About Cathedral of Mary Our Queen · Baltimore, Maryland
The Cathedral of Mary Our Queen is the co-cathedral (along with the Basilica of the Assumption in downtown Baltimore) of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore, located at 5200 North Charles Street in the Homeland neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. Completed in 1959, it is one of the largest churches in the United States, seating 1,900 worshippers in a modified Gothic/Art Deco structure built without structural steel. The cathedral exists today thanks to a bequest by Baltimore merchant Thomas J. O'Neill, who pledged to build a great church after praying to save his dry goods store during the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904. It serves as a center of liturgical life, televised Mass, faith formation, and parish community for the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
- Established
- 1959
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (Mary Our Queen)
- Rector
- Rev. Louis A. Bianco (Rector)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Baltimore
Why belong here
The Cathedral of Mary Our Queen is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the oldest Catholic diocese in the United States, and offers worshippers a strikingly reverent atmosphere with one of the largest unmodified Gothic interiors in America — daily Masses in English, televised Sunday Masses on Channel 54, livestreamed liturgies, First Friday Eucharistic Adoration (October–May), an active RCIA, faith formation and a parish elementary school (School of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen), ministries of charity, and the historic music and art program that has shaped Catholic Baltimore for more than sixty years.
Mass times at Cathedral of Mary Our Queen
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 7:30–7:55 AM, 10:15–10:55 AM
- Monday–Friday: 4:30–5:15 PM
- Saturday: 4:00–5:00 PM
Adoration times
- Monday–Friday: 4:30–5:30 PM
- First Friday, October–May: 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM
History & Founders
The cathedral exists because of a vow made by Baltimore merchant Thomas J. O'Neill during the Great Baltimore Fire of February 1904. O'Neill asked Carmelite nuns to pray for his dry goods store and pledged to build a great cathedral for Baltimore if it were spared; the wind shifted and his store survived, while roughly 1,500 buildings in a 75-block area burned. He honored his promise through his 1919 will, leaving $5 million to Cardinal James Gibbons for that purpose. Death of his wife, the Great Depression and World War II delayed construction for decades.
- Bequeathed $5 million by Thomas J. O'Neill in 1919
- Final construction cost about $8.5 million (≈$62 million today)
- Ground broken October 10, 1954 (Archbishop Francis P. Keough)
- Cornerstone laid May 31, 1955
- Consecrated October 13, 1959 (Aux. Bishop Jerome Sebastian)
- Formally dedicated November 15, 1959
Architecture
Designed by the prolific Boston firm Maginnis, Walsh and Kennedy (1954–1959) — the same firm that designed the nearby St. Mary's Seminary and University in Roland Park — the cathedral is built of load-bearing brick-faced limestone masonry with no structural steel. It is one of the largest non-steel-framed churches in the country and combines Gothic Revival massing with Art Deco stylization. Its 1,900-seat nave is famous for its length (373 ft) and the longest 'bridal walk' in the United States.
- Style: modified Gothic with Art Deco accents
- Architect: Maginnis, Walsh and Kennedy (Boston)
- Built 1954–1959; capacity 1,900
- Brick-faced limestone — over 3 million bricks, 70,000 pieces of Indiana limestone
- Cruciform (Latin cross) plan; east-facing altar
- Twin front towers with spires rising 163 ft
Art, Sculpture & Stained Glass
Joseph Coletti executed the cathedral's elaborate carved-stone sculpture program; the stone and glass work together teach the faith. The topmost (clerestory) windows portray Old Testament themes, while the side windows follow the liturgical year from the First Sunday of Advent forward. Together the stained glass and stonework depict more than 920 saints, heroes, and biblical scenes.
- Joseph Coletti's sculpture program (385+ figures)
- 398 panels of stained glass in the nave
- Clerestory: Old Testament scenes
- 11 bays per side following the liturgical year
- Four side chapels: Blessed Sacrament, St. Joseph, Our Lady, St. Thomas More
Worship & Liturgy
The cathedral offers daily English Mass Monday–Friday at 7:00 AM and 5:30 PM; a Saturday morning Mass at 8:15 AM; the Vigil Mass Saturday at 5:00 PM; and three Sunday Masses (8:00 AM Quiet, 9:15 AM Contemporary, 11:00 AM Solemn). Several Masses are livestreamed on the Cathedral YouTube channel and the Sunday 11:00 AM Mass is televised on Channel 54 (Comcast 804, Verizon 514). Confessions are heard Sunday mornings before the 8:00 and 11:00 Masses, Monday–Friday from 4:30–5:15 PM, and Saturday from 4:00–5:00 PM.
