About Sacred Heart of Jesus · Baltimore, Maryland
Sacred Heart of Jesus (Sagrado Corazón de Jesús) is a Redemptorist parish in the Highlandtown neighborhood of southeast Baltimore, Maryland, in a pastorate with its mission church of St. Patrick in Fells Point. Founded in 1873 to serve German Catholic immigrants settling in Canton and Highlandtown, it has been a refuge for newcomers ever since — first Germans, then a long succession of Polish, Italian and Irish families, and today a predominantly Spanish-speaking community. As of 2023, roughly 95–97% of its registered families are Hispanic, and the parish continues its founding mission of welcoming immigrants through Mass in English and Spanish, Catholic education, and direct outreach to the poor.
- Established
- 1873
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Ako Walker, C.Ss.R.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Baltimore
Why belong here
Sacred Heart of Jesus is one of the few places in Baltimore where newcomers can hear Mass in both English and Spanish almost every day, with a Sunday schedule offering Spanish Masses at 8:00 am, 11:30 am and 7:00 pm and English Mass at 9:30 am, plus daily adoration Monday through Friday. The parish runs Assisi House, an outreach center shared with St. Patrick's that has fed, clothed and accompanied the homeless, immigrants and seniors of southeast Baltimore since 1983, and it partners with the Esperanza Center and Catholic Charities on immigration and family support. Faith formation for children is coordinated by Director of Religious Education Alma Martinez, the Knights of Columbus St. John Neumann Council and the Ladies Auxiliary of Perpetual Help anchor parish life, and seven country committees (Dominican Republic, Ecuadorian, Guatemalan, Honduran, Mexican, Peruvian and Salvadoran) keep members connected to their home-country devotions.
Mass times at Sacred Heart of Jesus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 PM
- Sunday: 11:00 AM
Adoration times
- Monday: 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
- Tuesday: 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
- Wednesday: 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
- Thursday: 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
- Friday: 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Parish History: From Fort Marshall to Highlandtown's Cathedral
Sacred Heart of Jesus traces its origin to a 1870 petition by Canton and Highlandtown's growing German Catholic community to Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley. In 1872 Fr. Joseph Mueller had collected enough money to buy the abandoned Civil War site of Fort Marshall — nicknamed 'Snake Hill' — about three acres bounded by Canton Ave. (Fleet St.), First St. (Highland Ave.), Aliceanna St. (Foster Ave.) and Third St. (Conkling St.) for $17,000. Archbishop Bayley broke ground and laid the cornerstone on September 7, 1873, and on October 13, 1878 Sacred Heart became an independent parish under its first pastor, Rev. Francis van Emstede.
- 1870 — German Catholics in Canton petition Archbishop Bayley for a parish
- 1872 — Property at Fort Marshall / Snake Hill acquired
- Sept. 7, 1873 — Archbishop Bayley lays the cornerstone
- 1874 — First school opens with 116 pupils
- 1876 — School Sisters of Notre Dame begin teaching
- 1878 (Oct. 13) — Parish becomes independent; Rev. Francis van Emstede, first pastor
- 1908 — English sermons introduced alongside German
- Post-WWI — German identity fades; Polish, Italian, Irish families join
- 2011 — St. Michael the Archangel closes; Sacred Heart becomes bilingual Sagrado Corazón de Jesús
- 2023 — 150th anniversary celebrated
Mass & Liturgical Schedule
Sacred Heart of Jesus offers one of the most active bilingual Mass schedules in southeast Baltimore, with weekend Masses in both English and Spanish and a full week of daily Masses. Confessions are heard Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, and Eucharistic Adoration is available from Monday through Friday. The parish is in a pastorate with its mission church of St. Patrick on Broadway in Fells Point, and some Spanish Masses are celebrated at St. Patrick.
- Sunday — 8:00 AM (Spanish), 9:30 AM (English), 11:30 AM (Spanish), 7:00 PM (Spanish)
- Monday — 8:00 AM (English), 7:30 PM (Spanish)
- Tuesday — 8:00 AM (English)
- Wednesday — 8:00 AM (English); 7:30 PM (Spanish at St. Patrick)
- Thursday — 8:00 AM (English)
- Friday — 8:00 AM (English); 7:30 PM (Spanish, First Fridays only)
- Saturday — 8:00 AM (English); 4:00 PM Vigil (English)
- Confessions — Saturday 3:00 PM and Sunday 11:00 AM
- Adoration — Monday–Friday, 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM
Clergy & Parish Staff
Sacred Heart is staffed by Redemptorists of the Baltimore Province together with diocesan and Hispanic-ministry priests. Deacon Edison Morales serves as Pastoral Associate, Sr. Michele Reed coordinates Assisi House, Alma Martinez directs Religious Education, and Maritza Morales serves as Parish Secretary. The breadth of the priestly team reflects the parish's large and diverse sacramental life, with multiple Spanish Masses every weekend.
