About Ascension · Baltimore, Maryland
Church of the Ascension is a Roman Catholic parish in Halethorpe, a suburb of Baltimore, Maryland, founded in 1913 as a mission of Saint Clement's Parish in Lansdowne. Now part of the Catholic Community of Ascension and St. Augustine (CCASTA), it shares pastoral and ministerial life with St. Augustine Church in Elkridge under the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The parish's mission is to bring people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ through worship, discipleship, fellowship, and service. Current pastor Father Dale Picarella leads a staff that includes two deacons, directors of adult discipleship, family faith formation, and member care, and approximately 840 registered families on the Ascension campus.
- Established
- 1913
- Patron
- The Ascension of the Lord (Jesus Christ)
- Rector
- Father Dale Picarella
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Baltimore
Why belong here
Parishioners belong to a community rooted in more than a century of Catholic life in Halethorpe (since 1913) and now linked to St. Augustine in Elkridge through the CCASTA partnership. Weekend Masses are celebrated in a recently consecrated church with engaging music, biblical preaching, and children's ministry, while weekday Masses keep the Eucharist at the center of parish life. Members grow in discipleship through adult faith formation and family faith formation programs, find fellowship in parish groups, and serve through ministries and outreach — all supported by a pastoral staff that emphasizes walking with parishioners through every stage of life.
Mass times at Ascension
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15 PM (Ascension campus, per Archdiocese of Baltimore listing)
History of Ascension Parish
Ascension Parish was established in 1913 as a mission of Saint Clement's Parish in Lansdowne to serve the growing Catholic community of Halethorpe. Cardinal James Gibbons dedicated the original wood-framed 'church on the hill' on September 14, 1913. After the first church burned in 1916, the parish rebuilt, and by 1922 had its own resident pastor, Father Francis J. Flanigan. Over the following century Ascension grew into a thriving parish with its own school (staffed by religious sisters from 1929 until 2010), a new church in 1985, and a bell tower in 2001. In 2017 it merged with neighboring St. Augustine in Elkridge to form the Catholic Community of Ascension and St. Augustine (CCASTA).
- 1913 — Established as a mission of Saint Clement's, Lansdowne; first Mass on Ascension Thursday, May 1, 1913
- 1916 — Original 'church on the hill' destroyed by fire (Aug. 19); parish was fully insured
- 1922 — Father Francis J. Flanigan appointed first resident pastor
- 1927 — New church-school-hall building completed
- 1929 — Convent completed; Sisters of Providence arrived to teach
- 1946–1958 — Pastors I. Mitchell Cartwright and Joseph M. Riordan
- 1958 — Father Gerard W. Spraker became fifth pastor
- 1961 — New school and temporary church completed
- 1976 — Father E. Gerard Huesman, sixth pastor
- 1985 — New church dedicated; School Sisters of Notre Dame and Benedictine Sisters arrived
- 1986 — Father Manuel R. Roman, seventh pastor; temporary church renamed Brewer Hall
- 2001 — Bell tower completed
- 2008 — Father John A. Williamson, ninth pastor
- 2017 — Formal merger with St. Augustine into CCASTA; Archbishop Lori consecrated new altar
- 2021 — Father Dale Picarella installed as tenth pastor
Clergy and Pastoral Staff
Ascension is served by a pastor, two permanent deacons, and a retired priest in residence, together with a team of directors for adult discipleship, family faith formation, and member care. The pastoral staff coordinates faith formation, sacramental preparation, and pastoral outreach across both campuses of CCASTA.
- Father Dale Picarella — Pastor (ext. 112, [email protected])
- Deacon Thomas J. Yannuzzi ([email protected]) — first deacon assigned to Ascension in 2004
- Deacon Mike King ([email protected])
- Father Marty Hammond — Retired Priest in Residence (410-796-1520)
- Pat Naunton — Director of Adult Discipleship
- Mary Hoban — Director of Member Care (ext. 301)
- Annemarie Dirndorfer — Director of Family Faith Formation (ext. 114)
- Darlene Ciepiela — Administrative Assistant, Ascension Campus
- Roxanne Bernhardt — Secretary, Ascension Campus ([email protected])
- Sean Seymour — Parish Maintenance
Faith Formation and Discipleship
CCASTA's vision is to bring people to a growing relationship with Jesus Christ by cultivating spiritual habits of growth, equipping parishioners to serve, and helping each person discover their life mission. The parish supports that vision through a Director of Adult Discipleship, a Director of Family Faith Formation, and a children's ministry that is part of every weekend Mass.
