About Our Lady's Center · Ellicott City, Maryland
Our Lady's Center Marian Shrine is a family-run Roman Catholic lay apostolate tucked into a wooded glen off Rogers Avenue in Ellicott City, Maryland. Founded in 1974 and registered with the Archdiocese of Baltimore as an oratory/shrine, it welcomes visitors for daily Mass, confessions, Eucharistic adoration, First Saturday devotions, and fellowship, alongside a sizable Catholic bookstore and gift shop whose proceeds support the ministry. Hidden behind a long private lane next to a PNC Bank, the property features an outdoor grotto dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Stations of the Cross along a meandering stream, a chapel upstairs seating about 175, and a Conference room that hosts speakers, blanket-making workshops, and family programs. Completely self-funded and faithful to the Magisterium, Our Lady's Center exists to draw people closer to Jesus through the love of His Mother Mary, under the motto 'To Jesus through Mary.'
- Established
- 1974
- Patron
- Our Lady (Blessed Virgin Mary), specifically with ties to Our Lady of Fatima (founded on her feast day, May 13, 1974)
- Rector
- Fr. Ambrose Onwuegbuchulem (Spiritual Director)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Baltimore
Why belong here
Our Lady's Center is a hidden, family-run Marian oasis where Catholics from across the Baltimore region can come for a noon weekday Mass, a Friday of Eucharistic adoration ending in evening devotions, or a First Saturday of Mass and reparatory devotions, all without the bustle of a large parish. Visitors are welcomed into a stable community of regulars — the Legion of Mary, the OLC Blanketeers who have made more than 500 fleece blankets for children in crisis, the Defend Life Speaker Series, and a children's storytime and craft program for families. Whether you stop by for confession, browse thousands of curated Catholic books and sacramentals in the gift shop, or simply walk the outdoor Stations of the Cross beside the stream, it is a place to slow down, encounter Mary, and connect with fellow believers who are 'joyfully, unapologetically Catholic.'
Mass times at Our Lady's Center
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Following every Mass (Monday–Friday noon Mass)
- During Friday evening devotions after the 7:30 pm Mass
- During First Saturday devotions after the 10:30 am Mass (ending around 12:00 pm)
Adoration times
- Fridays 12:30 pm – 7:30 pm (Eucharistic Adoration)
- First Saturdays (Exposition following 10:30 am Mass, ending around 12:00 pm)
Our Lady's Center Marian Shrine — Overview
Our Lady's Center is a family-founded Roman Catholic lay apostolate in Ellicott City, Maryland, registered with the Archdiocese of Baltimore as an oratory/shrine. Founded on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima in 1974, it has spent more than 50 years drawing visitors 'closer to Jesus through the love of His Mother Mary.' The Center combines a worship space (Our Lady's Chapel), an extensive Catholic bookstore and gift shop, a Conference room for talks and gatherings, and an outdoor grotto and Stations of the Cross along a meandering stream. It is faithful to the Magisterium, 'joyfully, unapologetically Catholic,' and operates as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit relying entirely on shop proceeds and private donations.
- Founded May 13, 1974 — Feast of Our Lady of Fatima
- Registered with the Archdiocese of Baltimore as an oratory/shrine
- Motto: 'To Jesus through Mary'
- Independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit; completely self-funded
- Hidden wooded location off Rogers Avenue, Ellicott City
Founding and History
Frank R. Lancelotta Sr. and his wife Josephine founded Our Lady's Center on May 13, 1974, on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, in an era when devotion to the Blessed Mother was ebbing in many parishes. The small original chapel seated only 35 but regularly packed in 30 daily Mass-goers and up to 100 on holy days. In 2001 a fire destroyed the building, causing about $500,000 in damage; Philip Adinolfi, an 84-year-old engineer and friend of the Lancelottas, oversaw the rebuild, which was dedicated by Bishop W. Francis Malooly (then Western Vicar). The Center has since undergone four more major renovations, the most recent (2024) being a roughly $300,000 50th-annovation project led by Tim Machado of Design Concepts and Lewis Contractors of Baltimore.
