Youngstown Diocese seeks to redirect St. Dyphmna fund money for mental health services

The Catholic Diocese of Youngstown has filed a lawsuit asking that more than $3 million in a fund currently held by the National Shrine of St. Dymphna be reallocated for mental health services.

MASSILLON − The Catholic Diocese of Youngstown wants to reallocate more than $3 million held in a fund for the National Shrine of St. Dymphna to help people with mental health issues.

The shrine — housed at St. Mary’s Church at 206 Cherry Road NE — honors St. Dymphna, the patron saint of people suffering from mental health disorders.

The diocese recently filed legal action in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court in Youngstown, asking a judge for permission to divert money held for maintenance.

Noting that the shrine has more than $350,000 designated for maintenance, the diocese stated in court papers that it wants to use the $3.13 million fund to assist people in need of mental health help. The latter amount comes from the diocese and individual donations to the shrine.

St. Dymphna legal action by Rick Armon on Scribd

In a statement, diocesan attorney Leo J. Puhalla said the lawsuit is largely procedural because both funds are already under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown Foundation.

The suit, which was filed on May 17, also names Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost as a defendant because his office oversees nonprofit organizations.

Yost spokeswoman Kelly May explained that the Attorney General’s Office must be named as a “necessary party” because of its statutory role to protect the donor’s intent and the interests of the charitable beneficiaries.

“In this case, the diocese must get the court’s permission to change the use of certain charitable funds from the purpose stated by the donor,” she said. “This is not our office against the diocese but rather a procedural formality so that the court can determine if the reallocations of the funds are appropriate.”

Puhalla stressed that the diocese is not seeking any public money.

“The Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown Foundation already holds the money associated with the St. Dymphna Fund, and as such the Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown Foundation does not seek to collect or secure any money from the state of Ohio or any third-party,” he said.

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“But rather, the proceeding at issue seeks to reallocate the money already held by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown Foundation to both maintain the current operations of the National Shrine of St. Dymphna and also assist individuals with nervous or mental disorders.”

What’s the history of St. Dymphna in Massillon?

The shrine was established in 1938 at the former Massillon State Hospital by the late Rev. Matthew Herttna, pastor St. Mary’s, who wanted to provide priests with a place to minister to the hospital’s Catholic patients.

The shrine was moved from the hospital to St. Mary’s in 2012. The diocese said the shrine requires less maintenance since the move.

The Rev. Ed Gretchko talks about the St. Dymphna national shrine at St. Mary’s Church in Massillon in this 2020 file photo.

In 2015, St. Mary’s was heavily damaged by arson. In 2017, a new shrine was underwritten by William and Patricia Crookston and designed by the Rev. Edward Gretchko, who retired from St. Mary’s in 2022.

Shrine turns 85: St. Dymphna Shrine in Massillon celebrates 85th anniversary

Very Rev. Canon Matthew Mankowski is pastor of Divine Mercy parish, which includes St. Mary’s.

On May 21, Divine Mercy hosted an 85th anniversary celebration of the shrine. St. Dyphmna died a martyr’s death at age 15 in Ireland. Her patronage is in reference to her father’s severe mental illness, which led to her death.

Her feast day is May 15.

Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com.

On Twitter: @cgoshayREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Diocese of Youngstown seeks to reallocate Massillon St. Dymphna funds

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