About Holy Rosary · Baltimore, Maryland
Holy Rosary Church (Polish: Parafia Matki Boskiej Różańcowej) is Baltimore's premier Polish-American Roman Catholic parish, located in the historic Fells Point neighborhood at 408 South Chester Street. Founded in 1887 to serve the growing Polish immigrant community of southeast Baltimore, the parish is also the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Divine Mercy, designated in 1993. The monumental church completed in 1928 — Polish Cathedral/Romanesque Revival style, seating 2,000 — remains the largest Catholic church in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Today Holy Rosary is a bilingual parish celebrating Mass in English and Polish, with daily devotions to the Divine Mercy, St. Faustina, and the rosary at its heart.
- Established
- 1887
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Rosary (Matka Boska Różańcowa)
- Rector
- Fr. Ryszard Czerniak SChr (Society of Christ)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Baltimore
Why belong here
Holy Rosary is a bilingual Polish-American Catholic community with daily Mass in English and Polish, a half-hour before every Mass for confession, and a rich devotional life centered on the rosary and the Divine Mercy. As the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Divine Mercy — home to first-class relics of St. John Paul II, St. Faustina Kowalska, and Bl. Fr. Michael Sopoćko — it draws pilgrims from across the region, especially for Divine Mercy Sunday each year. With more than a dozen parish groups (choir, lectors, altar servers, Friends of the Divine Mercy Apostolate, Polish folk dance, Young Adult group, and more) and a 29-acre cemetery and memorial chapel, Holy Rosary offers both a deep spiritual home and an active community for new parishioners and visitors.
Mass times at Holy Rosary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 1/2 hour prior to every Mass
- 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm on Divine Mercy Sunday
Adoration times
- Friday 3:30 pm – 7:00 pm (Polish)
- Divine Mercy Chaplet and Eucharistic Adoration Friday 3:00 pm – 7:30 pm in Church
- First Friday Night Adoration 8:00 pm Friday – 8:30 am Saturday
- Divine Mercy Sunday: 3:00 pm Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Divine Mercy Chaplet and procession
Holy Rosary Church — Parish Overview
Holy Rosary Church is Baltimore's premier Polish-American Roman Catholic parish, located in historic Fells Point at 408 South Chester Street. Founded in 1887 by Polish immigrants and now the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Divine Mercy, the parish combines its Polish-American heritage with daily devotional life centered on the rosary and the Divine Mercy message of St. Faustina Kowalska.
- Founded December 8, 1887
- Archdiocesan Shrine of the Divine Mercy (since 1993)
- Polish-American parish with bilingual (English/Polish) Masses
- Pastored by the Society of Christ since 2003
History of Holy Rosary Parish
Polish immigrants began arriving in Fells Point in the 1870s and organized the St. Stanislaus Kostka Society in 1877. After tensions with the city's first Polish parish, a second Polish parish — Our Lady of the Rosary (Matka Boska Różańcowa) — was founded on December 8, 1887. The parish grew rapidly, built a school served by the Felician Sisters, purchased cemetery land in Dundalk in 1889, and in 1927–28 constructed the present monumental Polish Cathedral-style church seating 2,000. The parish peaked at about 2,500 families (roughly 8,000 souls) in the mid-20th century.
- 1887 — founding, first Mass by Fr. Piotr Chowaniec in former Protestant church on Eastern Avenue
- 1889 — cemetery land purchased in Dundalk
- 1892 — Fr. Barabasz expands church, builds school and convent with Felician Sisters
- 1927 — cornerstone laid for present church
- 1928 — current church dedicated (March 15); largest Catholic church in the Archdiocese at the time
- 1993 — designated Archdiocesan Shrine of the Divine Mercy
- 2003 — pastoral care passes to the Society of Christ after death of Fr. Ronald Pytel
- 2005 — Sisters of Merciful Jesus open first U.S. house at the parish
- 2012 — 125th Jubilee celebrated
Architecture & the Church Building
The present church, designed by architects Baldwin & Radziszewski and built in 1927–28, is one of Baltimore's most imposing houses of worship. Built of Woodstock granite with marble and limestone trim in the Polish Cathedral / Romanesque Revival style, its 200-foot-long, 100-foot-wide interior is famously unobstructed by columns, seating 2,000. Twin 125-foot towers frame the façade, the north tower housing four bells (largest weighing 3,000 pounds). The Carrara marble altars include a 20-by-30-foot main altar; the 3-manual M.P. Möller organ has 3,000 pipes.