- 1974 — Founded by Frank R. Lancelotta Sr. and Josephine on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima
- 2001 — Devastating fire destroys the Center ($500,000 in damage)
- 2007 — Bishop W. Francis Malooly blesses the rebuilt chapel and two-story facility
- 2011 — Carolyn Niebauer becomes Board President
- 2024 — Fifth major renovation, timed for the 50th anniversary
The Fire and Rebuilding (2001)
The 2001 fire took the building to the ground but did not extinguish the apostolate's mission. Insurance proceeds plus donations and grants from the Lancelotta Foundation funded the new two-story structure, which houses an expanded gift shop, a reference room, and a Conference room, in addition to the upstairs chapel seating 175. The altar and original set of pews were salvaged from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore. Robert J. Lancelotta Sr. (the founder's son and the Center's CEO) presented a plaque and clock to Philip Adinolfi in recognition of his daily volunteer oversight of the rebuild.
- Philip Adinolfi (engineer) oversaw the rebuilding at age 84
- Altar and pews salvaged from the Baltimore Basilica
- New chapel seats 175 (vs. original 35)
- Robert J. Lancelotta Sr. — CEO of the Center
Devotions and Spiritual Life
Beyond the Mass schedule, the Center hosts a constellation of Marian and Eucharistic devotions. The Legion of Mary (Our Lady Undoer of Knots Praesidium) meets Friday evenings at 5:30 pm and provides significant volunteer support. Flame of Love Prayer Cenacles meet regularly, and there are monthly Holy Hours of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Defend Life Speaker Series brings leading pro-life voices to the shrine six times a year.
- Legion of Mary — Our Lady Undoer of Knots Praesidium (Fri 5:30 pm)
- Flame of Love Prayer Cenacles
- Divine Mercy Chaplet (during Friday evening devotions)
- Holy Hour of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (monthly)
- Defend Life Speaker Series (6 times per year)
Clergy and Spiritual Director
Because Our Lady's Center is an oratory/shrine rather than a territorial parish, daily Mass and confessions are staffed by priests from around the Archdiocese of Baltimore who rotate through. The Center's current Spiritual Director is Fr. Ambrose Onwuegbuchulem, a priest of the Diocese of Port Harcourt in Nigeria, ordained in 2011, who holds a licentiate in Clinical Psychology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and has previously served as chaplain at the University of Maryland Medical Center and as associate pastor at St. John the Evangelist (Severna Park) and Sacred Heart (Glyndon).
- Fr. Ambrose Onwuegbuchulem — Spiritual Director
- Rotating priests from the Archdiocese of Baltimore for daily Mass and confessions
- Language skills: Igbo, English, Italian (Fr. Ambrose)
Bookstore and Gift Shop
The on-site Bookstore & Gift Shop is a major feature of Our Lady's Center, described as a place where visitors can find '2000 years of truth and tradition and bring home lovely, edifying religious art for your domestic church.' It carries an extensive selection of Catholic books, religious articles, and sacramentals — medals, crucifixes, rosaries, Bibles, children's faith storybooks — chosen to 'celebrate the Good, the True and the Beautiful.' All proceeds support the Center, and the shop is intentionally closed during noon Mass each day.
- Mon–Thu: 10 am–4 pm (closed 12:00–12:40 pm for Mass)
- Fridays: 10 am–7:30 pm (closed 12:00–12:40 pm)
- First Saturdays ONLY: 9:45 am–2:00 pm (closed 10:30–11:30 am)
- Closed all other Saturdays and Sundays
- Curbside pickup and limited delivery available (historically, including during COVID-19)
- Store is always closed during Mass
Family and Community Programs
Our Lady's Center is intentionally a 'family apostolate,' with programming aimed at children and parents. Children's Storytime & Craft meets twice a month on Wednesday mornings at 10:30 am, hosted by 'Mrs. Ginny,' and pairs a Catholic children's book with a craft and snack. The Linus Project Blanket Making Group brings together volunteers on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 1 pm to make no-sew fleece blankets that are blessed at Mass and donated to children in area hospitals and shelters — over 500 have been completed.
