About St. Agnes · Rising Sun, Maryland
St. Agnes Catholic Church is a mission church of Good Shepherd Parish, located at 150 South Queen Street in Rising Sun, Cecil County, Maryland. Originally built in 1891 to serve Catholic families in the Rising Sun area, it is one of four worship sites that make up Good Shepherd Parish, alongside the mother church at Perryville, St. Teresa of Avila in Port Deposit, and the historic St. Patrick's Chapel in Pilottown. The parish lies within the Iron Hill Deanery of the Diocese of Wilmington. Today St. Agnes hosts a Sunday morning Mass in English and a Saturday evening (Sunday Vigil) Mass in Spanish, and is home to active outreach including a food pantry and a monthly St. Vincent de Paul Society luncheon.
- Established
- 1891
- Patron
- St. Agnes of Rome (early Christian virgin martyr, c. 305 AD)
- Rector
- Rev. Jay R. McKee
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wilmington (Roman Catholic), Iron Hill Deanery
Why belong here
St. Agnes is a small, mission-style Catholic community where worshippers are known by name, and where English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics from Rising Sun and surrounding Cecil County, eastern Harford County, and even the Pennsylvania line come together to pray. The parish runs a warm outreach program — a monthly St. Vincent de Paul Society luncheon, a Wednesday meal for the homeless served out of the parish, and a food pantry on site — making it a good fit for anyone who wants a parish where faith is lived, not just said.
Mass times at St. Agnes
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Confessions are heard at the mother church, Good Shepherd in Perryville, on Saturdays 3:15–3:45 PM (parish-wide reconciliation schedule; see parish office)
About St. Agnes, Rising Sun
St. Agnes Catholic Church is a mission church of Good Shepherd Parish, located in the small town of Rising Sun in western Cecil County, Maryland. It is one of four worship sites that together make up Good Shepherd Parish, and shares pastoral leadership, staff, and faith-formation programs with the mother church in Perryville. Like the rest of the cluster, St. Agnes belongs to the Iron Hill Deanery of the Diocese of Wilmington. Its 1891 founding places it among the older Catholic communities in this rural stretch of the upper Eastern Shore, with Sunday Mass in English and a Spanish Sunday Vigil Mass each Saturday evening.
- Founded 1891
- Mission church of Good Shepherd Parish, Perryville
- Diocese of Wilmington, Iron Hill Deanery
- Sunday Mass 10:00 AM (English)
- Saturday Vigil 7:00 PM (Spanish)
Parish History
Catholic life in this part of Cecil County begins in 1819 with St. Patrick's Chapel in Pilottown, a small mission to Irish immigrants along the Susquehanna River. St. Agnes itself was founded in 1891 to serve Catholic families in Rising Sun, with Mass originally celebrated only every three months or so. St. Teresa of Avila in Port Deposit dates to 1866, and the mother church of the present cluster, Good Shepherd in Perryville, was formally established in 1949 and grew into the parish seat because it had the most property. St. Agnes, St. Teresa, St. Patrick's, and Good Shepherd have been served as one multi-site parish ever since.
- 1819 — St. Patrick's Chapel founded in Pilottown
- 1866 — St. Teresa of Avila founded in Port Deposit
- 1891 — St. Agnes founded in Rising Sun
- 1949 — Good Shepherd Parish established in Perryville; becomes mother church of the cluster
Staff & Clergy
Good Shepherd Parish — including St. Agnes — is led by one priest, with deacons and lay staff supporting the four churches. Office hours run 9 AM to 2 PM Monday through Friday (9 AM to noon in summer). The parish office, mailing address for the cluster, is in Perryville.
- Pastor: Rev. Jay R. McKee (since January 2007)
- Deacon: Dr. Luke E. Yackley
- Director of Christian Formation: Jeanmarie Sepka ([email protected])
- Business Manager: Annette Brown ([email protected])
- Administrative Assistant: Sharon Rapposelli ([email protected])
- Music Director: Dr. Richard Allen ([email protected])
Outreach & Charity
Outreach is one of the hallmarks of the cluster, and the Rising Sun church is its main hub. St. Agnes hosts the monthly St. Vincent de Paul Society luncheon, with proceeds benefiting the Society's wider works. The food pantry located at St. Agnes provides for needy families in the area, and the parish's St. Vincent de Paul chapter also serves a meal to the homeless each Wednesday at Good Shepherd.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society (monthly luncheon at St. Agnes; Wednesday homeless meal)
- Food pantry at St. Agnes, Rising Sun
- Respect Life Committee (parish-wide)
- Senior Ministry (parish-wide)
Faith Formation & School
Faith formation for children and families across the four-site parish is directed by Jeanmarie Sepka. Good Shepherd Catholic School, the parish's Pre-K through 8 elementary school, is based on the Perryville campus and has been part of the parish since 1957, when it opened in the former convent purchased by Father William R. Couming, moving to its permanent site in 1959. The parish is also part of the Iron Hill Deanery, whose leadership team includes Jeanmarie Sepka among its members.
- Director of Christian Formation: Jeanmarie Sepka
- Good Shepherd Catholic School (Pre-K–8, Perryville campus)
- School Principal: Mrs. Marie-Pier Ingraham
- Knights of Columbus Squires youth program
- Youth Ministry
Parish Office & Contact
All four worship sites share one parish office and contact number. The mailing and operational address is in Perryville, although each site keeps its own street address for visitors.
- Parish Office (mailing): 810 Aiken Ave., Perryville, MD 21903
- Phone: (410) 642-6534
- Fax: (410) 642-2234
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.goodshepherdcecilmd.org
- Office Hours: Mon–Fri 9 AM–2 PM (summer 9 AM–noon)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Jay R. McKeesince January 2007
Sole priest assigned to the four-church Good Shepherd Parish (Perryville, Port Deposit, Rising Sun, Pilottown); relies on retired priests in the area to help with Masses at each church.