About Holy Redeemer · Delmar, Maryland
Holy Redeemer is a Catholic mission church in Delmar, Maryland — a small, bi-state town straddling the Maryland-Delaware line on the Lower Eastern Shore. It is the second worship site of St. Francis de Sales Parish (the main church being in nearby Salisbury, MD), within the Diocese of Wilmington. The mission serves a notably multicultural Catholic community that includes Filipino, Haitian, Hispanic, and Korean parishioners, and offers Masses in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Korean across its two-church parish. Holy Redeemer provides the parish's only Korean-language Mass (2nd and 4th Saturdays) and hosts its Saturday 4:00 pm Vigil and Sunday 9:00 am Mass.
- Patron
- Holy Redeemer (Jesus Christ, the Redeemer)
- Rector
- Rev. Christopher W. LaBarge (Pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish; also Dean of the Eastern Shore Deanery)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wilmington
Why belong here
Parishioners at Holy Redeemer and the wider St. Francis de Sales community gather as a single parish across two churches — Holy Redeemer in Delmar and St. Francis de Sales in Salisbury — making it one of the most intentionally multicultural Catholic parishes on Maryland's Eastern Shore, with liturgy celebrated in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Korean. With active faith formation for children, youth, and adults; a K-8 Catholic school (St. Francis de Sales Catholic School, founded 1949/1950, accredited by Middle States); vibrant youth ministry with service trips; ongoing adult enrichment and RCIA; and ministries grounded in sacramental life and social concern, it is a worshipping community committed to forming disciples and serving the wider Lower Shore.
Mass times at Holy Redeemer
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM at Holy Redeemer (ask an usher, who will signal the priest; confession then takes place in the reconciliation room at the back of the church)
About Holy Redeemer & St. Francis de Sales Parish
Holy Redeemer Church in Delmar, MD, is a mission of St. Francis de Sales Parish — a Roman Catholic community in the greater Salisbury, Maryland area within the Diocese of Wilmington. The parish describes itself as 'one parish with two churches,' united in Christ and committed to spreading God's Word through prayer and action, with respect for all life and the diversity of God's people. Holy Redeemer sits on the Maryland side of the famous bi-state town of Delmar, just south of Salisbury, and serves as the parish's multicultural worship site — particularly for its Korean, Filipino, Hispanic, and Haitian faithful alongside the English-speaking congregation.
Parish Mission Statement
Per the parish website, 'Saint Francis de Sales, one parish with two churches, is a Roman Catholic community in the greater Salisbury, Maryland area. United in Christ, we seek to spread God's Word through prayer and action with the highest respect for all life and the diversity of God's people and creation. We embrace all who respond to God's call to be a part of a Catholic sacramental community gathered around the Eucharist and challenged to live the Gospel. We are a worshipping community committed to religious formation and social concern for all.'
Parish History
The parish's roots reach back to 1860, when a Catholic presence on Maryland's Lower Eastern Shore was first documented after Archbishop Martin John Spalding of Baltimore sent a Redemptorist priest to investigate the region. In 1867 local resident John Tracy built a small frame chapel in Salisbury; Bishop Thomas Becker, the first Ordinary of the newly created Diocese of Wilmington, dedicated it in September 1868 under the title of St. Mary. The Salisbury congregation became a mission of Holy Cross Parish in Dover, Delaware until 1890. Today Holy Redeemer continues that missionary tradition as the Delmar worship site of the parish. An 11-page history document compiled by Reverend Michael Roark in June 2007 and updated by Michele Harris in February 2017 is linked from the parish history page.
- 1860 — First documented Catholic missionary visit to Salisbury
- 1867 — John Tracy builds frame chapel in Salisbury on Church Street
- 1868 — Chapel dedicated by Bishop Thomas Becker under the title of St. Mary
- 1868 — Diocese of Wilmington created (14 counties of the Delmarva Peninsula)
- 1890 — Salisbury congregation ceases to be a mission of Holy Cross, Dover
- Present — Holy Redeemer in Delmar serves as a mission of St. Francis de Sales Parish
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by a pastor (who also serves as Dean of the Eastern Shore Deanery), an associate pastor, a Haitian-Creole priest, three permanent deacons, and a business/administrative staff. Faith formation and liturgy coordinators round out the team.
- Rev. Christopher W. LaBarge — Pastor; Dean of the Eastern Shore Deanery
- Rev. Raju Boindla — Associate Pastor
- Rev. Riché Emmanuel — Haitian-Creole Priest
- Mr. Bruce Abresch — Permanent Deacon
- Dr. William Folger — Permanent Deacon
- Mr. Axel Blanco — Permanent Deacon
- Mrs. Susan Flanagan — Business Manager
- Mrs. Angie Kiley — Administrative Assistant
- Mrs. Doreen Howard — Coordinator of Liturgy
- Mrs. Maria Johnson — Wedding Coordinator & Spanish RCIA Coordinator
- Mrs. Rosemary Byrne — RCIA Coordinator
- Mrs. Janet Hastings — Director of Faith Formation for Children and Families
- Liza Alvarado-Mutchler — Director of Youth, Adult, and Campus Ministries
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The Parish Faith Formation Program serves children from PreK-4 through high school, with classes beginning in mid-September each year. Diocesan-approved catechetical materials guide a discipleship model that involves the family and the parish community, supplemented by Children's Liturgy of the Word at three weekend Masses. First Reconciliation and First Eucharist are prepared in a threefold process: parish preparation, a formal faith formation program, and family participation.
