About Mount Calvary · Baltimore, Maryland
Mount Calvary is a Roman Catholic parish of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, located at 816 N. Eutaw Street in the heart of Baltimore City, at the intersection of Madison Avenue and Eutaw Street. Founded in 1842 under Tractarian principles as an Episcopal parish, it became known as a center of advanced Anglo-Catholicism and was the first Episcopal church in the United States to offer daily Mass (beginning in 1868). On October 24, 2010, the parish voted overwhelmingly to separate from the Episcopal Church and seek entry into the Roman Catholic Church as an Anglican Use parish, and was formally received into the Personal Ordinariate on January 22, 2012. On November 11, 2017, Bishop Steven J. Lopes formally erected Mount Calvary as a parish of the Ordinariate and installed Fr. Albert Scharbach as pastor.
- Established
- 1842
- Patron
- Mount Calvary (the place of Christ's Crucifixion)
- Rector
- Rev. Albert Scharbach
- Diocese
- Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter (geographically within the Archdiocese of Baltimore)
Why belong here
Mount Calvary offers a distinctive Catholic worship experience that preserves the parish's 180-year Anglican patrimony through the Divine Worship Mass, alongside traditional Catholic devotions such as the Rosary, Stations of the Cross, Confession, and Eucharistic adoration. About half of those currently worshipping at Mount Calvary are not of an Anglican background—membership in the parish is independent of membership in the Ordinariate, and all Roman Catholics are welcome to serve at the altar, lead ministries, and serve on the Parish Council. Active life includes a Sung Sunday Mass with coffee hour in the undercroft, weekday spoken Masses, the Legion of Mary, a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) program and youth groups at Newman House, and a deep ongoing partnership with the adjacent Joseph Richey House hospice. The parish also live-streams Sunday Mass on its YouTube channel and welcomes all Catholics in good standing to receive the sacraments.
Mass times at Mount Calvary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 10:30 am (before the 11:00 am Sung Mass)
About Mount Calvary
Mount Calvary is a Roman Catholic parish of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, the fruit of Pope Benedict XVI's apostolic constitution Anglicanorum coetibus. The Ordinariate is a nation-wide diocese for Catholics from an Anglican/Episcopalian background who seek to preserve their Anglican heritage while in full communion with the Bishop of Rome. Mount Calvary is located in the heart of Baltimore City, at the intersection of Madison Avenue and Eutaw Street. All Catholics in good standing may receive the sacraments here, and attendance at Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation fulfills a Catholic's obligation.
History
The parish was founded in 1842, and its cornerstone was laid by Bishop Whittingham in 1844; the church was consecrated on February 19, 1846 and enlarged between 1858 and 1861. Under Father Alfred Curtis it transitioned from High Church to full-blown Anglo-Catholicism, introducing the first daily Mass in the Episcopal Church (1868). The parish was long known for service to Baltimore's poor, founding three daughter churches for Black parishioners and, with the All Saints Sisters of the Poor, the Joseph Richey House hospice (1987). After Pope Benedict XVI's 2009 apostolic constitution Anglicanorum coetibus, the vestry voted unanimously on October 24, 2010 to leave the Episcopal Church and seek entry into the Catholic Church; the community was received into the new Personal Ordinariate on January 22, 2012 by Msgr. Jeffrey Steenson. On November 11, 2017, Bishop Steven J. Lopes formally erected Mount Calvary as a parish of the Ordinariate and installed Fr. Albert Scharbach as pastor, consecrating the building and sealing a relic of St. John of the Cross into the main altar.
- Founded 1842 by Dr. Wyatt, Rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Baltimore
- Cornerstone laid 1844 by Bishop Whittingham; church consecrated February 19, 1846
- First Episcopal parish in the U.S. to offer daily Mass (1868)
- Father Alfred Curtis resigned and was later received into the Catholic Church by Blessed John Henry Newman; became second Bishop of Wilmington, Delaware
- 1887 – All Saints Sisters of the Poor arrive in Baltimore at Father Richey's invitation
- 1987 – Joseph Richey House hospice jointly founded with the All Saints Sisters
- June 2011 – Dr. Bob's Place children's hospice opens at the Richey House
- October 24, 2010 – Vestry votes unanimously to leave the Episcopal Church
- January 22, 2012 – Received into the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter
- November 11, 2017 – Formally erected as a parish by Bishop Steven J. Lopes
Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Albert Scharbach, who was installed in 2017 when the Ordinariate formally erected Mount Calvary as a parish. He also serves as Pastoral Associate to Bishop Denis J. Madden in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The staff includes his wife Abigail Scharbach (Hospitality & Catechesis Coordinator), John Devine (Office Manager), and Tom Hetrick (Organist and Choir Director).