- Style: Polish Cathedral / Romanesque Revival
- Architects: Baldwin & Radziszewski
- Built 1927–1928; dedicated March 15, 1928
- 200 ft long × 100 ft wide; seating 2,000
- Twin towers 125 ft; north tower with four bells (largest 3,000 lbs)
- 3-manual Möller organ, 3,000 pipes
The Archdiocesan Shrine of the Divine Mercy
In 1993 Cardinal William Keeler granted Holy Rosary's request to be designated the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Divine Mercy. The shrine honors St. Faustina Kowalska, the Polish nun whose diary records Jesus' revelations of the Divine Mercy devotion, and Blessed Fr. Michael Sopoćko, her confessor. The parish houses first-class relics of St. John Paul II (who canonized St. Faustina in 2000), St. Faustina, and Bl. Fr. Sopoćko, which are venerated on Divine Mercy Sunday and throughout the year.
- Designated 1993 by Cardinal William Keeler
- New Divine Mercy chapel added with painting by Polish artist Ewa Mika
- Relics of St. John Paul II, St. Faustina Kowalska, and Bl. Fr. Michael Sopoćko venerated here
- Annual Divine Mercy Sunday celebration draws pilgrims from across the region
Connection to St. Faustina's Canonization
The parish's link to St. Faustina Kowalska's canonization is direct. In 1995, then-pastor Fr. Ronald Pytel experienced a sudden, medically unexplained recovery from congestive heart failure after parishioners prayed for the intercession of then-Blessed Faustina. The Vatican accepted the healing as the second miracle required for her canonization, which Pope John Paul II celebrated on April 30, 2000. A side chapel near the church entrance is being developed as a memorial to Fr. Pytel and as the principal Shrine of the Divine Mercy worship space.
- Fr. Ronald Pytel's 1995 healing recognized as second miracle for canonization
- St. Faustina canonized April 30, 2000 by St. John Paul II
- Fr. Pytel died of kidney cancer in 2003
- Divine Mercy Memorial Chapel planned in his memory
Parish Groups & Ministries
More than a dozen parish organizations sustain the spiritual, liturgical, cultural, and social life of Holy Rosary. Liturgical ministries include the Altar Boys, Lectors, Ushers, and the Choir of St. Cecilia. The Friends of the Divine Mercy Apostolate spreads the Divine Mercy message through daily Chaplet prayer and works of mercy, sponsoring parish projects during Advent and Lent. Cultural groups preserve the Polish heritage — notably the Ojczyzna Polish Folk Dance Group, the Polish Culture Organization, and the Organization of Polish Families. Pastoral leadership is supported by the Parish Council and Finance Committee. A Young Adult Group (named for Bl. John Paul II) gathers younger parishioners.
- Liturgical: Altar Boys, Lectors, Ushers, Choir of St. Cecilia
- Apostolate: Friends of the Divine Mercy
- Polish heritage: Ojczyzna Folk Dance, Polish Culture Organization, Organization of Polish Families, Polish Prayer Group
- Leadership: Parish Council, Finance Committee
- Other: Holy Name of Divine Mercy Group, Young Adult Group (Bl. John Paul II)
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the seven Catholic sacraments; four are prominently featured on the parish website. Baptisms, weddings, confessions, and Anointing of the Sick are arranged through the parish office. Couples preparing for Matrimony are encouraged to make a thorough confession before their wedding, and the pastor, Fr. Ryszard Czerniak SChr, is available for spiritual direction by appointment.
