Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque Parish in Orwell, Ohio, has a rich history that dates back to the early 20th

century.  The parish was established as a mission and achieved parish status in 1922. The community

purchased and remodeled the old Orwell School to serve as their church, which was dedicated to

St. Mary on April 1, 1925.  The parish acquired a plot of land for a rectory and cemetery in 1925. The

community supported by the Kujbus family, immigrants from Hungary, purchased a ten-acre plot of

land in 1953. The parish was a mission of Assumption Parish in Geneva from 1956 to 1960, until it received

parish status on July 24, 1960, and was dedicated to the Sacred Heart. The community began building a

church in 1959, with the first Mass held at midnight on Christmas Eve that December. The parish's

dedication to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque reflects the community's devotion to the Sacred Heart and

is a recognition of Jesus’ divine love. 

The parish merged with Sacred Heart Parish, Rock Creek, on January 1, 2025, to become Saint Margaret

Mary Alacoque Parish. The merger was announced by the Most Reverend David J. Bonnar, Bishop of the

Diocese of Youngstown, and is effective January 1, 2025. The new parish will be called Saint Margaret Mary

Alacoque Parish, retaining Mary in the title and reflecting a devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

The parish's history is marked by the dedication of the church, the support of the community, and the

commitment to the needs of the congregation. The parish's dedication to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque

reflects the community's devotion to the Sacred Heart and is a recognition of Jesus’ divine love.