Immaculate Conception of Mary Parish, Akron

Immaculate Conception of Mary Parish came into being on March 23, 1923 when Fr. John Waldeisen was called upon to establish a parish in what was then Kenmore, now Akron, Ohio.  The first Masses were celebrated in the Boulevard Theater on Kenmore Blvd.  Eventually, an orchard consisting of 13 lots was purchased and Fr. Waldeisen renovated one of the existing structures to serve as the first rectory.  The original building was a church-school combination and the first Mass was celebrated Easter, 1924.  The current church building was constructed in the 1950's and the first Mass celebrated at midnight on December 25th, 1952.   An elementary school and convent were added in 1958.  The school closed in 2001 and now houses The Kenmore Free Store which serves those in need in the neighborhood.  We are an outer ring, inner city, urban parish striving to do the will of God, witness to the Catholic faith and share the Gospel message with those in our Kenmore neighborhood and beyond. We are now celebrating our 102nd year of ministry and we look forward to many more years of Worship, Charity, Christian Formation and Stewardship.  As we do so, we continue to ask the intercession of our patroness, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. 

Our project:  Phase 3:  We're working to restore and beautify an area of the property which has seen better days.  The area sits between the old school building, which now houses The Kenmore Free Store, and Waldeisen Hall.  The retaining walls, made of railroad ties, are deteriorating badly and collapsing and need to be replaced with something more durable and long lasting that will also not attract bees.  Steps will need to be added so that the air conditioning units and upper level can be easily accessed.  If you've ever tried to climb up and over the ties, you'd understand the need for steps!!   Adding some simple, but beautiful landscaping will allow us to create a beautiful little garden area we have named The Fr. Michael B. Smith Memorial Garden.  Thank you and may God bless you for helping to make this dream come true.  The photos below will give you a better idea of what we're dealing with.