Fr. Popovich is a 1972 graduate of Cardinal Mooney High School and currently is pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Austintown. He graduated from Youngstown State University in 1977 with a Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in History and Philosophy. He was ordained a priest in June of 1981 after earning his Master’s degree in Sacred Scripture from St. Mary’s Seminary in Cincinnati. He also holds a Master’s degree in Religious Education from Fordham University. 

His intial assignment was at St. James parish in Warren. He joined the faculty of St. Thomas Aquinas High School in 1984 and in 1989 he returned to his alma mater as Associate Principal and as a member of the Theology Department. Before being named pastor at Immaculate Heart of Mary parish in 1995, Fr. Popovich served as pastor at St. Lucy parish from 1992 to 1995. 

He has been Director of Continuing Education for the priests of the Diocese of Youngstown since 1994 and he has been active in a variety of priests convocations. Fr. Popovich has a long history of service on the diocesan priests personnel board. In addition, he is active as a chaplain for the the Knights of Columbus and has been a chaplain for the Boy Scouts of America. Fr. Popovich is currently a member of the Steering Committee of “20/20 Austintown,” a community planning project led by the Austintown Growth Foundation. 

At Mooney, he served as chaplain for the school’s athletic teams, theology teacher, and pastoral minister. “Despite having accepted new assignments,” Sr. Jane Marie Kudlacz, H.M. noted that “Fr. Popovich always makes himself available to fulfill the needs of the school. He can be found on the sidelines of athletic contests, speaking at a pep rally, and assisting during religious events throughout the school year. He is never ‘too busy’ to support the school and its activities.”