History

Visitation of Mary is relatively a new name given to the then merged Annunciation Parish and St. John the Baptist parish (November 9, 2009), the two parishes soon returned to be independent from each other but under the same Pastor.  Many parishioners get it easily when you mention “Annunciation”. We are one of the 185 parishes that makeup the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. There are about 269 families at present.

Annunciation Parish was established June 20, 1907 by Bishop Ignatius F. Horstmann bishop of Cleveland. It opened with  about one hundred families all in east Akron. Fr. Richard A. Dowed a dedicated priest of God, became its pastor for the next fifty years - making the parish so enthusiastically strong.

 Father Dowed always stressed the importance of prayer, encouraged singing and education.  He was called to heaven on July 6, 1957. We are grateful to him and his successors for their dedicated services to people of  Annunciation/Visitation of Marry Parish.  Succeeding Fr. Dowed were/are: Fr. Leonard Wheatley in (1955-1965), Fr. Liam Kitt (1966-71), Fr. Edward “Tedd” Bedell (1971-76), Fr. Ray J. Horley (1976-1984), Fr. Paul J. Rosing (1984- 2002), Fr. Edwin Leonard (2002- 2006), Fr, Jonathan Zingales ( 2006- September 11, 2021) and Fr. Dismas Byarugaba, AJ.) September 12, 2021 to present.

The Annunciation church located on 55 Broad Street that accommodates almost 750 people, was constructed in 1923 and continues to serve the Visitation of Mary parish today. Its style is known as Tudor Gothic, the architect was Graham & Associates (Boston).

The parish has found itself looking for more opportunities to share, collaborate, marshal resources, and find creative solutions to the challenges experienced nation-wide by urban parishes.

Mission

With the image of Jesus as the cornerstone, Visitation of Mary Parish was established in 2009 after 102 years of living stones of the Catholic faith  from the former  Annunciation parish located in the Goodyear Heights area of Akron, Ohio.  Building on the historic past, we continue to be evangelizers of the Catholic faith by proclaiming the Gospel, celebrating the sacraments of Jesus Christ, reaching out and ministering to the needs of others in the spirit of Mary and Elizabeth of the Visitation found  in the Gospel of Luke of the Visitation.