About St. Andrew · Ocean City, Maryland
St. Andrew's Catholic Center is a seasonal mission parish of St. Luke's Catholic Church, located at 14401 Sinepuxent Avenue in Ocean City, Maryland. It serves as the second Catholic worship site in Ocean City and houses all parish offices and classrooms, though Mass is celebrated there only during the summer months (Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend). The parish falls under the Diocese of Wilmington and is part of a combined St. Luke's-St. Andrew's parish community of approximately 1,200 families living across Worcester County, Maryland, and Sussex County, Delaware.
- Established
- 1993
- Patron
- St. Andrew the Apostle
- Rector
- Fr. Paul F. Jennings, Jr.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wilmington
Why belong here
St. Andrew's Parish Center is the perfect summer worship site for Catholics visiting Ocean City, Maryland — it offers weekend Masses during July and August (Saturday 5 PM, Sunday 7:30 AM) in addition to the year-round Masses at St. Luke's, giving a total of eight weekend Masses between the two locations. As a mission of St. Luke's, it serves as the parish office and religious education hub for about 1,200 families across Worcester County, MD and Sussex County, DE. The community welcomes both year-round parishioners and the thousands of summer visitors to the Maryland Atlantic resort area, with the parish actively practicing good works and service to the wider community.
Mass times at St. Andrew
Weekly Mass schedule
About St. Luke's-St. Andrew's Parish
St. Andrew's Catholic Center is a mission of St. Luke's Catholic Church, together forming one Roman Catholic parish community serving Ocean City, Maryland and the surrounding Worcester County, Maryland and Sussex County, Delaware areas. The combined parish is home to about 1,200 families and offers eight weekend Masses between its two worship locations to accommodate both year-round parishioners and the large influx of summer visitors to the Maryland Atlantic coast. St. Luke's Church (at 100th & Coastal Hwy) is open year-round, while St. Andrew's Parish Center is open for Mass only during the summer months (Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day). The parish mission is to welcome parishioners, visitors, and inquirers and to hear, understand, celebrate, proclaim, and live the Gospel of Jesus Christ through good works and service.
Parish History
St. Luke's was established in 1985 when Bishop Robert E. Mulvee appointed Fr. Richard Gardiner as founding Pastor, creating the second Catholic parish in Ocean City (after St. Mary, Star of the Sea). The parish grew rapidly, and in October 1993, Bishop Mulvee blessed St. Andrew's Parish Center to serve as a second worship site. Through the decades, the parish has been led by eight pastors and numerous associate pastors, and today continues to serve both its permanent residents and seasonal visitors under the leadership of Fr. Paul F. Jennings, Jr., the eighth pastor since 2015.
- 1985: Parish founded; Fr. Richard Gardiner appointed founding Pastor
- 1989: Fr. Gardiner dies; Fr. Leonard Blakely assists; Fr. Bruce Byrolly becomes second Pastor
- 1991: Fr. William J. Porter becomes third Pastor
- 1993 (Oct 17): St. Andrew's Parish Center blessed by Bishop Mulvee
- 2003: Fr. Raymond Weisman becomes fourth Pastor
- 2006: Fr. Thomas Protack becomes fifth Pastor
- 2007: Fr. Christopher LaBarge becomes sixth Pastor
- 2009: Fr. Richard Smith becomes seventh Pastor
- 2014: Fr. Smith dies; Fr. Edward Aigner serves as Administrator
- 2015 (May 19): Fr. Paul F. Jennings, Jr. becomes eighth Pastor
Mass & Worship Schedule
St. Andrew's Parish Center offers weekend Masses only during the summer season (Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day). The schedule complements the year-round Mass schedule at St. Luke's, giving worshippers eight weekend Mass options between the two sites during peak summer season.
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM
- Sunday: 7:30 AM
- Season: Open May 23 – September 6, 2026 (Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day)
St. Luke's Year-Round Schedule (Main Parish)
The main parish worship site, St. Luke's Church at 100th & Coastal Hwy, is open year-round and offers daily Masses along with weekend Masses.
- Monday-Saturday: 9:00 AM Daily Mass
- Saturday: 4:00 PM and 5:30 PM Vigil Masses
- Sunday: 8:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:30 AM, and 5:00 PM
- Confessions: Saturday 4:00 PM
Parish Office & Religious Education
St. Andrew's Parish Center is the administrative heart of the parish: all parish offices and religious education classrooms are located there. The parish office is open Monday-Thursday from 9 AM to 3 PM and Friday from 9 AM to 12 PM. During the winter months, St. Andrew's also serves as the social center for various parish events.
- Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 9 AM - 3 PM; Friday 9 AM - 12 PM
- Address: 14401 Sinepuxent Avenue, Ocean City, MD 21842
- Phone: (410) 250-0300
- Email: [email protected]
Clergy & Pastoral Staff
The combined parish of St. Luke's-St. Andrew's is currently led by its eighth pastor, Fr. Paul F. Jennings, Jr., appointed May 19, 2015 by Bishop Malooly. He is assisted by Associate Pastor Fr. Sylvester Obumneme (appointed June 2024). Many retired priests have also celebrated weekend and Holy Day Masses at the parish over the years.
- Pastor: Fr. Paul F. Jennings, Jr. (since 2015)
- Associate Pastor: Fr. Sylvester Obumneme (since June 2024)
- Retired priests assisting: Fr. Raymond Forester, Fr. Joseph Kennedy, Fr. William Lawler, Msgr. Thomas Tewes
Community & Organizations
The parish supports a range of community organizations and ministries, including the Knights of Columbus Council #9053 which is based at St. Luke's-St. Andrew's Parish. The parish emphasizes good works and service to the broader Ocean City community, welcoming both permanent residents and the many summer visitors who fill the resort town each year.
- Knights of Columbus Council #9053
- Religious Education programs (classrooms at St. Andrew's Parish Center)
- Parish social events held at St. Andrew's during winter months
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Richard Gardiner1985-1989
Founding Pastor of St. Luke's; appointed by Bishop Robert E. Mulvee; served 558 families until his death in 1989
- Fr. Leonard Blakely1989
Assigned June 1989 to assist after Fr. Gardiner's death; administered parish until second Pastor appointed
- Fr. Bruce Byrolly1989-1991
Second Pastor; appointed December 1989
- Fr. William J. Porter1991-2003
Third Pastor; appointed by Bishop Mulvee; oversaw 96% family growth 1989-1991; oversaw construction of St. Andrew's Parish Center blessed Oct 17, 1993
- Fr. Patrick O'Neill1995-1999
Associate Pastor under Fr. Porter
- Fr. Joseph Piekarski1998-2001
Associate Pastor under Fr. Porter
- Fr. Raymond Weisman2003-2005
Fourth Pastor; appointed June 2003
- Fr. Thomas J. Protack2003-2005 (Associate), 2005-2006 (Administrator), 2006-2007 (Pastor)
Associate Pastor under Fr. Weisman; Administrator Nov 2005; Fifth Pastor June 2006
- Fr. John Kavanaugh2005-
Associate Pastor appointed Dec 2005
- Fr. Richard Smith2006-2007 (Associate), 2008-2009 (Temporary Administrator), 2009-2014 (Pastor)
Associate Pastor June 2006; Temporary Administrator June 30, 2008; Seventh Pastor October 4, 2009; medical leave Oct 2014; died Oct 30, 2014
- Fr. Anthony Pileggi2007
Associate Pastor June 2007; moved to St. John Neumann later that year
- Fr. Christopher LaBarge2007-2008
Sixth Pastor; appointed October 7, 2007 by Bishop Saltarelli
- Fr. Edward Aigner2014-2015
Temporary Administrator after Fr. Smith's medical leave and death
- Fr. Paul F. Jennings, Jr.2015-present
Eighth Pastor; appointed May 19, 2015 by Bishop Malooly
- Fr. Steve Giuliano2018-
Associate Pastor appointed July 17, 2018
- Fr. Lance Martin2022-2024
Associate Pastor appointed June 2022 by Bishop Koenig; moved June 2024 to Administrator at St. Mary Star of the Sea
- Fr. Sylvester Obumneme2024-present
Associate Pastor appointed June 2024 by Bishop Koenig
- Fr. Michael Casari2009-2011
Associate Pastor; retired June 30, 2011
- Fr. Anthony Cardone2011-2013
Associate Pastor; moved to a diocese in New York July 2013
- Fr. John Lunness2013-
Associate Pastor appointed July 2013
- Fr. Raymond Forester
Retired priest assisting with weekend and Holy Day Masses
- Fr. Joseph Kennedy
Retired priest assisting with weekend and Holy Day Masses
- Fr. William Lawler
Retired priest assisting with weekend and Holy Day Masses
- Msgr. Thomas Tewes
Retired priest assisting with summer weekend Masses