In the 1920s, a group of Catholics in Newtown Falls, a Trumbull County town nine miles southwest of Warren, who had been worshipping as an independent congregation, sought to come into communion with the Catholic Church. Cleveland Archbishop Joseph Schrembs gave permission for them to form Our Lady of Czestochowa, a mission of Warren St. Joseph Parish in 1928. The mission became a parish in 1932.
On April 2, 1939, after 10 years of saving money, a 32-by-80-foot church building was dedicated. In 1944, a year after the Youngstown Diocese was formed, the parish was rededicated under the name of St. Mary (Polish) Parish. St. Mary School was established. In 1964, Bishop Emmet Walsh changed the status of St. Mary from a Polish ethnic parish to a territorial parish.
The St. Joseph community was formed in 1922. It was established by Slovak Catholics. A Cleveland diocesan priest was assigned to organize a parish—first renting space for a temporary chapel. The first Mass was offered there January 17, 1923. The next month, the mission officially became St. Joseph Parish. Property was purchased at Quarry Street and Ravenna Road for a church. In 1924, property was purchased for a parish cemetery and a rectory was added in 1925.
A succession of pastors over the next few decades guided the growing parish. Physical improvements were implemented for parish facilities. A fundraising campaign was launched in May 1955 to build a larger church. The cornerstone for the 400-seat building was laid in September 1957 and blessed by Bishop Walsh. In 1964, St. Joseph and St. Mary parishes combined to form a joint elementary school—first known as Catholic Elementary of Newton Falls and later as St. Joseph and St. Mary School. The school would eventually close in 2011.
Over the next decades, both parishes worked to engage young people and help those in need. In 1985, when a tornado struck Newton Falls, both parishes stepped in to help survivors and rebuilding efforts. In 1994, as part of the diocesan “Walking Together” plan, a common pastor was appointed to St. Joseph and St. Mary. Gradually, the two parishes began collaborating and jointly utilizing resources.
On May 13, 2008, St. Mary Parish and St. Joseph Parish merged to become St. Mary & St. Joseph Parish.
Description from The March of the Eucharist, 2nd edition (2025) published by The Catholic Echo