- Children's Storytime & Craft — Wed 10:30 am, twice a month
- OLC Blanketeers (Linus Project) — 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 1 pm
- Blanket Blessing Day — blankets are blessed at Mass before delivery
- Annual Spring Clean-up volunteer day with potluck
Speakers, Talks, and Retreats
The Conference room hosts a variety of adult formation events, including the Defend Life Speaker Series (six times a year), talks and book signings by regional Catholic authors, and weekend retreats organized by outside groups. Speakers and topics are advertised through the Center's monthly newsletter and website calendar.
- Defend Life Speaker Series — 6 events per year
- Regional Catholic author talks and book signings
- Conference room available for outside retreats and meetings
Volunteering
With only one full-time and several part-time employees, Our Lady's Center depends on volunteers to remain open. Two dedicated groups — the Chapel Crew (cleaning, laundry, brass, tabernacle polishing) and the Grounds Crew (weeding, snow removal, parking, trimming) — keep the property and worship space ready year-round. The annual Spring Clean-up brings volunteers together for a workday followed by a potluck, and many on-site improvements (a new shed, laminate flooring, a picnic area, hillside stabilization, and the outdoor Stations of the Cross) have been completed as Eagle Scout service projects.
- Chapel Crew
- Grounds Crew
- Annual Spring Clean-up with potluck
- Eagle Scout service projects (Stations of the Cross, picnic area, shed, flooring)
Grounds and Outdoor Features
Visitors describe the Center as feeling 'miles away from the nearby thriving businesses.' Tucked into a wooded glen bordered by gurgling streams, the property is home to deer, wild birds, and the occasional blue heron. A rustic grotto at one end holds a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Stations of the Cross follow the bank of the meandering stream. Parking is on site, and a ramp at the back plus a motorized chair lift to the chapel make the property handicap-accessible.
- Outdoor grotto with statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Outdoor Stations of the Cross along the stream
- Handicap-accessible ramp and motorized chair lift
- Restrooms with a baby changing station
- Deer, wild birds, and an occasional blue heron
Renovations and Physical Plant
Our Lady's Center has undergone five major renovations over five decades. The 2024 50th-anniversary project — led by architect Tim Machado of Design Concepts (Winchester, VA) and builder Lewis Contractors of Baltimore — installed a new custom-wood altar backing, lighting upgrades, new ventilation, new carpet, additional refurbished pews from the Baltimore Basilica, new entrance stairs with ecclesial pendant lights, and a new entrance door, along with audio/visual/lighting upgrades throughout.
- Altar and original pews: salvaged from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore
- 2024 renovation cost: ~$300,000
- Architect: Tim Machado, Design Concepts (Winchester, VA)
- Builder: Lewis Contractors (Baltimore)
Visiting, Hours, and Practical Information
Our Lady's Center is open weekdays and First Saturdays. The Center notes that it is 'a little hard to find': visitors should turn between the blue mailbox and the guardrail next to PNC Bank on Rogers Avenue and follow the long private lane to the end. Call ahead during inclement weather. The chapel is open for Mass on the schedule above, and visitors are also welcome to walk the grounds, pray at the grotto, and visit the Stations of the Cross outside of Mass times.
- Address: 3301 Rogers Ave, Ellicott City, MD 21043
- Office: 410-461-5066
- After hours cell: 240-581-8013
- Email: [email protected]
- Always call ahead during inclement weather
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Ambrose Onwuegbuchulem
Priest of the Diocese of Port Harcourt, Nigeria; ordained December 3, 2011; holds a licentiate in Clinical Psychology from the Pontifical Gregorian University; previously Priest-Chaplain at University of Maryland Medical Center, Associate Pastor at St. John the Evangelist (Severna Park), and at Sacred Heart (Glyndon). Currently serves as Spiritual Director of Our Lady's Center.