About St. Catherine Laboure · Wheaton, Maryland
St. Catherine Labouré is a Roman Catholic parish in Wheaton, Maryland (Montgomery County), canonically established in 1951 and part of the Archdiocese of Washington. The parish sits on a nearly 10-acre campus off Claridge Road and is known for its distinctive New Formalist church building completed in 1969. It serves a bilingual community, with Sunday and weekday Masses celebrated in both English and Spanish, daily Eucharistic Adoration, and a strong network of faith-formation, youth, and outreach ministries.
- Established
- 1951
- Patron
- St. Catherine Labouré (French Vincentian sister to whom the Virgin Mary appeared in 1830, commissioning the Miraculous Medal)
- Rector
- Rev. Francisco E. Aguirre
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Washington (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
St. Catherine Labouré is one of the most liturgy-rich parishes in the Wheaton area: weekday Mass is offered every morning in English and every evening in Spanish, Saturdays include both a Vigil Mass in English and one in Spanish, and the Adoration chapel is open for extended daily holy hours Monday through Friday (7:30 AM – 9:00 PM). Combined with bilingual faith formation, a Confirmation-prep youth program (SCLYM), parish societies, and the parish's 1969 New Formalist church and stained-glass bell tower on Claridge Road, it offers families a stable, welcoming Catholic home in the heart of Montgomery County.
Mass times at St. Catherine Laboure
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
- 1st Friday of the month 7:00 PM – 7:30 PM (English, during monthly Holy Hour)
- By appointment (call the rectory)
Adoration times
- Monday – Friday: 7:30 AM – 9:00 PM (Daily Holy Hour in the Adoration Chapel)
- 1st Friday Monthly Holy Hour: 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM (English); 8:30 PM – 12:00 AM (Spanish Hora Santa)
- 1st Saturday: 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM (Adoration with Deacon Bart)
Parish Identity and History
St. Catherine Labouré Parish was canonically established in 1951 by the Archdiocese of Washington and named for the French Vincentian sister Catherine Labouré, to whom the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared in 1830 and commissioned the Miraculous Medal. The parish was set up to serve Catholic families in the growing Wheaton area of Montgomery County. By the late 1960s the community had grown enough to need a much larger church, and the present building on Claridge Road was completed in 1969. The Archdiocese of Washington lists the parish as canonically established in 1951 and wheelchair accessible.
Church Building and Campus
The present church is a New Formalist Catholic church building completed in 1969, set on the front corner of a nearly 10-acre sloping campus. Its most recognizable feature is the stained-glass bell tower that rises above the entrance. A 2019 Maryland State Highway Administration historic context study uses it as the local representative example of the New Formalist style for Catholic worship buildings in suburban Montgomery County. Behind the church sit two large parking lots and a half-dozen ancillary parish buildings (rectory, parish hall, Adoration chapel, education wings), with a Maryland Catholic Conference sustainability profile noting that the slope of the grounds makes for a good walk between buildings.
- Completed 1969
- New Formalist architectural style
- Stained-glass bell tower
- Roughly 10-acre campus
- Wheelchair accessible
Clergy and Parish Staff
The parish is led by its pastor and supported by a parochial vicar, two permanent deacons, and a small lay staff who run faith formation, music, secretarial, and administrative functions.
- Pastor — Rev. Francisco E. Aguirre
- Parochial Vicar — Rev. Fidele Bimenyimana
- Permanent Deacon — Deacon G. Stephane Philogène
- Permanent Deacon (Retired) — Deacon Bartolo Serafini
- Secretary — Monica Williams
- Coordinator of Religious Education — Joaquin Trejo
- Administrative Assistant — Noemi Cornejo
- Director of Religious Education — Mirtha Hunter
- Music Director — Regina Reale (also referenced as Elena Chapp on parish schedule page)
- Jeremy W. Hammond — Canon Law studies at CUA
Devotions and Other Services
In keeping with the parish's patron, the Miraculous Medal devotion is a weekly part of parish life, and a bilingual Mass Aid helps worshippers follow the daily Mass prayers.
- Novena of the Miraculous Medal — Wednesdays after the 7:00 AM and 8:30 AM English Masses (Novena Medalla Milagrosa)
- Rosary — Monday through Saturday before the 8:30 AM Mass
- Bilingual Mass Aid available for download from the parish site
- Holy Day Masses as listed on the parish schedule
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Faith formation at St. Catherine Labouré is coordinated by Joaquin Trejo (Coordinator of Religious Education) and Mirtha Hunter (Director of Religious Education). Programs are offered in both English and Spanish, including sacramental preparation for children and a Spanish-language catechumenate (Catecumenado) for adults and children preparing for the sacraments.
- Religious Education (English) for parish children
- Catecumenado — Spanish-language catechumenate
- Sacramental preparation
- Bilingual catechesis
Youth Ministry (SCLYM)
St. Catherine Laboure Youth Ministry (SCLYM) runs separate middle-school and high-school programs designed to bring young people closer to Christ through community, teaching, the sacraments, and retreats. The program meets weekly for Life Nights, and participates in regional conferences and summer camps.
- Life Nights for grades 8–12 on Wednesday evenings, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
- Middle-school program
- High-school program
- Steubenville conferences (registration mentioned)
- Covecrest Summer Camp (registration mentioned)
- Instagram: @sclym
Liturgical and Outreach Ministries
Beyond faith formation, the parish relies on lay ministers to support its many Masses and to bring Communion to those who cannot attend.
- Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist — distribution during Mass and homebound ministry
- Music Ministry — Music Director and volunteer choirs
- Adoration Chapel volunteers
- Rosary and Miraculous Medal novena leaders
- Parish secretarial and administrative staff
Visit, Directions, and Contact
St. Catherine Labouré sits at 11801 Claridge Road in Wheaton, Maryland 20902 (Montgomery County). Visitors arriving by car typically take Georgia Avenue north to Viers Mill Road, then right on Claridge Road. The parish grounds are wheelchair accessible, with two large parking lots behind the church.
- Address: 11801 Claridge Road, Wheaton, MD 20902
- Phone: (301) 946-3636
- Fax: (301) 946-5064
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: sclwheaton.org
- Deanery: Upper Montgomery West, Archdiocese of Washington