Uniontown’s Holy Spirit is one of the most recently established parishes in the Diocese of Youngstown. Holy Spirit was established as a mission of St. Paul’s in North Canton in 1977, after St. Paul’s pastor requested that the diocese take a census of Catholics in the Uniontown area. The census revealed that there were nearly 170 Catholic families in the dispersed locale. On September 11, 1977, the creation of the mission church was celebrated with the community’s first Mass, held in the Citizen Savings Bank community room. Future Masses were moved to the Uniontown Elementary School cafeteria. Shortly after the mission was established, St. Paul began holding religious education classes in Uniontown—within a year there were over 250 children attending the program.
In 1979, the mission purchased four acres of land which had formerly housed the hall of the Boys Club of America, which became the official church building until a permanent church could be built. With the land purchase, Holy Spirit was established as a parish on July 1, 1979, with 220 families. The CCD program, as well as several new committees and faith groups, continued to grow, and it became clear that larger facilities were needed.
In 1983, the community drafted plans for a new church and parish center and formed a committee to oversee the construction.
Just over three years later, on Pentecost Sunday of 1986, the new church building was dedicated. The parish became known as a leader of the “RENEW” program which emphasized spiritual renewal by encouraging participation in small groups. Around 150 parishioners consistently attended the various small groups for many years, with the community involvement forming a strong nucleus for the life of the parish.
The parish also maintains several outreach programs; for example, beginning in the late 1990s, parish teens and adults have participated in annual mission trips to Kentucky and New York City to serve communities in need. They also participate in a food donation program, a Hispanic outreach ministry, and maintain an active Knights of Columbus Council. The patronage of the Holy Spirit was chosen to inspire the parish to step out in faith and mission under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Description from The March of the Eucharist, 2nd edition (2025) published by The Catholic Echo