- Baptism — by arrangement with the parish office
- Matrimony — marriage preparation process with the pastor
- Reconciliation — 1/2 hour before every Mass; by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick — by arrangement
Holy Rosary Cemetery — Dundalk
The parish operates a 29-acre cemetery at 7305 German Hill Road, Baltimore, MD 21222, about four miles from the church in suburban Dundalk. The grounds are beautifully maintained, with sections on a hillside; at the summit — the second-highest point in Baltimore — sits a stone chapel planned for renovation as the Divine Mercy Memorial Chapel in memory of Fr. Ronald Pytel. The cemetery, founded in 1889, contains the graves of several former pastors (Fr. Chowaniec, Fr. Barabasz, Msgr. Wachowiak, Fr. Okroy, and Fr. Leszek) and is estimated to hold more than 19,000 burials, many marked in Polish. Grave lots are still available, and a columbarium for cremated remains is being considered.
- Address: 7305 German Hill Rd, Baltimore, MD 21222
- Cemetery phone: 410-944-0300
- 29 acres; estimated 19,000+ burials
- Hilltop chapel planned as Divine Mercy Memorial Chapel for Fr. Ronald Pytel
- Columbarium space under consideration
- Monthly second collection supports the cemetery chapel fund
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
Since 2003 the parish has been served by priests of the Society of Christ (SChr), a Polish religious congregation. The current pastor, Fr. Ryszard Czerniak SChr, a native of Rzeszów, Poland, was appointed in September 2015 after serving in Chicago, Detroit, and Atlanta. He succeeded Fr. Andrzej Totzke SChr, who launched the Divine Mercy Shrine chapel project. The parish website maintains an extensive list of past pastors, beginning with founding pastor Fr. Piotr (Peter) Chowaniec in 1887.
- Fr. Ryszard Czerniak SChr — current pastor (since Sept. 2015)
- Fr. Andrzej Totzke SChr — pastor 2011–2015
- Fr. Zdzislaw Nawrocki SChr — parish administrator 2009
- Fr. Jan Michalski SChr — pastor 2007
- Fr. Richard Philiposki SChr — sixth pastor (2003)
- Fr. Ronald Pytel — fifth pastor (1991–2003, d. 2003)
- Monsignor Chester Mieczkowski — fourth pastor (ret. 1991)
- Monsignor Stanislaus Wachowiak — third pastor (ret. 1968)
- Fr. Mieczyslaw Barabasz — second pastor (d. 1914)
- Fr. Piotr (Peter) Chowaniec — founding pastor (1887–1892)
Visit, Contact & Practical Information
Parishioners and visitors are warmly welcomed. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm (closed Friday through Sunday). The church is located in Fells Point at 408 South Chester Street, with phone (410) 732-3960, fax (410) 675-4917, and email [email protected].
- Address: 408 South Chester Street, Baltimore, MD 21231-2729
- Phone: (410) 732-3960 — Fax: (410) 675-4917
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 9:30 am – 3:30 pm (closed Fri–Sun)
- Languages: English and Polish
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Piotr (Peter) Chowaniec1887–1892
First pastor; celebrated the parish's first Mass on Dec. 8, 1887; died under suspicious circumstances in 1892.
- Fr. Mieczyslaw Barabasz1892–1914
Editor of the Polish clerical newspaper 'Przyjaciel Domu'; expanded church, built school and convent; died in 1914.
- Monsignor Stanislaus Wachowiakretired 1968
First American-born pastor; led relocation and construction of the present 2,000-seat church (cornerstone 1927, dedicated 1928).
- Monsignor Chester Mieczkowskiretired 1991
Long-time assistant to Msgr. Wachowiak; later named a domestic prelate (Monsignor).
- Fr. Ronald Pytel1991–2003 (d. 2003)
Native son of the parish; his 1995 healing was recognized by the Vatican as the second miracle needed for St. Faustina's canonization (2000). Died of kidney cancer 2003.
- Fr. Richard Philiposki SChrfrom 2003
First American-born priest of the Society of Christ; sixth pastor after parish passed to Society of Christ.
- Fr. Jan Michalski SChrfrom October 2007
Seventh pastor.
- Fr. Zdzislaw Nawrocki SChrfrom October 2009
Parish administrator.
- Fr. Andrzej Totzke SChrfrom August 2011
Launched Divine Mercy Shrine chapel project; received $100,000 donation in 2013.
- Fr. Ryszard Czerniak SChrfrom September 2015
Native of Rzeszów, Poland; previously served in Chicago, Detroit and Atlanta.