- Rev. Ako Walker, C.Ss.R. — Pastor (since 2021)
- Rev. Janusz Sok — Associate Pastor
- Rev. Adrian Roelly, C.Ss.R. — Associate Pastor
- Rev. Charles Hergenroeder, C.Ss.R. — Associate Pastor
- Rev. Mark Wise, C.Ss.R. — Associate Pastor
- Rev. Alipio Flores-Nina, C.Ss.R. — Associate Pastor
- Rev. Edmundo Molina, C.Ss.R. — Associate Pastor
- Rev. Mark Owen, C.Ss.R. — Associate Pastor
- Deacon Edison Morales — Pastoral Associate
- Sr. Michele Reed — Assisi House / Casa Asís
- Ms. Alma Martinez — Director of Religious Education
- Mrs. Maritza Morales — Parish Secretary
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish's Religious Education program, directed by Alma Martinez, prepares children for First Communion, Confirmation and ongoing formation in a bilingual setting. Spanish-language sacramental preparation is built around the rhythms of the parish calendar, including the many First Communions and Quinceañeras celebrated each year.
- Director of Religious Education: Alma Martinez (shjreligioused.dregmail.com)
- Bilingual sacramental preparation in English and Spanish
- First Communion and Confirmation cohorts
- Quinceañera celebrations as a parish-wide sacramental tradition
Assisi House — Outreach Center
Assisi House, located at 1728 East Bank Street in Fells Point, is the joint outreach ministry of Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Patrick parishes and has been operating since 1983. It provides food, clothing, household items and referrals to the homeless, men and women in rehabilitation programs, immigrants and needy families, and hosts senior luncheons twice a month. Assisi House coordinates with the Esperanza Center of Catholic Charities and Johns Hopkins on educational and mental health programs, and partners with community groups for back-to-school supplies, holiday gifts for children, and family meals. Hours: Tuesday and Friday 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM; 1st and 2nd Saturdays 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM.
- Operating since 1983 — joint ministry with St. Patrick
- Food pantry, clothing closet, and housewares
- Senior luncheons twice monthly
- Workshops and events with community partners (Esperanza Center, Johns Hopkins)
- Back-to-school supplies, Comiendo Juntos, Christmas gifts for children
- Phone: (443) 425-5919 / (410) 342-0905
Hispanic Community Life & Country Committees
Since absorbing the Spanish-speaking community from the closed St. Michael the Archangel parish in 2011, Sacred Heart of Jesus has become a cultural and devotional hub for southeast Baltimore's Hispanic families — roughly 95–97% of the parish's roughly 2,500 registered families as of 2023. Seven country committees — Dominican Republic, Ecuadorian, Guatemalan, Honduran, Mexican, Peruvian and Salvadoran — each celebrate the patron saint of their home country and bring their own processions, foods and devotions into parish life.
- Seven country committees organize their own feast days
- Knights of Columbus — St. John Neumann Council greeters and outreach
- Ladies Auxiliary of Perpetual Help
- Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations each Friday in October (tradition)
- Holy Week street processions in Spanish
- National Migration Week procession in September
Education: Archbishop Borders Catholic School
Archbishop Borders Catholic School, a bilingual Catholic school of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, today occupies the building that housed Sacred Heart School (1876–1974) and later Bishop Neumann School. It serves students from the surrounding Highlandtown, Canton, Fells Point and Dundalk neighborhoods.
- Sacred Heart School, K–8, led by School Sisters of Notre Dame, 1876–1974
- Later became Bishop Neumann School
- Today: Archbishop Borders Catholic School (bilingual, Archdiocese of Baltimore)
Justice for Immigrants & COVID-19 Community Response
Sacred Heart has long served as a hub for immigrant advocacy in southeast Baltimore, partnering with Catholic Charities' Esperanza Center and the Archdiocese's Justice for Immigrants efforts. During the COVID-19 pandemic the parish parking lot became a free testing site run with BUILD and Johns Hopkins, serving 400 to 600 patients a week in the summer of 2020, while 18 volunteer drivers delivered roughly 800 food boxes a week to families in need.
- Partnership with Catholic Charities Esperanza Center
- On-site COVID-19 testing and food distribution (2020–21)
- Mobile public-health outreach through Patterson Park, Canton, Highlandtown, Dundalk
- National Migration Week observances each September
Parish Carnival & Annual Traditions
The Sacred Heart parish carnival — a week-long summer festival with a food court, children's rides, games and a flea market — has been a Highlandtown tradition since at least the 1950s. Parishioners recall summers spent at the stands and rides, and the carnival remains a key fundraiser and reunion moment for current and former families.
- Annual week-long summer carnival on the church grounds
- Food court, children's rides, games, flea market
- 150th-anniversary Eucharistic procession through Highlandtown (2023)
- Food fair celebrating each country committee's cuisine
The Redemptorists & St. Patrick Mission
The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists) has staffed Sacred Heart since the parish's founding in 1873, and the current priest team is dominated by C.Ss.R. fathers. Sacred Heart is in a pastorate with the mission church of St. Patrick on Broadway in Fells Point, where some Spanish Masses are also celebrated. The Redemptorists' preaching and missionary charism — especially for immigrant and working-class communities — has shaped Sacred Heart's identity from its earliest days.
- Parish served by the Redemptorists since 1873
- In pastorate with St. Patrick (Broadway), Fells Point
- Joint outreach ministry: Assisi House (since 1983)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Francis van Emstede1878–
First pastor when Sacred Heart became an independent parish on October 13, 1878, separating from St. Michael's.
- Rev. Gerard 'Jerry' Knapp, C.Ss.R.2008–2011
Redemptorist rector/pastor; a fourth-generation son of the parish who grew up there in the 1950s and '60s.
- Rev. Ako Walker, C.Ss.R.2021–present
Current pastor; bilingual leadership has accompanied the parish's transition to its predominantly Hispanic character.