History of Our Parish
Parish History
Prior to 1964, the Catholic residents of Streetsboro attended Mass at St. Patrick in Kent, Immaculate Conception in Ravenna, Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Aurora, and St. Joseph in Mantua. On February 2, 1964 a new mission church was established by Msgr. John Lavelle, pastor of Immaculate Conception. The parish was named after Msgr. Lavelle's sister Joan, who was a Catholic nun.
A History of St. Joan of Arc Parish
And it came to pass, that in those days, the Catholic citizens of Streetsboro had no church or parish to call their own. The Catholics from Streetsboro attended church at Immaculate Conception in Ravenna, St Patrick in Kent, St Joseph in Mantua.
Fr Lavelle was the pastor at St Joseph in Mantua and established a mission in Aurora called Our Lady of Perpetual Help on March 13, 1955, with it’s first Mass held in the Aurora Inn. Our Lady of Perpetual Help became a parish on June 24, 1960, and Fr Homer Oliver was appointed the first pastor.
At this time, the Streetsboro Catholics north of SR 303 were assigned to the Aurora parish, the Catholics south of SR 303 and west of SR 43 were assigned to the Kent parish and the Catholics south of 303 and east of SR 43 were assigned to the parish in Ravenna.
On February 2, 1964, Mgr. John Lavelle, pastor of Immaculate Conception in Ravenna established the new St Joan of Arc mission to serve Immaculate Conception parishioners in the Streetsboro area. He named the church after his sister Joan who was a nun. Seventeen acres of land had been purchased one year prior and this was the first step in forming a parish. Fr Haidet from Immaculate Conception said the first Mass in the Streetsboro High School cafeteria. This was the FIRST TIME all the Catholics in Streetsboro were brought together for Mass. There were about 200 families.
On June 18, 1965, Bishop Emmet Walsh appointed Reverend John Hoey to be the first pastor of the new St Joan of Arc parish. Fr Hoey lived at the rectory in Aurora until a rectory was built and dedicated by Bishop Malone in 1966. Fr Hoey continued to say Mass in the High School cafeteria until a parish hall was built and dedicated by Bishop Malone on May 26th, 1968. The next day, May 27th, St Joan of Arc was appointed a new pastor, Fr James Stenson.
During Fr Stenson’s time at St Joan of Arc, the parish social hall was paid off. Through the investment of the church’s bingo money, a new church was built, paid for in full, and dedicated by Bishop Malone on September 30th, 1988. The new church received a new pastor, Fr Robert Flynn on July 14, 1989.
Mgr. Frederick Slaven was appointed pastor in 1998, and four years later, on July 1, 2002, Fr Pat Ferraro was appointed pastor. Under Fr Ferraro’s leadership, St Joan of Arc parish thrived. New ministries were created, and the parish grew to nearly 1,000 families. Long-time parishioner John “Jack” Carney was ordained a Deacon in January, 2000 and remained our Deacon until his passing in 2017.
Upon Fr Ferraro’s sudden death in 2016, St Joan of Arc was appointed its 6th pastor, Fr Chris Luoni who served for 6 ½ years.
On May 1st 2023, the four parishes in Northern Portage County, which comprise of St Joan of Arc in Streetsboro, Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Aurora, St Joseph in Mantua, and St Ambrose in Garrettsville, combined in a collaboration under one pastor, Fr Francis Katrinak and one associate pastor, Fr Joseph Ruggieri.
Today, the collaboration of Portage North stands strong under one pastor, Fr. Francis Katrinak and one parochial vicar, Fr. Brian Smith, and two permanent deacons, Rev. Mr. Gerry Scopilliti and Rev. Mr. Steven Gies.