- Rev. Albert Scharbach – Pastor
- Mrs. Abigail Scharbach – Hospitality & Catechesis Coordinator
- Mr. John Devine – Office Manager
- Mr. Tom Hetrick – Organist and Choir Director
- Fr. Scharbach maintains a blog linked from the parish staff page
Ministries & Faith Formation
Parish life at Mount Calvary includes traditional Catholic lay associations, formation for children, and a choir that supports the sung liturgy. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) and Youth Groups meet at Newman House on Sunday mornings at 9:30 am, allowing children and youth to be formed in faith while their families are at Mass or in formation themselves.
- Legion of Mary – Sunday 10:00 am and Tuesday 5:30 pm at Newman House
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) – Sundays 9:30 am, Newman House
- Youth Groups – Sundays 9:30 am, Newman House
- Parish Choir – directed by Organist Tom Hetrick
- Altar Servers
- Parish Council
Sacraments
All Catholics in good standing may receive the sacraments at Mount Calvary, and attendance at Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation fulfills a Catholic's obligation. Confessions are heard before the 11:00 am Sunday Mass, and the parish is available for Catholic weddings of parishioners and non-parishioners under the usual canonical conditions (contact Fr. Scharbach during office hours or after Mass).
- Sunday and weekday Mass
- Confession – Sundays 10:30 am
- Catholic weddings (parishioners and non-parishioners, by arrangement with the pastor)
- All other sacraments available to Catholics in good standing
Outreach & Community Partnerships
Service to the poor and marginalized has been a defining characteristic of Mount Calvary since the 19th century. The parish jointly founded the Joseph Richey House hospice in 1987 with the All Saints Sisters of the Poor, and the hospice remains adjacent to the church buildings; its children's wing, Dr. Bob's Place, opened in June 2011. The parish's historic founding of three daughter churches for Baltimore's Black population during the era of segregation gave rise to Saint Katherine of Alexandria and Saint Mary the Virgin, both now independent parishes.
- Joseph Richey House hospice (jointly founded 1987 with the All Saints Sisters of the Poor)
- Dr. Bob's Place children's hospice (opened June 2011, adjacent to the church)
- Historic founding of daughter churches Saint Katherine of Alexandria and Saint Mary the Virgin
The Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter
On January 1, 2012 Pope Benedict XVI established the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, a canonical structure similar to a diocese created for former Anglican communities and clergy seeking to become Catholic while preserving elements of their spiritual and liturgical patrimony. Mount Calvary was received into the Ordinariate on January 22, 2012 by its first Ordinary, Msgr. Jeffrey Steenson. Today it is one of the Ordinariate parishes geographically located within the Archdiocese of Baltimore; Ordinariate parishes are required by Church law to maintain close ties of communion with the local diocesan bishop, and Ordinariate priests frequently celebrate Mass in neighboring parishes by permission.
- Established January 1, 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI under Anglicanorum coetibus
- First Ordinary: Msgr. Jeffrey Steenson
- Current Ordinary: Bishop Steven J. Lopes
- Mount Calvary is the first Anglican congregation in North America to vote to enter the Catholic Church (Oct 24, 2010)
- Geographically within the Archdiocese of Baltimore, canonically under the Ordinariate
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Dr. Wyatt (founding)1842 (founding rector of St. Paul's, who initiated the new parish)
Founder; Rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Baltimore.
- Father Alfred CurtisPre-Civil War era through resignation
Led the parish's transition from High Church to full-blown Anglo-Catholicism; oversaw first daily Mass in an Episcopal church in 1868. Later resigned and was received into the Roman Catholic Church by Blessed John Henry Newman; became the second Bishop of Wilmington, Delaware.
- Father Richey1870s
Wrote to Mother Harriet Brownlow Byron in 1872 inviting the All Saints Sisters of the Poor to Baltimore to serve the parish's ministries to the poor.
- Rev. Albert ScharbachInstalled November 11, 2017 – present
Installed as first pastor when Bishop Steven J. Lopes formally erected Mount Calvary as a parish of the Ordinariate. Listed in the Archdiocese of Baltimore clergy directory as 'Extern Priest, Pastor, Mount Calvary, Baltimore' and also serves as Pastoral Associate to Bishop Denis J. Madden in the Archdiocese of Baltimore (since January 2009).