on additional assignments of St. Elizabeth and St. John the Baptist Churches, also in Campbell, until they closed under a diocesan merger plan. He also served as chaplain to the Youngstown Fire Department.