- PreK-4 through High School faith formation
- First Reconciliation & First Eucharist Preparation (2nd grade and up, second year of formation)
- Children's Liturgy of the Word at three Masses
- Teaching Faith Classes — Catechists & Evangelizers as Missionary Disciples
- Adult Enrichment programs
Youth Ministry
Youth Ministry for teens in grades 8–12 aims to empower young people to live as disciples of Christ, draw them into responsible participation in the Catholic faith community, and foster the total spiritual growth of each person. The program is built around nine pillars — WORSHIP, VOCATIONS, SERVICE, EVANGELIZATION, DISCIPLESHIP, ADVOCACY, COMMUNITY, LEADERSHIP, PRAYER, and JUSTICE — and includes youth-led Masses plus annual service trips.
- Youth-Led Masses
- Appalachia Service Project (ASP) — making homes 'safer, warmer, and drier'
- Catholic Heart Work Camp (CHWC) — serving community organizations
- Director: Liza Alvarado ([email protected])
RCIA & Sacramental Preparation
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is coordinated in both English and Spanish for the parish, with a dedicated Wedding Coordinator also on staff. Sacramental prep for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist is described above under faith formation.
- English RCIA — Mrs. Rosemary Byrne ([email protected])
- Spanish RCIA — Mrs. Maria Johnson ([email protected])
- Wedding Coordinator — Mrs. Maria Johnson
St. Francis de Sales Catholic School
The affiliated parish school, St. Francis de Sales Catholic School, serves students from PreK-3 through eighth grade from Wicomico, Worcester, Somerset, and Dorchester counties in Maryland and Sussex County in Delaware. Founded in 1949 by five Sisters of Mercy at the invitation of Monsignor Eugene Stout, the school opened September 6, 1950 with 105 students in grades 1–6 and expanded to K–8 the following year. It is fully accredited by Middle States and consistently scores in the 80th percentile on standardized testing. The patron, St. Francis de Sales (1567–1622), Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church, is best known for his 'Introduction to the Devout Life' and 'Treatise on the Love of God'; his feast day is January 24.
- Founded 1949 by five Sisters of Mercy and Monsignor Eugene Stout
- Opened September 6, 1950 with 105 students
- Accredited by Middle States
- PreK-3 through 8th grade
- Principal: Debra Traum
- Phone: 410-749-9907
Multicultural & Multilingual Worship
Across its two churches the parish celebrates Mass in four languages. At Holy Redeemer specifically, a Korean Mass is offered on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month at 7:00 PM in addition to the regular English schedule. Spanish and Haitian/Creole Masses are hosted at St. Francis de Sales in Salisbury (Sundays at 12:00 noon and 4:30 PM respectively).
- English — Holy Redeemer Vigil Sat 4:00 PM; Sun 9:00 AM; plus St. Francis Sat 5:30 PM, Sun 7:30 AM, 10:30 AM
- Korean — Holy Redeemer Sat 7:00 PM (2nd & 4th Saturdays)
- Spanish — St. Francis Sun 12:00 noon
- Haitian/Creole — St. Francis Sun 4:30 PM
Stewardship, Care of Creation, and Outreach
The parish operates a newly formed Green Team in partnership with Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake, working to reduce runoff from its large impervious-surface campus on the Wicomico River and to engage the wider community around water-quality issues. In May 2024, the parish collaborated with the Lower Shore Land Trust to install a one-of-a-kind Rosary Garden, with each section colored to correspond with a season of the liturgical calendar.
- Green Team (newly formed at time of reporting)
- Guided nature walk as inaugural Green Team activity
- One Water Partnership engagement to transform campus
- Rosary Garden installed May 2024 with Lower Shore Land Trust
Visit, Contact, and Parish Office
The shared Parish Office for both Holy Redeemer and St. Francis de Sales is reachable at 410-742-6443 (Fax 410-742-9413-style 9410 per the website footer), with general email [email protected] and an after-hours emergency line at 410-742-8781. Office hours are Monday–Wednesday 9:00 AM–4:30 PM; Thursday 9:00 AM–7:00 PM; with dedicated Haitian Monday hours (10:00 AM–2:00 PM) and Spanish Thursday hours (2:00 PM–7:00 PM). The mailing address is 514 Camden Avenue, Salisbury, MD 21801.
- Parish Office: 410-742-6443
- Emergency after-hours: 410-742-8781
- Email: [email protected]
- Mailing address: 514 Camden Ave, Salisbury, MD 21801