Our History

The community of St. James celebrated the first mass by founding pastor Fr. George Brugger, on October 24, 1926, in the Coretta Building in Waynesburg, OH as a one-room chapel-mission. By June of 1928, land was secured and plans to construct St. James Church became possible. A plan was formed, and the cornerstone was blessed on September 3, 1928.

The construction was completed, and the first mass was on October 14, 1928. By April of 1961, the groundbreaking began to construct the new St. James Church on the adjacent church grounds. The new brick structure would seat 300 and have a spacious rectory and church hall.  The construction was complete on May 21, 1962, and the first mass was offered on May 27, 1962, by Fr. Fabian Frecker O.S.B. St. James was served by the Benedictine Monks from the St. Vincent Abbey in Latrobe, Penn. until 1984 when the Abbey turned St. James over to the Youngstown Diocese. Fr. Tom Dyer was St. James first Diocesan Priest.