About Good Shepherd · Perryville, Maryland
Good Shepherd Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Wilmington that serves the western half of Cecil County, Maryland, from its main church complex on Aiken Avenue in Perryville, just off Route 40 and within sight of the Susquehanna River. The parish is a 'family of churches' — Good Shepherd in Perryville, St. Teresa of Avila in Port Deposit, St. Agnes in Rising Sun, and the historic mission chapel of St. Patrick in Pilottown — ministered to by a single pastor with the help of deacons, retired priests, and a large lay volunteer corps. With roughly 800–1,100 registered families, an active Catholic school, and ministries ranging from St. Vincent de Paul to the Knights of Columbus, the parish describes its mission as living out the Gospel 'through evangelization, education, and stewardship through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.'
- Established
- 1949
- Patron
- The Good Shepherd (Jesus Christ)
- Rector
- Rev. Jay R. McKee
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wilmington (Roman Catholic), Iron Hill Deanery
Why belong here
Good Shepherd is a 'one-priest, four-church' family parish where the same pastor knows the people across Perryville, Port Deposit, Rising Sun, and Pilottown. Daily Mass at Good Shepherd, a Spanish Vigil Mass at St. Agnes, and a parish school mean Catholics of every age and language have a place at the table. Active ministries — Knights of Columbus and Squires, Respect Life, a growing senior group, St. Vincent de Paul food pantry and weekly meal for the homeless, religious education, and a contemporary/traditional music program — give newcomers many ways to belong, and Father McKee's pastoral letter reminds parishioners that 'where two or three are gathered together in His Name, there He is in the midst of them' (Mt 18:20).
Mass times at Good Shepherd
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15–3:45 PM at Good Shepherd Church (Perryville)
Adoration times
- First Friday 9:30–11:00 AM at Good Shepherd Church
Parish Overview & Mission
Good Shepherd Parish is the Catholic family of churches for western Cecil County, Maryland, sitting in the Iron Hill Deanery of the Diocese of Wilmington. From its main complex on Aiken Avenue in Perryville, the parish shepherds four worship sites — Good Shepherd in Perryville, St. Agnes in Rising Sun, St. Teresa of Avila in Port Deposit, and the mission chapel of St. Patrick in Pilottown — and supports Good Shepherd Catholic School across the street. Its published mission is to 'live out the Gospel through evangelization, education, and stewardship through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.' The parish draws members from suburban Perryville, rural Port Deposit and Rising Sun, eastern Harford County, and southern Pennsylvania, and includes commuters to Baltimore, Newark, Washington, D.C., and nearby Aberdeen Proving Ground.
- Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Wilmington, Iron Hill Deanery
- Mailing/Parish Office: 810 Aiken Ave., Perryville, MD 21903
- Church address: 831 Aiken Ave., Perryville, MD 21903
- Phone: (410) 642-6534 • Fax: (410) 642-2234
- Website: goodshepherdcecilmd.org • Email: [email protected]
- Roughly 800–1,242 registered families (figures vary by year and source)
- Parish offices open Mon–Fri 9 AM–2 PM; summer (Father's Day–Labor Day) 9 AM–12 PM
History of the Parish
Catholic worship in this stretch of the Susquehanna River goes back more than 200 years, but Good Shepherd itself is the youngest of the four churches. St. Patrick's Chapel in the riverside hamlet of Pilottown was established in 1817 (with regular Mass beginning around 1819) for Irish immigrants who worked the river; St. Teresa of Avila in Port Deposit was built in 1857 and named/erected as a parish in 1866, when Cecil County still fell under the Archdiocese of Baltimore; and St. Agnes in Rising Sun followed in 1891. For decades a priest traveled to St. Agnes only every three months or so to celebrate Mass.
- 1817 — St. Patrick's Chapel, Pilottown (oldest worship site)
- 1857/1866 — St. Teresa of Avila built and named, Port Deposit
- 1891 — St. Agnes Church, Rising Sun
- September 1949 — first Mass celebrated at Good Shepherd; parish established
- 1957 — Good Shepherd School opens in a purchased convent under Father William R. Couming
- 1959 — School moves to its permanent site across from the church
- October 2018 — Bishop Malooly celebrates anniversary Mass for the parish's 70th and the school's 60th
The Four Churches
Although Good Shepherd in Perryville is the mother church, the parish's full identity is expressed across its four worship sites. Three are active with regular weekly Mass; St. Patrick's Chapel in Pilottown, the historic riverside chapel, is now used only on special occasions.
