St. George Parish in Lisbon, is the third-oldest parish in the diocese—St. Philip Neri in Dungannon is the oldest and St. John the Baptist in Canton, next. Dominican missionaries established the parish as they traveled north on the Ohio River from Cincinnati, though the exact date of its founding is not known. Records show, however, that they were ministering to Catholics in the Lisbon area in 1820.
Parishioners of St. George Mission hosted Mass in their homes for the first 65 years of the community’s existence. In 1885—after a fundraising campaign from Catholics across the Diocese of Cleveland and from Protestants living in New Lisbon—a church costing $2,500 was built and later dedicated in 1894 by Cleveland Bishop Ignatius Horstmann. The community became a parish in 1919.
Another community that is part of St. George Parish is St. Agatha Mission, which continues to have Masses on Wednesday evenings at its church building in West Point, has been a mission of St. George Parish since 1920.
For many years, St. George Parish has been collaborating with St. John the Evangelist Parish in Summittville and St. Philip Neri Parish in Dungannon. In addition to sharing a pastor, the parishes also share youth ministry, OCIA and other programs. The parish is also active in the Lisbon Ministerial Association, which includes monthly clergy meetings, an annual baccalaureate service for high school seniors, a pastors’ day of renewal, a Thanksgiving service, a Martin Luther King Day service, and a National Day of Prayer observance. Its Knights of Columbus Council 4049 initiated a monthly breakfast in the parish hall for the community.
Saint George, the patron saint of England, was a Roman soldier who was martyred for his faith during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. The parish’s dedication to him reflects their devotion to the attributes of selflessness and valor.
Description from The March of the Eucharist, 2nd edition (2025) published by The Catholic Echo