Clergy & Staff
Rev. Louis A. Bianco has served as Rector since July 1, 2021, after previously serving as associate pastor at the cathedral (2005–2009) and as priest-secretary to Archbishop William Lori (2014–2021). He is assisted by Associate Pastor Rev. Kenneth Lukong (ordained 2022, originally from Cameroon) and Priest Rev. Januario Jumamoy. Past rectors include the cathedral's founding rector Msgr. Thomas A. Whelan (d. 1987), Msgr. Robert A. Armstrong (who served about 25 years), and Msgr. Richard Woy (who took sabbatical in 2021). Rev. Justin Gough served as Associate Pastor 2021–2024 before becoming chaplain at Mount St. Mary's University.
School of the Cathedral
The Cathedral parish operates the School of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, an elementary Catholic school that partners with the parish and the archdioceses' Partners in Excellence program. The school has its own faculty and staff and shares the parish campus off North Charles Street. A planned 'Learning Commons' is among the parish's recently announced capital projects.
Faith Formation & RCIA
The parish offers adult faith formation through the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) and a broader 'School of Faith' program, as well as children's faith formation. The Cathedral Colloquium is an occasional lecture series (held in the Parish Center) featuring parishioner-scholars on topics such as the global Catholic Church and synodality.
Music Ministry
The cathedral supports both traditional and contemporary music at its three Sunday Masses: a 9:15 AM Contemporary ensemble leads worship at the 9:15 Mass, and the Solemn Mass at 11:00 AM is sung by the parish choirs. Televised and livestreamed Sunday Masses use the same musicians.
- 9:15 AM Sunday — Contemporary ensemble
- 11:00 AM Sunday — Solemn (traditional) choir
- Liturgical music for holy days and special celebrations
Notable Visiting Dignitaries
Pope John Paul II visited the cathedral in 1995 during a pastoral trip to the United States and led an ecumenical prayer there. The cathedral's 1959 dedication was celebrated by Archbishop Egidio Vagnozzi, the apostolic delegate, along with two cardinals, 15 archbishops and nearly 100 bishops.
- Pope John Paul II — ecumenical prayer, 1995
- Formal dedication Mass — Nov. 15, 1959 (Archbishop Vagnozzi, 2 cardinals, 15 archbishops, ~100 bishops)
- Groundbreaking — Oct. 10, 1954 (Archbishop Francis P. Keough)
- Cornerstone — May 31, 1955 (Archbishop Keough)
- Consecration — Oct. 13, 1959 (Aux. Bishop Jerome Sebastian)
- 50th anniversary — Nov. 15, 2009 (Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien)
Pastoral Care & Outreach
Cathedral ministries — including RCIA, faith formation, music, and outreach — are coordinated through the Parish Center behind the church. The 'Seek to Come' initiative, launched by Rector Fr. Bianco, has reorganized parish staffing and identifies parish priorities including a new state-of-the-art lighting system for the sanctuary and a Learning Commons for the parish school, supported through the parish's giving program.
- Seek to Come parish initiative
- Capital projects: sanctuary lighting & Learning Commons for the school
- Cathedral Communications newsletter
- Catholic Community Foundation giving
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Msgr. Thomas A. Whelan1959–1987
Cathedral's first rector; his death in 1987 is referenced in later anniversary homilies; a chalice belonging to him was later used by Archbishop O'Brien at the 50th anniversary Mass.
- Msgr. Robert A. ArmstrongThrough ~2009
Referred to as 'current rector' at the cathedral's 50th anniversary (Nov. 15, 2009); had served approximately 25 years by that date.
- Msgr. Richard WoyReferred to prior to 2021
Rector immediately before Fr. Bianco; reassigned to sabbatical effective July 1, 2021.
- Rev. Louis A. BiancoEffective July 1, 2021–present
Previously associate pastor at the cathedral 2005–2009, priest-secretary to Archbishop Lori 2014–2021; named rector of Cathedral of Mary Our Queen effective July 1, 2021.
- Rev. Justin Gough2021–2024
Associate Pastor assigned to the cathedral effective July 1, 2021 (arriving from studies in Rome); reassigned in 2024 as chaplain at Mount St. Mary's University.
- Rev. Kenneth LukongEffective July 1, 2024–present
Associate Pastor; ordained in 2022, originally from Cameroon, arrived in Baltimore in 2016 for seminary studies; previously assigned to St. Louis parish in Clarksville.
