The oldest community that is part of the modern-day St. Francis of Assisi Parish is St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, which was formed in 1899 in south Canton to accommodate members of St. John the Baptist and St. Peter parishes who lived in the area. The cornerstone was laid on October 1, 1899, with many of the parishioners donating time and craftsmanship to build the church. Education had always been a major focus for the new parish—the school opened less than a year later with more than 200 students and was staffed by Sisters of St Joseph. It closed in 1982.
The St. Benedict community, which merged with St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in 2011, was established in 1923 under the care of the Benedictine Fathers of St. Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The community completed a temporary frame church, dedicated May 26, 1924, and opened a school on September 8, 1925, staffed by the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi. The school hall became the new place of worship for the parish, with major additions to the school and church coming in the late 1940s. The school closed after the 1978 school year.
St. Anthony—another community that is part of St. Francis of Assisi Parish— was formed in 1908 to serve the community of Italian immigrants in south Canton. A temporary church was built that year but demolished and replaced with a permanent church in 1924. However, by 1927 a new property had to be purchased to accommodate a church large enough for the rapidly growing congregation. They opened a school on December 11, 1927, which operated until 1980.
In 1919, the All Saints community was formed for Polish immigrants living in Canton. A temporary church was built in 1920 under the name Holy Cross, renamed to All Saints in 1921. The temporary church received extensive remodels in the mid-1920s and again in the mid-1940s to make it a more permanent structure. It merged with St. Anthony in 2011.
Saint Mary/Saint Benedict parish and St. Anthony/All Saints parish began sharing a pastor before being formally merged in 2023. The name for the new parish, St. Francis of Assisi, pays homage to the ethnic backgrounds of both faith communities and is as an inspiration to continue caring for the poor and fostering dialogue among diverse cultures.
Description from The March of the Eucharist, 2nd edition (2025) published by The Catholic Echo
