About Our Lady of Wayside · Chaptico, Maryland
Our Lady of the Wayside is a Roman Catholic parish in the small Southern Maryland community of Chaptico, St. Mary's County, canonically established in 1938 and tracing its roots to a Jesuit mission founded there on October 6, 1914. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Washington and is served today by pastor Rev. Charles E. Luckett, with Deacon Jim Summers and a small staff of lay ministers. It is best known for its striking 1938 church building designed by the nationally prominent architect Philip Frohman — the same architect behind Washington National Cathedral — and for a faithful rural congregation that gathers for daily Mass, Sunday liturgies, Eucharistic Adoration, and a robust devotional life centered on the Sacred Heart and the Rosary.
- Established
- 1914 (Jesuit mission); 1938 (current church dedicated; canonically established)
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Wayside
- Rector
- Rev. Charles E. Luckett
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Washington
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Wayside is a welcoming rural parish that offers daily Mass (Monday through Saturday), three Sunday Masses, Monday evening Eucharistic Adoration, regular Confession, and devotion to the Sacred Heart and the Rosary. A small but active community life is anchored by the OLW Knights of Columbus and the OLW Ladies Auxiliary, a Prayer Group that meets in the church, and Religious Education coordinated by Mandy Helwig. For Catholics in the Chaptico area of St. Mary's County, it is a parish rooted in a century of Jesuit mission and now over eight decades in a striking 1938 Philip Frohman-designed church.
Mass times at Our Lady of Wayside
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday: 5:30 – 6:30 PM
- First Friday: 7:30 AM
- Saturday: 3:00 – 3:45 PM
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration: Mondays 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM (during confessions)
Parish Overview
Our Lady of the Wayside is a Catholic parish in Chaptico, Maryland, in St. Mary's County, canonically established in 1938 and belonging to the Archdiocese of Washington. It serves a rural Southern Maryland community with daily Mass, three Sunday Masses, and a strong devotional life centered on the Eucharist, the Sacred Heart, and the Rosary.
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Washington
- Pastor: Rev. Charles E. Luckett
- Deacon: Jim Summers
- Wheelchair accessible
History & Jesuit Roots
The parish traces its roots to October 6, 1914, when it was established as a Jesuit mission of the Maryland Province, with the local Catholic community served from the Loretto House chapel. Between 1958 and 1968, pastoral ministry in this region was transferred from the Jesuits to the Archdiocese of Washington. The current church building replaced the aging Loretto House chapel and was dedicated on May 24, 1938, in time for the parish to mark its centennial in 2014, when Cardinal Donald Wuerl celebrated an anniversary Mass and St. Mary's County issued a proclamation honoring the church's architectural significance.
- 1914 – Jesuit Mission of Chaptico established (Oct. 6)
- 1938 – Current church dedicated and blessed (May 24)
- 2014 – 100th anniversary; Cardinal Wuerl celebrated Mass
Architecture of the 1938 Church
Our Lady of the Wayside Church was designed by Philip Frohman, the nationally prominent architect and Catholic convert best known for the Episcopal Washington National Cathedral in Northwest Washington. Commissioner President Jack Russell of St. Mary's County has called Our Lady of the Wayside one of the first Catholic churches designed by Frohman. At the time of the 1938 dedication, Frohman said he wanted the design to express 'honest poverty and spiritual wealth.'
- Architect: Philip Frohman (also designed Washington National Cathedral)
- Dedicated: May 24, 1938
- Design ideal: 'honest poverty and spiritual wealth'
Parish Ministries
A small but active group of lay-led ministries support the spiritual and social life of the parish. The Knights of Columbus and their Ladies Auxiliary are among the most visible organizations, alongside a Prayer Group that meets regularly in the church.
- OLW Knights of Columbus – meets in the parish hall
- Knights of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary (OLW Ladies)
- Prayer Group – monthly meeting in the church
- Religious Education – coordinated by Mandy Helwig
Parish Staff & Leadership
The parish is led by pastor Rev. Charles E. Luckett and assisted by Deacon Jim Summers, with a small staff handling parish administration, faith formation, and finances. Father Charles Gallagher served as parish administrator around the time of the parish's centennial in 2014.
- Pastor: Rev. Charles E. Luckett
- Deacon: Jim Summers
- Secretary: Tracie Manning
- Coordinator of Religious Education: Mandy Helwig
- Bookkeeper: Mary Moreland
Visit & Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone, email, fax, or in person. Office hours run weekdays, with reduced hours in the summer.
- Address: 37575 Chaptico Rd, P.O. Box 97, Chaptico, MD 20621
- Phone: (301) 884-2502
- Fax: (301) 884-0381
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: olwrcc.org
- Office Hours (regular): Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Office Hours (summer): Mon–Thu 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM
- Wheelchair accessible
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Charles Gallagher2014 (at centennial)
Administrator of the parish at the time of the 100th anniversary of the Jesuit mission's founding in 2014.