Rev. John Summers

AUSTINTOWN - A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. at St. Christine Catholic Church for the Rev. John R. Summers, 85, who entered into eternal life Friday, May 8, 2015, at Briarfield at Ashley Place.

Father Summers was born June 15, 1929, in Youngstown, the son of Frank and Bessie (Willis) Summers.

He attended St. Columba School and Ursuline High School before going to St. Mary College in Kentucky, from where he graduated in 1949, and St. Mary Seminary in Cleveland, from where he graduated in 1954.

He was ordained Dec. 18, 1954, by the late Bishop Emmet M. Walsh in St. Patrick Church in Youngstown, which served as the pro-cathedral while St. Columba was being rebuilt following the fire earlier that year.

Following ordination, he served as assistant pastor of Our Lady of Peace Parish (Christ the Servant) in Canton. He was assigned to Ursuline High School in 1956, where he served on the faculty until 1962. During his time at Ursuline, he also assisted on weekends at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Parish in Lowellville. From 1962 to 1966, he served on the faculty of St. John High School in Ashtabula, assisting on weekends at St. Frances Cabrini Parish (Corpus Christi) in Conneaut. From 1966 to 1970, he taught at Central Catholic High School in Canton, serving weekends at Immaculate Conception Parish (Holy Trinity) in Wellsville. In 1970 Fr. Summers was appointed pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish (St. Angela Merici) in Youngstown. In 1986 he was appointed pastor of St. Mary Parish (Corpus Christi) in Conneaut, where he served until his retirement in 1996. Following his retirement, in 2001 Fr. Summers served as pro-tem administrator of Sacred Heart Parish (St. Angela Merici) in Youngstown. In addition to other duties in his retirement, he ministered to the faithful of the Diocese of Youngstown by assisting and celebrating Mass at St. Charles in Boardman, St. Patrick in Youngstown, St. Lucy in Campbell, Mother of Sorrows in Ashtabula, St. Andrews in Chefield and St. Patrick's in Andover.

He was honored in 1981 with the Jefferson Award for his leadership in keeping the parish-sponsored school open for children regardless of race, creed or ability to pay. Father Summers served on the Priests Senate, the Priests Ministry Core Group, Director of Continuing Education of Priests, the diocesan committee for ministry training, Director of the diocesan ministry to the deaf, synodal examiner for Synod '76 and as a board member of the Columbiana/ Mahoning region of the diocesan Department of Education. He also served as a Director of Father Kane Camp.

Fr. Summers is survived by his brother-in-law, Michael (Ethel) O'Connor; nine nieces and nephews, Maribeth (Doug) McGlynn, James Moran, Eileen (Andy) Frost, Kevin (Donna) O'Connor, Kathleen (John) Ackerman, Peggy (Scott) Keane, Michele Medzigian, Maureen (Jeffrey) Whiting, and John (Lauranne) O'Connor; as well as numerous great- and great-great-nieces and great- and great-great-nephews; and dear friends.

Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Martha O'Connor and Mary Moran; and brother-in-law Thomas Moran.

Family and friends may pay their respects on Wednesday evening at St. Christine Church from 3 until 5:45.

Fr. has requested that material tributes take the form of donations to the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Conneaut.

Professional arrangements are being handled by the Higgins-Reardon Funeral Homes, Austintown Chapel.