- Adult Discipleship — Director: Pat Naunton
- Family Faith Formation — Director: Annemarie Dirndorfer
- Children's Ministry at weekend Masses — biblically based and engaging
- Member Care and grief support — Director: Mary Hoban
Sacraments, Funerals, and the Columbarium
The parish prepares parishioners for the sacraments and accompanies families through times of loss. Ascension and St. Augustine jointly offer a columbarium on the St. Augustine campus where cremated remains can be interred in niches — described as a 'green' alternative that costs about 65% less than traditional burial. A bronze 'Wall of Remembrance' is also available for tribute plaques.
- Baptism, Marriage, and Funeral preparation through the parish office
- Confession — Saturday 3:15 PM at Ascension
- Member Care Director Mary Hoban walks with families through grief and funeral planning ([email protected], ext. 301)
- CCASTA Columbarium — niches available in three styles (two per niche)
- Wall of Remembrance — bronze tribute plaques mounted on the columbarium wall
- All columbarium funds support the columbarium and historic cemetery
Music, Liturgy, and the Weekend Encounter
CCASTA's stated strategy is to create 'an exceptional weekend encounter with the Lord' at Mass, with engaging music that connects culture to worship, biblical and practical preaching, an exciting children's ministry, and a warm, welcoming environment. The 2017 sanctuary renovation added a new altar with carved wood depicting the Last Supper, an ambo depicting the Ascension, restored Stations of the Cross, blue sanctuary walls, tile flooring, and a new carillon system in the bell tower.
- Music ministry coordinating contemporary and traditional worship
- Children's ministry integrated into weekend Masses
- 2017 altar consecration by Archbishop William E. Lori
- Relics in the new altar: St. Januarius; Sts. Mary Euphrasia, John Vianney, Maria Goretti, Pius X
- Bell tower and new carillon system (added 2017)
Parish Identity, Vision, and Values
The Catholic Community of Ascension and St. Augustine describes itself as 'two campuses, bringing people to a growing relationship to love God, to love others, and to make disciples.' Its values center on worship (Eucharist-centered), discipleship (transformation through Scripture and the Church's teaching), fellowship (relationship rooted in prayer), and ministry (each person uniquely shaped to serve others).
- Mission — to bring the message of Christ into the context of relationship through works of mercy and words of good news
- Worship — Eucharist-centered, with other worship gatherings that lead to a lifestyle of surrender
- Discipleship — spiritual traits of a Christ-follower through Scripture and Church teaching
- Fellowship — relationship rooted in prayer and the Word that share life and faith
- Ministry — every person uniquely shaped (SHAPE) to serve others
Visiting Ascension and Getting Involved
Visitors are welcomed at any of the scheduled Masses on the Ascension campus (1527 Potomac Avenue, Halethorpe). To get involved, parishioners can contact the parish office at 410-242-2292 or speak with one of the directors listed under the parish staff page. The combined CCASTA parish also offers opportunities to serve across both campuses — including Ascension (Halethorpe) and St. Augustine (Elkridge).
- Parish office: 410-242-2292
- Ascension Campus address: 1527 Potomac Avenue, Halethorpe, MD 21227
- St. Augustine Campus address: 5976 Old Washington Road, Elkridge, MD 21075 (CCASTA partner parish)
- Ways to Give — link on ccasta.faith
- Flocknote — email and text updates from the parish
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Francis J. Flanigan1922–1936
First resident pastor; organized Holy Name Society, Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary, National Council of Catholic Women
- Father Joseph A. Ells1936–1946
Second pastor
- Father I. Mitchell Cartwright1946–1949
Third pastor
- Father Joseph M. Riordan1949–1958
Fourth pastor
- Father Gerard W. Spraker1958–1976
Fifth pastor; oversaw 1961 school and temporary church
- Father E. Gerard Huesman1976–1986
Sixth pastor; oversaw 1985 new church
- Father Manuel R. Roman1986–2005
Seventh pastor; renamed old church Brewer Hall
- Father Adam J. Parker2005–2008
Eighth pastor (Administrator 2005, Pastor 2006)
- Father John A. Williamson2008–2021
Ninth pastor; led 2017 merger with St. Augustine; oversaw 2017 altar renovation
- Father Dale Picarella2021–present
Tenth pastor; current pastor