About Our Lady of Sorrows · West River, Maryland
Our Lady of Sorrows is a Roman Catholic parish located at 101 Owensville Road in West River, Maryland, in southern Anne Arundel County. The parish serves a large geographic area stretching from the Patuxent River in the west to the Chesapeake Bay, and from Route 214 in the north to the southern edge of Anne Arundel County. It is now joined in the Pastorate of Our Lady with nearby Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Edgewater, sharing clergy and ministry under one pastor. The parish motto is 'Walking Together as One and Inspiring All to Grow as Disciples.'
- Established
- 1866
- Patron
- Our Lady of Sorrows (the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of her Seven Sorrows)
- Rector
- Rev. Zachary Crowley
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Baltimore
Why belong here
Our Lady of Sorrows offers a welcoming Catholic community in a tranquil country setting on Owensville Road, with weekend Masses in English, daily Mass several days a week, and a long-standing Tuesday Eucharistic Adoration program that has been running for over 20 years. The parish is part of the Pastorate of Our Lady alongside Our Lady of Perpetual Help, giving parishioners access to a broader range of ministries including faith formation for children and adults, a youth ministry, an active Charities Ministry with a food pantry, and an Infant & Toddler Clothes Closet serving local families in need.
Mass times at Our Lady of Sorrows
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 pm (at OLOS)
- Saturday 3:00 pm (at OLPH)
- Thursday 6:00 pm in Spanish and English (at OLPH)
Adoration times
- Tuesday 9:30 am – 2:00 pm at Our Lady of Sorrows (September through May; summer break Memorial Day to Labor Day)
History of Our Lady of Sorrows
Our Lady of Sorrows traces its roots to 1866, when a small wood-frame country mission church — originally dedicated as Our Lady of Dolors — was established to serve Catholic families in southern Anne Arundel County. The mission was staffed from the beginning by Redemptorist priests until 1890, when the Marist Fathers took responsibility for the parish. The Marists remained until 1901, after which the Redemptorists of Annapolis again assumed care of the mission. Over the decades, the wood-frame church underwent a number of restorations and enlargements as the Catholic community in Owensville and the surrounding countryside grew. Eventually it was demolished in 1951 to make way for a new brick church built in the Georgian colonial style, which was dedicated in 1953 as a diocesan church — no longer simply a mission. By the late 1990s the 1953 building could no longer accommodate the membership, so two wings were added that tripled the seating capacity. The first Mass in the newly expanded church was celebrated at Easter 2001.
- Founded 1866 as a country mission church
- Original dedication: Our Lady of Dolors
- Anglicized as Our Lady of Sorrows (referring to the Seven Sorrows of Mary)
- Staffed by Redemptorist priests from 1866
- Marist Fathers served 1890–1901
- Redemptorists of Annapolis resumed care after 1901
- Wood-frame church demolished in 1951
- New brick church dedicated in 1953 in Georgian colonial style
- Two wings added by late 1990s / early 2000s to triple seating capacity
- First Mass in expanded church celebrated at Easter 2001
Pastorate of Our Lady
Our Lady of Sorrows shares clergy and ministry with Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Edgewater as part of the Pastorate of Our Lady. Both churches operate under a single pastor and are formally listed by the Archdiocese of Baltimore as 'Our Lady of Sorrows (in a pastorate with Our Lady of Perpetual Help).' The pastorate's motto is 'Walking Together as One and Inspiring All to Grow as Disciples,' and its stated values are Faith, Courage, Truth, and Love.
- Joint parish with Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Edgewater, MD)
- Shared pastor: Rev. Zachary Crowley
- Joint website: pastorateofourlady.org
- Motto: 'Walking Together as One and Inspiring All to Grow as Disciples'
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The Pastorate of Our Lady offers faith formation for children and youth as well as adults. The children's program flows from each Sunday's Gospel so that students learn their faith within the rhythms of the liturgical year, with lessons designed to be taken home and shared with parents who hear the same Gospel at Mass. Sacramental preparation is also provided through this program. The pastorate also uses 'Growing with GOD: Safe and Sacred™,' a multifaceted child safety and Catholic family living curriculum that emphasizes protecting children from abuse and empowering them to recognize troubling situations while understanding their inherent dignity as children of God.
- Faith Formation for Children & Youth
- Faith Formation for Adults
- Sacramental Preparation
- Growing with GOD: Safe and Sacred child safety & family life program
Youth Ministry
The Pastorate of Our Lady maintains a Youth Ministry serving young people of the parish and the surrounding southern Anne Arundel community. As with faith formation, youth ministry programming is shared between Our Lady of Sorrows and Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
- Shared Youth Ministry for both parishes in the Pastorate of Our Lady
Charities & Outreach
The Pastorate of Our Lady Charities Ministry serves the poor and needy of southern Anne Arundel County, jointly with Holy Family parish. Volunteers staff a food pantry that is open Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon, with additional bilingual hours Friday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Financial assistance for things like energy bills and rent is by appointment, generally requiring a referral from Community Action. The Charities Ministry also coordinates seasonal outreach: limited Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter dinner boxes for families in need; Giving Trees at Christmas that provide gifts for children; and a Back to School Backpack Program each fall for school supplies. Donations and volunteer sign-ups are accepted through the Our Lady of Perpetual Help office.
- Food pantry: Wednesdays & Fridays 10:00 am – 12:00 noon
- Bilingual food pantry hours: Fridays 5:30 – 7:30 pm
- Financial assistance by appointment (referral often required)
- Thanksgiving, Christmas & Easter dinner boxes
- Giving Trees (Christmas gifts for children in need)
- Back to School Backpack Program
Infant & Toddler Clothes Closet
The Infant & Toddler Clothes Closet (ITCC) is a practical outreach of the pastorate that provides clothing for babies and young children to families in need. It is open the third Saturday of each month from 2:00 to 4:00 pm, with additional weekly hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
- Open 3rd Saturday of each month, 2:00 – 4:00 pm
- Additional weekly hours Tuesday through Thursday
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach Our Lady of Sorrows at 101 Owensville Road, West River, MD 20778, by phone at (410) 867-2059, or by email at [email protected]. The parish shares a website with the Pastorate of Our Lady at pastorateofourlady.org. Office hours are Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm and Friday from 8:00 am to 2:30 pm, or by appointment.
- 101 Owensville Road, West River, MD 20778
- Phone: (410) 867-2059
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: pastorateofourlady.org
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 8:00 am – 4:00 pm; Fri 8:00 am – 2:30 pm
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Redemptorist priests1866–1890, 1901–? (Redemptorists of Annapolis)
Originally staffed the mission church from its founding
- Marist Fathers1890–1901
Took over pastoral care of the mission from 1890 to 1901
- Rev. Zachary Crowleypresent
Current pastor of the Pastorate of Our Lady (Our Lady of Sorrows and Our Lady of Perpetual Help)