About St. Bartholomew Historic Church · Manchester, Maryland
St. Bartholomew Roman Catholic Church is a parish of the Archdiocese of Baltimore located in Manchester, Carroll County, Maryland. Established in 1865, the parish has worshipped for over 160 years and today includes a historic 1865 church at 3071 Park Avenue and a new brick church dedicated in 2006 at 2930 Hanover Pike. Weekend and Holy Day Masses are celebrated in the new 840-seat church, while the original small Civil War–era church continues to host daily Mass and Eucharistic Adoration. With more than 1,100 registered families and an active religious education and youth ministry program, St. Bartholomew serves a growing Catholic community in northern Carroll County.
- Established
- 1865
- Patron
- Saint Bartholomew
- Rector
- Rev. Collin Poston
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Baltimore
Why belong here
St. Bartholomew offers the rare gift of two worship spaces in one parish: a handsomely appointed new 840-seat church for weekend and Holy Day Masses, and the original 1865 Civil War–era chapel where parishioners continue to gather for daily Mass and a full day of Eucharistic Adoration each Friday. With more than 1,100 registered families, the parish runs a robust family-style religious education program for grade-school students, OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) for those exploring the Catholic faith, Confirmation preparation for grades 5–6, and an active youth ministry for grades 6–12 that combines Bible studies, holy hours, service at Our Daily Bread, First Fruits Farm, and Shepherd Staff, and social events. It is a welcoming, growing community in northern Carroll County where members can know one another across generations.
Mass times at St. Bartholomew Historic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM (in the new church) or by appointment
Adoration times
- Friday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Historic Church)
About St. Bartholomew Parish
St. Bartholomew Roman Catholic Church is a parish of the Archdiocese of Baltimore serving Manchester and the surrounding area of northern Carroll County, Maryland. The parish was founded in 1865 and today numbers more than 1,100 registered families. It is uniquely a two-church parish: weekend and Holy Day Masses are celebrated in a new 840-seat brick church on Hanover Pike, while the original Civil War–era church on Park Avenue remains in active use for daily Mass, Friday Eucharistic Adoration, small weddings, and funerals.
- Founded 1865
- Archdiocese of Baltimore
- Pastor: Rev. Collin Poston
- More than 1,100 registered families
Parish History
Catholics have worshipped in the original St. Bartholomew church in Manchester since 1865. For more than 140 years the parish gathered in the same small building, seating about 180, with only modest updates such as heating and air conditioning. As the community grew, the parish registry increased roughly eleven-fold. Land for a new church was acquired in 1964, but it took decades of capital campaigns and parish fundraising — totaling more than $2.8 million — before groundbreaking on September 11, 2005 and formal dedication of the new church on December 16, 2006. The historic church was preserved and is still used for daily Mass.
- 1865 — original church built (capacity ~180)
- 1964 — land acquired for a new church
- Three capital campaigns plus parish fundraisers (basket bingo, investment clubs, flower sales, beef raffles, Knights of Columbus events)
- Sept. 11, 2005 — groundbreaking for new church
- Dec. 16, 2006 — formal dedication of new church
- Designed by Noelker & Hull Associates, Chambersburg, PA
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Bartholomew's Religious Education is a family catechetical program in which parents and children attend twice a month. Families may choose a morning session (third Sundays, 8:30–10:15 AM) or an evening session (fourth Sundays, 5:30–7:30 PM), plus one additional family faith-formation activity each month. Children are organized by age groups — Angels (2–4), Venerables (5–6), Blesseds (7–8), Saints (9–10), Confessors (middle school), Doctors (high school) — while parents form the 'Martyrs' group for adult faith formation. Sacramental preparation for Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation is offered separately, in accordance with Archdiocese of Baltimore policy.
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) — for high school students and adults
- First Reconciliation and First Eucharist — 2nd grade preparation, two Sunday afternoons per month, 12:00–2:00 PM at the parish center
- Confirmation Preparation — grades 5 & 6, two Sunday afternoons per month, 12:00–2:00 PM at the parish center
- Sacrament of Reconciliation celebrated in December; First Holy Communion in May
Youth Ministry
Open to all 6th through 12th graders whose families are registered at St. Bartholomew, the youth group welcomes friends as well. The ministry offers three growth tracks — spiritual (Bible studies, holy hours, praying the rosary, Vespers), social (game nights, volleyball, movie nights, trips), and service (Our Daily Bread, First Fruits Farm, Shepherd Staff, and various parish events). The coordinator is Jordan Taylor.
- Contact: Jordan Taylor, [email protected] or 443-799-7372
- Open to grades 6–12
- Spiritual, social, and service activities
- Service partners: Our Daily Bread, First Fruits Farm, Shepherd Staff
Parish Staff
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Collin Poston and supported by a small staff handling administration, faith formation, and youth ministry. All staff can be reached at the parish phone (410) 239-8881 or via @archbalt.org email addresses.
- Rev. Collin Poston — Pastor — [email protected]
- Jordan Taylor — Director of Evangelization and Youth Ministry — [email protected]
- Lisa Utz — Office Administrator — [email protected]
- Evelyn Mann — Administrative Assistant — [email protected]
- Kelly Guest — Director of Family Faith Formation — [email protected]
- Kerry Topel — Assistant, Religious Education — [email protected]
Sacraments
The parish prepares members of all ages for the sacraments of initiation and offers preparation programs for marriage. Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation is offered separately from regular faith formation, in keeping with Archdiocese of Baltimore policy. Candidates must be enrolled in Catholic school, a Catholic homeschool program, or the parish's faith-formation program the year prior to the sacramental year.
- Baptism — contact the parish office
- First Reconciliation — 2nd grade or older
- First Eucharist — 2nd grade or older
- Confirmation — grades 5 & 6
- Marriage — preparation through the Archdiocese of Baltimore
- Anointing of the Sick — by request
Parish Cemetery
St. Bartholomew has operated a parish cemetery adjacent to the historic church at 3071 Park Avenue since 1865. The cemetery is listed by the Archdiocese of Baltimore among its active parish cemeteries and continues to be administered through the parish office.
- St. Bartholomew Cemetery — 3071 Park Avenue, Manchester, MD 21102
- In operation since 1865
- Phone: (410) 239-8881
Get Involved
Beyond Mass attendance, parishioners can join the Knights of Columbus, sign up children for the family faith-formation program, enroll teens in Youth Ministry, or serve through outreach partners such as Our Daily Bread, First Fruits Farm, and Shepherd Staff. The parish offers a parish-registration form on its homepage for new families.
- Parish registration form on the homepage
- Knights of Columbus
- Religious Education (K–8) and Youth Ministry (6–12)
- Outreach partners: Our Daily Bread, First Fruits Farm, Shepherd Staff
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Roach
Pastor during the planning, capital campaigns, groundbreaking (Sept 11, 2005), and dedication of the new church (Dec 16, 2006); cited by Catholic Review as the parish's pastor at the time the new church was built.