Staff photo / Bob Coupland St. Patrick Church in Youngstown is celebrating its centennial anniversary of the current church building opening in June 1926. Committee members who planned 100-year anniversary events are, from left, Catherine McClain, Bob Veauthier, Ed Palguta, Mary Lou Eicher, the Rev. Robert Siffrin, pastor of the church, Mary Green, Fred Kurz, Debbie DelQuadri and Jane Orr. Missing is Bill Crawford.

YOUNGSTOWN — It was on June 8, 1926, when St. Patrick Church off Oak Hill Avenue on the South Side opened its doors in a new building.

On Sunday, to mark the 100th anniversary of the historic building, hundreds of current and past congregation members and former pastors gathered for a special Mass and celebratory lunch.

Fred Kurz, one of the 100th anniversary committee members, said, “This has been a thrill for us marking 100 years. It is like a second anniversary. We had a celebration back in 2011 for the actual birthday of the church and now we celebrate 100 years of this building.”

The Rev. Robert Siffrin, pastor for the past year, said the 100th anniversary milestone of a church is “a testimony to the faithfulness of the people of God who attend here.”

“They have cared for and maintained this church and the faith of the people has been shared both in prayer and in service and care for the poor,” Siffrin said.

He said the people who have attended have connections to both the church and the school.

“They have strong family lives and a great appreciation of faith. This is shown most visibly when we gather to celebrate Mass. Today we celebrate a special feast of Corpus Christi, which means the most holy body and blood of Christ,” Siffrin said.

Kurz said the church building over the years has had some remodeling and restorations.

Siffrin said the church has been “in marvelous condition over the years.”

He said the first church was finished in 1911, but the congregation increased in number so a new church was constructed and opened in June 1926.

“This parish has always taken great pride in being involved in the city and caring for the well being of our community,” Siffrin said.

“There were some new faces today and some from the past who attended,” Kurz said.

Kurz said the committee also will celebrate the 100th year Friday by hosting a picnic at the Scrappers game at 717 Credit Union Field at Eastwood in Niles.

The Rev. Edward Noga, who served as pastor from 1985 to 2019, said he will always remember the congregation was always willing to get involved and help in the community.

“The church started a community garden and held 4-H programs here. The members were always willing to help and do things not only at the church but in the neighborhood,” Noga said.

With more than 34 years as pastor, Noga is one of the longest to serve at St. Patrick.

At 99, Nick Alexander of Youngstown is the oldest member of the congregation.

“It’s nice for our parish to be turning 100,” said Alexander, who will be 100 in September.

Alexander said he lived on Youngstown’s South Side and attended St. Patrick School and he and his wife Vivian raised their three sons at St. Patrick, where they all made their first communions.

“We moved to the West Side of the city but we were attached to the church and stayed here,” Alexander said.

Jeannie Mulichak of Youngstown said she is a third generation member of the church, with her grandparents, Albany and Catherine Herdman, attending, followed by her parents and now her.

She said her father, JIm Herdman, attended school at St. Patrick and sang in the choir.

“My grandfather is in one of the pictures on the wall. My siblings, which is my identical twin sister and my brother, all went to elementary school here,” Mulichak said.

She said she remembers the slogan “St. Pat is where it is At.”

Georgia Jacobson of Youngstown, who will turn 96 this week, said her children attended school at St Patrick.

“I was raised in Warren and went to St. Mary’s and then came here. I love it here and the people. Everyone is so kind and enjoys being with each other,” Jacobson said.

CHURCH HISTORY

The church has had 12 pastors since it was established, with the Rev. Charles Martin the first from May 1911 to October 1922. Siffrin has been serving since July.

The Gothic-style building is recognized on the city’s South Side. The interior has original oil paintings depicting the Stations of the Cross. The baldacchino, the wooden structure that encloses the original altar, has hand carvings on it. Atop the exterior of the church is a cross with two praying women.

The original congregation met at a smaller building on the South Side in 1911. Groundbreaking for the new church building was in 1923.

The church celebrates one Sunday Mass per week at 11 a.m. It also has a Mass and novena every Monday morning at 8:30 a.m.