About St. Ignatius · Port Tobacco, Maryland
St. Ignatius Catholic Church at Chapel Point in Port Tobacco, Maryland is the oldest continuously active Roman Catholic parish in the United States. It was founded in 1641 by the English-born Jesuit missionary Fr. Andrew White, S.J., who came upriver from St. Mary's City to preach the Gospel to the Piscataway people. The present brick church was built in 1798 and sits adjacent to the historic St. Thomas Manor (1741), and Jesuits have staffed the parish without interruption since Fr. Henry Warren erected a log chapel here in 1662. Today the parish is pastorally served by the Jesuits of the USA East Province (with sacramental ties to the Archdiocese of Washington) and remains a living worshipping community as well as a registered historic site along the Religious Freedom National Scenic Byway.
- Established
- 1641
- Patron
- St. Ignatius of Loyola (founder of the Society of Jesus)
- Rector
- Fr. Mark Horak, S.J.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Washington (parish is served by the Society of Jesus, USA East Province)
Why belong here
St. Ignatius at Chapel Point is a small but living Jesuit parish where parishioners encounter daily Mass, traditional devotional life, and a faith community rooted in nearly four centuries of continuous worship. The parish welcomes families through youth ministry (in partnership with nearby St. Catherine and Sacred Heart in La Plata), sacramental preparation, Vacation Bible School, and Life Teen formation, and it sustains a connection to the Piscataway people that has lasted since 1641. Whether one comes for the Sunday 6:00 PM Mass, Saturday confessions, the annual Novena of Grace (March 4–12), or simply to walk the historic grounds, this is a parish where Jesuit spirituality and Maryland's Catholic founding story meet.
Mass times at St. Ignatius
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday, 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM (also by request)
Welcome to St. Ignatius Catholic Church
The official chapelpoint.org site greets visitors with the line 'Celebrating God's Word and work since 1641' and emphasizes that the parish is 'not just an historical site, a fossil from the past, but a living worshiping community.' The site links to bulletins, Mass times, contact information, directions, a Flocknote sign-up, electronic giving, Vacation Bible School, and the Restore and Renew capital campaign.
Our History
The parish's history page traces the community from Fr. Andrew White's 1641 arrival through the 1645 abandonment, the 1662 return under Fr. Henry Warren, the 1697 brick chapel, the 1741 construction of St. Thomas Manor, the 1798 rebuilding of the present church, the 1866 fire and reconstruction, the 1839 manumission, and the twentieth-century reduction of the original 4,000-acre Jesuit land grant to 27.6 protected acres.
- 1641 — Fr. Andrew White, S.J., founds the mission at Chapel Point to evangelize the Piscataway.
- 1645 — Jesuits abandon the settlement under pressure from Virginia Protestants.
- 1662 — Fr. Henry Warren builds the first permanent log chapel; Jesuit presence continues unbroken.
- 1697 — Brick chapel built on the bluff (still in use today as the sacristy).
- 1741 — Georgian-style St. Thomas Manor completed as Jesuit mission headquarters.
- 1798 — Present brick St. Ignatius Church built; Fr. John Carroll lays the cornerstone.
- 1839 — Jesuits manumit their enslaved laborers at Chapel Point.
- 1866 — Fire destroys interiors of church and manor; both rebuilt within surviving walls.
- 1960s — Surrounding mission parishes pass to the new Archdiocese of Washington; the Jesuits remain at Chapel Point.
- 1971 — Jesuits sell all but 27.6 acres; the core complex enters preservation easements.
St. Thomas Manor and the Historic Site
Adjacent to the church, St. Thomas Manor is a two-story Georgian-style residence built in 1741 as headquarters for the Jesuit mission throughout the American colonies. The brick chapel that connects the manor and church dates to 1697 and now serves as the sacristy. The 27.6-acre complex is subject to preservation easements held by the Maryland Historic Trust and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and the site is part of the Religious Freedom National Scenic Byway.
- St. Thomas Manor (1741) — Georgian-style Jesuit mission headquarters.
- 1697 brick chapel — now the sacristy of St. Ignatius Church.
- St. Ignatius historic cemetery on site (graves transferred here after the 1798 rebuild).
- Religious Freedom National Scenic Byway interpretive site.
Parish Staff and Jesuit Leadership
The parish is pastorally served by the Society of Jesus through the USA East Province. The current pastor is Fr. Mark Horak, S.J., who in 2025 presided at the Maryland Day Mass on St. Clement's Island marking the 1634 landing of Fr. Andrew White. He is assisted by Father Scott Woods (Administrator), Brenda Canter (Business Manager), and Sarah MacMillan (Coordinator of Religious Education).
- Pastor: Fr. Mark Horak, S.J.
- Administrator: Father Scott Woods
- Business Manager: Brenda Canter
- Coordinator of Religious Education: Sarah MacMillan
Faith Formation and Youth Ministry
Religious education and sacramental preparation are coordinated by Sarah MacMillan. The parish takes part in the Community Catholic Youth Ministry alongside neighboring St. Catherine and Sacred Heart in La Plata, offering youth nights, retreats, bonfires, movie nights, bowling, Bible studies, outdoor excursions, and service projects. Vacation Bible School is offered seasonally. The parish also features a Life Teen 'Sharing the Faith' blog series with testimonies from local teens.
- Coordinator of Religious Education: Sarah MacMillan
- Community Catholic Youth Ministry (with St. Catherine and Sacred Heart, La Plata)
- Youth nights, retreats, bonfires, Bible studies, service projects
- Seasonal Vacation Bible School
- Life Teen 'Sharing the Faith' blog series
- Sacramental preparation programs
Stewardship, Giving, and Capital Campaign
The parish supports its mission through Flocknote communications, online electronic giving (with an instructional video on the homepage), and the Restore and Renew capital campaign. The campaign funds the ongoing preservation and renewal of the historic 1798 church and surrounding campus, which is held under Maryland preservation easements.
- Electronic Giving (online, with how-to video)
- Flocknote email/text sign-up
- Restore and Renew Capital Campaign
- Parish bulletins posted online
Spiritual Resources and Outreach
The homepage links to Word on Fire (Bishop Robert Barron) video content and a curated set of 'Spiritual Links,' including the parish's Facebook page, the Archdiocese of Washington YouTube channel, and 'Lessons from Loyola on the Potomac' featuring local Jesuit voices. The parish maintains an active Facebook presence and is supported historically by the Archbishop Neale Council and Bryantown Council of the Knights of Columbus.
- Word on Fire video ministry
- Archdiocese of Washington YouTube channel
- 'Lessons from Loyola on the Potomac' Jesuit reflections
- Knights of Columbus — Archbishop Neale Council No. 2279 and Bryantown Council No. 2293 (historical markers erected by these councils)
Visiting Chapel Point
St. Ignatius Church sits on Chapel Point Road along the Port Tobacco River, where it meets the Potomac. The site is wheelchair accessible and forms part of the Religious Freedom National Scenic Byway. Visitors should consult the 'Directions' page on chapelpoint.org for a map and driving directions. The parish office can be reached at 301-934-8245 or [email protected].
- Address: 8855 Chapel Point Road, Port Tobacco, MD 20677
- Phone: 301-934-8245
- Email: [email protected]
- Wheelchair accessible
- Part of the Religious Freedom National Scenic Byway
- Onsite historic cemetery