About St. Columba · Oxon Hill, Maryland
St. Columba Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Oxon Hill, Maryland, belonging to the Archdiocese of Washington. Canonically erected on June 18, 1960 by Archbishop Patrick A. O'Boyle, it was carved out of St. Ignatius Parish and grew from roughly 322 founding families on 11.4 acres of land on Livingston Road. Today the parish offers multiple Sunday Masses (including a Filipino Mass celebrated in Tagalog on the first Sunday of each month), a daily 8:15 AM Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, Perpetual Help Novena, an active school (St. Columba School), and multicultural ministries serving the wider Prince George's County community.
- Established
- 1960
- Patron
- St. Columba of Iona
- Rector
- Rev. Gary T. Villanueva
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Washington
Why belong here
St. Columba is a culturally rich parish where English- and Filipino-speaking Catholics worship side by side: Sunday Masses are offered in English at 8:00, 10:00 and 12:00, and a Tagalog Filipino Mass is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month at 4:00 PM. The parish sustains a daily 8:15 AM Mass Monday–Friday, a Wednesday evening Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena, Eucharistic Adoration on Wednesdays and First Fridays, and a lively roster of ministries — Filipino Ministry, African-American Ministry (under the patronage of St. Josephine Bakhita), Music Ministry, Youth Ministry, CYO Athletics, and Faith Formation — that give every age a place to belong. With its own parish school on the same Livingston Road campus and more than six decades of history in Oxon Hill, St. Columba offers newcomers a stable spiritual home grounded in prayer, sacraments, and service.
Mass times at St. Columba
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
- Saturday: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
- Wednesdays of Advent: 6:00 PM – 6:45 PM
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Wednesdays: 6:00 PM – 6:45 PM
- First Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:45 PM
Parish History
St. Columba was canonically erected on June 18, 1960 by Archbishop Patrick A. O'Boyle, after the Archdiocese had purchased 11.417 acres on Livingston Road in 1955 for a church and school. Father Milton A. Schellenberg said the first two Masses on June 19, 1960 in the Oxon Hill Junior High School auditorium while the rectory was a private home at 6738 Prentice Street. The parish grew from about 322 families split off from St. Ignatius Parish and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2010. Successive pastors — Schellenberg, Wempe, Dewan, Lawrence, Mosley, Dempsey, Muzzey, King, Buchmeier, and the current pastor Rev. Gary T. Villanueva — have each marked the parish's growth through new ministries, facilities, and the parish school.
- Canonical erection: June 18, 1960 (Archbishop O'Boyle)
- First Mass: June 19, 1960 (Fr. Schellenberg, Oxon Hill Junior High auditorium)
- Land purchased: July 1, 1955 (11.417 acres, Livingston Road)
- 50th Anniversary celebrated in 2010
- Pastors' timeline spans 1960 to the present
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Gary T. Villanueva and is served by two deacons — Deacon Robert Villanueva and Deacon Rey Robles — plus Sr. Maria Gracia Almira as Coordinator of Religious Education and Sister Emily Bautista, MCST, as Youth Ministry Coordinator. Mrs. Leah Flores serves as both parish secretary and administrative assistant.
- Pastor: Rev. Gary T. Villanueva
- Deacon Robert Villanueva
- Deacon Rey Robles
- Coordinator of Religious Education: Sr. Maria Gracia Almira
- Youth Ministry Coordinator: Sister Emily Bautista, MCST
- Parish Secretary / Administrator: Leah Flores
Filipino Ministry
St. Columba's Filipino Ministry seeks to serve and inspire the Filipino Catholic members of the parish so they can fully participate in the life and mission of the Church, while sharing Filipino culture and traditions with the wider parish. The ministry meets on the first Monday of each month at 6:00 PM in Father Dewan Hall, and a monthly Tagalog (Filipino) Mass is celebrated on the first Sunday at 4:00 PM.
- Monthly Tagalog Mass — first Sunday, 4:00 PM
- Monthly meeting — first Monday, 6:00 PM, Fr. Dewan Hall
- President: Zards Agustin; Vice President: Ellis Flores
- Secretary: Tracy Maresch; Treasurer: Nila Henson
- Public Relations Officers: Teresa Mercado and Cecil Zacarias
African-American Ministry
Established at St. Columba on November 2, 2003 under Fr. Michael J. King, the African-American Ministry enhances the contributions and participation of African-American Catholics and educates the wider parish by sharing their rich history. It connects the parish with the Archdiocese of Washington's Office of Black Catholics and the National Black Catholic Congress. The ministry operates under the patronage of St. Josephine Bakhita.
