About Our Lady of Peace Military Catholic Community · Fort Meade, Maryland
Our Lady of Peace Military Catholic Community is the Roman Catholic congregation that serves the military, civilian employees, families, and retirees stationed at Fort George G. Meade in Maryland. As a parish under the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA — not a civilian diocese — its mission is to provide Catholic worship, sacraments, religious education, and pastoral care to the joint-service community living and working on the installation. The community gathers for Sunday Mass at Argonne Hills Chapel Center and supports a broader set of Catholic ministries that includes daily Mass, faith formation (CCD), Catholic Women of the Chapel (CWOC), Catholic Men of the Chapel (CMOC), RCIA, Bible studies, Divine Mercy devotion, and sacramental preparation for baptisms and weddings.
- Patron
- Our Lady of Peace (Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title Our Lady of Peace — also patroness of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA
Why belong here
Our Lady of Peace exists to bring the sacraments, Scripture, and Catholic community to service members, DoD civilians, and families who move frequently and rely on the installation chapel for spiritual stability. The parish offers Sunday Mass in a welcoming military setting, daily Mass for those whose duty hours allow it, family-based religious education (CCD), sacramental preparation for baptisms and weddings, and a robust set of lay-led ministries — Catholic Women of the Chapel, Catholic Men of the Chapel, RCIA, Bible study, and Divine Mercy devotion — that make it easy to plug in whether you are here for two years or twenty. Pastoral counseling through the Family Life Ministry Center is free and 100% confidential to all who serve at Fort Meade.
Mass times at Our Lady of Peace Military Catholic Community
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Available by appointment — contact the Religious Support Office at (301) 677-6703
About Our Lady of Peace Military Catholic Community
Our Lady of Peace is the Catholic congregation serving Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. The community is a parish of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, the Catholic diocese sui iuris that follows U.S. service members, their families, and DoD civilians wherever the federal government sends them. Worship takes place in the installation's chapels — primarily Argonne Hills Chapel Center (AHCC), the Main Post Chapel (MPC), and Cavalry Chapel (CAV) — under the coordination of the Fort Meade Religious Support Office (RSO). The community welcomes active-duty service members from all branches, National Guard and Reserve, retirees, DoD civilian employees, contractors, and family members.
Parish Identity and Patron
The parish is named for Our Lady of Peace — a Marian title shared with the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire, and used as the patroness of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. The name is especially fitting for a community whose chaplains pray daily for peace in the soldier's vocation and minister to those serving in harm's way. The patroness is celebrated alongside the wider Catholic liturgical year through Sunday and weekday Masses, devotions such as the Divine Mercy chaplet, and sacramental preparation for the major milestones of military family life.
Mass and Worship Schedule
Sunday worship is the cornerstone of parish life. Roman Catholic Mass is celebrated at 9:00 a.m. on Sundays at Argonne Hills Chapel Center (AHCC). To support Catholic service members and civilians whose duty schedules do not permit a Sunday-only rhythm, the chaplains also celebrate daily Mass at the Main Post Chapel (MPC) at 12:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with a Wednesday Mass held at NSA and a First-Friday Mass at the MPC.
- Sunday — Roman Catholic Mass, AHCC, 9:00 a.m.
- Monday — Catholic Daily Mass, MPC, 12:00 p.m.
- Tuesday — Catholic Daily Mass, MPC, 12:00 p.m.
- Wednesday — Catholic Daily Mass at NSA, 12:00 p.m.
- Thursday — Catholic Daily Mass, MPC, 12:00 p.m.
- Friday — Catholic Mass, MPC, First Friday of every month
- Confession — by appointment through the RSO
Religious Education and Sacramental Preparation
Faith formation on Fort Meade is family-based, recognizing that military children often move every two to three years. The Catholic Religious Education office coordinates the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD), RCIA for adults seeking full initiation, and sacramental preparation for First Communion, Confirmation, baptism, and marriage. Sheila Stewart serves as a primary point of contact for CCD registration.
- CCD (children's faith formation) — register with Sheila Stewart, [email protected] or (301) 677-6038
- RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
- Sacramental preparation — baptisms, weddings, First Communion, Confirmation; contact Ms. Joycelyn Laus, (301) 677-6703 / (301) 677-6035
- Bible study — offered in multiple chapel locations
Lay Ministries and Community Life
Lay-led ministries are the connective tissue of the Catholic community on post. Catholic Women of the Chapel (CWOC) meets Tuesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. at the Main Post Chapel, supporting women across all services through fellowship, service projects, and spiritual formation. Catholic Men of the Chapel (CMOC) provides parallel fraternity and faith formation for men. The parish is also served by Knights of Columbus Council #5263, whose membership draws from Our Lady of Peace along with several surrounding parishes.
- Catholic Women of the Chapel (CWOC) — Tuesdays 9:30 a.m., MPC
- Catholic Men of the Chapel (CMOC)
- Knights of Columbus Council #5263
- Divine Mercy devotion
- Bible study groups
Pastoral Counseling — Family Life Ministry Center
The Family Life Ministry Center (FLMC), located in Argonne Hills Chapel Center at the intersection of Rockenbach Road and Grandea Avenue, is a pastoral counseling service available at no cost to all branches of service, civilian employees, retirees, and family members in the Fort Meade community. Sessions are 100% confidential and address the whole person — relational, spiritual, and emotional.
- Individual, couple, and family pastoral counseling
- Building Strong and Resilient Teams seminars
- Spiritual Readiness Assessments and planning
- Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
- Contact: (301) 677-6035 / (301) 677-7959 or [email protected]
History and Heritage
Catholic worship at Fort Meade stretches back to the post's founding in 1917. Among the most documented early chaplains is Monsignor George T. Casey, a Diocese of Scranton priest ordained in 1937 who entered military service in 1944 and went on to serve with the 25th Infantry Division in the South Pacific. He was post chaplain at Fort Meade from 1952 to 1956, then served the Second Army Chaplain's office at Fort Meade from 1957 to 1959 before assignments in Europe and at the Pentagon. Casey was honored by Pope John XXIII in 1962 as a domestic prelate with the title Right Reverend Monsignor, and in 1970 was named 'Chaplain of the Year' by the Reserve Officers Association. He retired as a Colonel in 1971. His career illustrates the long Catholic chaplaincy tradition that eventually organized itself as the parish now known as Our Lady of Peace Military Catholic Community.
- 1917 — Fort Meade established; Catholic chaplaincy ministry begins
- 1944–1947 — Msgr. George T. Casey serves as troop chaplain in the South Pacific
- 1952–1956 — Msgr. Casey serves as post chaplain at Fort Meade
- 1957–1959 — Msgr. Casey returns to Fort Meade for the Second Army Chaplain's Office
- Today — Parish served by joint Army / Air Force / Navy chaplain team under the RSO
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor George T. Casey1952-1959
Post chaplain at Fort George G. Meade (1952-1956) and then at the Second Army Chaplain's Office at Fort Meade (1957-1959). Ordained 1937 for the Diocese of Scranton; served in WWII and Korea; later retired as a Colonel. Died Aug. 18, 2005.