- Good Shepherd, Perryville (831 Aiken Ave.) — main parish church, daily Mass
- St. Agnes, Rising Sun, Md. — Sunday 10:00 AM English; Saturday 7:00 PM Spanish Vigil
- St. Teresa of Avila, Port Deposit, Md. — Sunday 8:00 AM
- St. Patrick, Pilottown, Md. — inactive mission chapel, Mass as announced / special occasions only
Clergy, Staff & School Leadership
Good Shepherd is currently served by one full-time priest, with a permanent deacon, school principal, and a lay staff supporting Christian formation, music, and parish operations. Father McKee has been pastor since January 2007 and is also the diocese's Associate Director of the Office of Priestly and Religious Vocations; retired priests in the area regularly assist with weekend Masses at the mission churches.
- Pastor: Rev. Jay R. McKee (since January 2007)
- Deacon: Luke E. Yackley — Parish Administrator / Permanent Deacon
- Director of Christian Formation: Jeanmarie Sepka ([email protected])
- Business Manager: Annette Brown ([email protected])
- Administrative Assistant: Sharon Rapposelli ([email protected])
- Music Director: Dr. Richard Allen ([email protected])
- Good Shepherd Catholic School Principal: Mrs. Marie-Pier Ingraham
- School Administrative Assistant: Ashley Kelly
- School Office: (410) 642-6265 • [email protected]
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish runs a Christian Formation program for children not enrolled in the parish school, with weekly evening sessions on the parish grounds. Children over the age of 7 and any adult preparing to become Catholic enter the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, formerly RCIA) process.
- Religious Education Sessions (parish program): Tuesdays, 6:30–7:45 PM
- Christian Formation Director: Jeanmarie Sepka
- OCIA for children over 7 and adults seeking Baptism, First Communion, or Confirmation
- Baptism preparation classes: first Monday of the month, 7:00–8:00 PM at Good Shepherd
- Must be a registered parishioner to have a child baptized
Good Shepherd Catholic School
Good Shepherd Catholic School has been a part of the parish since 1957, when it opened in the convent purchased by Father William R. Couming. The school moved to its permanent site across from the church in 1959 and today serves a small but close-knit community of preschool through 8th-grade students on Aiken Avenue in Perryville. The school recently restarted its preschool program (now including 3-year-olds alongside 4-year-olds), assigns one-to-one Chromebooks to middle-school students, and maintains a National Junior Honor Society chapter.
- Founded 1957 (permanent site 1959); on its 60th anniversary in 2018
- Address: 800 Aiken Avenue, Perryville, MD 21903
- Office: (410) 642-6265 • [email protected]
- Principal: Mrs. Marie-Pier Ingraham
- Preschool through Grade 8; National Junior Honor Society chapter
- Around 66–81 students in recent years; small class sizes and individualized attention
- Fundraisers support the school year-round: bull & oyster roast, 'not-so-silent' auction, monthly all-you-can-eat breakfasts, poker run and blessing of the bikes, pig roast and raffles
Music & Liturgy
The parish music program under Music Director Dr. Richard Allen blends contemporary and traditional hymns and songs, supported by an adult choir, a guitar ensemble, and organ accompanists — a combination Father McKee has highlighted as part of the parish's welcoming character.
- Music Director: Dr. Richard Allen ([email protected])
- Adult choir with guitar ensemble and organ accompanists
- Contemporary and traditional hymnody at weekend Masses
Outreach, Charity & Community Life
Good Shepherd is widely known in western Cecil County for its social outreach, particularly through the St. Vincent de Paul Society and the food pantry at St. Agnes. The parish also runs a vibrant senior ministry, a youth ministry, an active Respect Life Committee, and the Knights of Columbus with its Squires program for minors.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society: monthly luncheon at St. Agnes; serves a meal to the homeless every Wednesday
- Food pantry at St. Agnes, Rising Sun — staffed by volunteers three days a week
- Senior Ministry: monthly meetings, day trips (e.g., to the Basilica of the National Shrine)
- Knights of Columbus and Squires (youth program for minors)
- Respect Life Committee
- Youth Ministry (recently rejuvenated under Father McKee)
- Parish fundraisers: bull & oyster roast, 'not-so-silent' auction, all-you-can-eat breakfasts, crab feast, golf tournament at Furnace Bay
Sacraments
Information on the seven sacraments is provided through the parish office and the website. Baptisms are prepared through required parent classes and require parishioner registration; older children and adults enter the OCIA process. Reconciliation is heard Saturday afternoons at Good Shepherd.
- Baptism — parent preparation class first Monday of the month, 7:00–8:00 PM at Good Shepherd
- Reconciliation — Saturday 3:15–3:45 PM at Good Shepherd
- First Communion and Confirmation — through Religious Education program
- Marriage — contact parish office
- Anointing of the Sick / OCIA — contact parish office
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father William R. Coumingmid-20th century
Pastor who opened Good Shepherd School in 1957 in a purchased convent and arranged its move to the permanent site in 1959.
- Rev. Jay R. McKeeJanuary 2007 – present
Current pastor; only priest assigned to the parish; also serves as Associate Director of the Office of Priestly and Religious Vocations for the Diocese of Wilmington.