- Founded November 2, 2003
- Patron: St. Josephine Bakhita
- Activities include Black History Celebration (February), Read Across America (March), Black Catholic History Month (November), Thanksgiving Baskets, Adopt-a-Family, and Kwanzaa
- Regular meetings: first Wednesday of each month at 7 PM in the library (Fr. Dewan Hall)
Music Ministry
The Music Ministry is committed to proclaiming the Word of God through music, encouraging members to be prayerful and Christ-centered as they lead the congregation in worship. The parish invites singers, cantors, pianists, and instrumentalists (strings, brass, woodwinds) to serve, especially for Christmas, Easter, and Confirmation celebrations. Contact for the ministry is Ms. Becky Yoder.
- Mission: proclaim the Word through music
- Welcomes singers, cantors, pianists, instrumentalists
- Contact: Ms. Becky Yoder
- Special seasonal liturgies: Christmas, Easter, Confirmation
Youth Ministry and CYO Athletics
St. Columba's Youth Ministry is coordinated by Sister Emily Bautista, MCST, and offers Catholic young people opportunities for prayer, formation, and fellowship, including a Prayer for the Youth, registration form, and invitation to join. The parish also fields teams through the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) Athletic program in basketball and soccer, directed by Bill Parks.
- Youth Ministry Coordinator: Sister Emily Bautista, MCST
- Phone: 301-567-5506
- CYO Athletic Director: Bill Parks
- CYO Sports: Basketball and Soccer
- Registration form available on parish website
Evangelization and Faith Formation
The parish's Evangelization / Faith Formation effort emphasizes that every baptized person has a responsibility to share the Good News. Through Awareness & Witness Retreats — one-day events that lead participants through a reflection on God's presence in their lives — parishioners learn to give an authentic witness to Christ in everyday settings.
- Awareness & Witness Retreats (one-day format)
- Topics: Evangelization & the Mission of the Parish; Reconnecting People with the Lord; Sharing My Faith with Others
- Coordinator of Religious Education: Sr. Maria Gracia Almira
St. Columba School
St. Columba School shares the Livingston Road campus with the parish and offers a Christ-centered environment where quality education helps each child grow in faith, knowledge, service, and love of God. The school is known for rigorous curriculum mapping, a STEM Initiative, an Extended School Program (before- and after-care), extracurricular clubs, and exceptional standardized test scores that outpace the local public school system.
- Principal: Ms. Jennifer Whelan
- Assistant Principal: Mr. Bill Johnson
- School hours: M–F 7:55 AM – 2:40 PM (first Friday is a half-day)
- Office hours: M–F 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM
- Phone: 301-567-6212
- Email: [email protected]
- STEM Initiative, Extended School Program, FACTS online application
Getting Involved
The parish website provides downloadable Parish Registration Forms (front and back) and a Time and Talent Commitment Form to help newcomers plug into the parish's ministries. Active groups include the Filipino Ministry, African-American Ministry, Music Ministry, Youth Ministry, CYO Athletics, and Evangelization/Faith Formation.
- Parish Registration Form (front and back)
- Time and Talent Commitment Form
- Ministries for all ages and cultures
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Milton A. Schellenberg1960–1974
First pastor; said the first two Masses on June 19, 1960 in the Oxon Hill Junior High School auditorium; retired June 29, 1974.
- Rev. Lawrence J. Wempe1974–1980
Came from St. Thomas More Parish; celebrated his 70th birthday (Sept. 9, 1979) and his golden jubilee in 1986; retired June 3, 1980; died July 16, 1990.
- Rev. John T. Dewan1980–1988
Suffered two strokes in October 1988; died May 4, 1989.
- Rev. Walter Lawrence1988–1993
Arrived as Parochial Administrator on Oct. 30, 1988; accepted pastorate on June 11, 1989; transferred to Holy Redeemer, Kensington, MD on June 29, 1993.
- Rev. Godfrey T. Mosley1993–2001
Named Monsignor (Jan. 6, 2000); became Vicar General for the Archdiocese of Washington and left St. Columba on March 16, 2001.
- Rev. Patrick E. Dempsey2001
Assigned as administrator on March 15, 2001.
- Rev. Charles Muzzey2001
Arrived as administrator on May 7, 2001.
- Rev. Michael J. King2001–2005
Became pastor May 16, 2001; founded the African-American Ministry on November 2, 2003; transferred to Jesus the Good Shepherd parish in 2005.
- Rev. Robert Buchmeier2005–
Arrived from St. Nicholas parish as pastor on August 2, 2005.
- Rev. Gary T. Villanuevapresent
Current pastor per the Archdiocese of Washington parish listing.