About St. John the Evangelist · Columbia, Maryland
St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church (SJERC) is a large, diverse Archdiocese of Baltimore parish in Columbia, Maryland, that worships not in a single church building but in two shared 'interfaith centers' — the Wilde Lake Interfaith Center on Twin Rivers Road and the Oakland Mills Interfaith Center (The Meeting House) on Robert Oliver Place. Founded in 1967 as one of the first Catholic parishes planted in James Rouse's newly-planned city of Columbia, it grew up as an experiment in ecumenical cooperation and today serves roughly 3,200 families with one of the area's largest Hispanic Catholic communities. Its mission statement — 'Trust God, Love Generously, Act Justly, Welcome All, Embodied by the Spirit' — captures a parish that pairs active liturgy (with up to eight Sunday Masses in two languages) with an unusually broad portfolio of formation, youth, social-justice, and mission-outreach ministries.
- Established
- 1967
- Patron
- St. John the Evangelist (Apostle and Evangelist)
- Rector
- Rev. Ramel Portula, CICM (Missionhurst)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Baltimore
Why belong here
St. John the Evangelist is one of the most distinctive parishes in the Archdiocese of Baltimore: a 3,200-family community that worships bilingually (English and Spanish) in two interfaith centers shared with neighboring Protestant and Jewish congregations — a living experiment in 'creative tension' that dates to Columbia's founding. A parishioner can attend daily noon Mass, one of eight weekend Masses across two campuses, join a thriving Hispanic community with five Spanish-language choirs, send children through the Pre-K–6 religious-education program or RCIA, take teens and young adults on the Appalachian Service Project summer mission trip, or support the parish's St. Vincent de Paul conference and the Tanzanian Children's Project. With active liturgy, music, youth, and outreach ministries all running under one roof — or two — there is room for almost anyone to plug in.
Mass times at St. John the Evangelist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM until 3:45 PM — Wilde Lake Interfaith Center
- Thursday 7:00 PM Mass followed by Eucharistic Adoration and confessions until 9:00 PM (per Discover Mass)
Adoration times
- Thursday Holy Hour with Eucharistic Adoration following the 12:00 PM Mass (per parish bulletin)
- Thursday 7:00 PM Spanish Mass followed by Adoration and confessions until 9:00 PM
History of St. John the Evangelist, Columbia
St. John the Evangelist was founded in 1967 alongside the new city of Columbia, Maryland, a planned community developed by James Rouse. From the outset, Columbia's planners and Cardinal Lawrence Sheehan, then Archbishop of Baltimore, designed the religious life of the city around 'interfaith centers' that would house Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish congregations under one roof — an ecumenical experiment so unusual that, as Archbishop William Lori later recalled, priests in the archdiocese were 'all sort of scratching our heads wondering what the heck this was.' The Wilde Lake Interfaith Center opened in September 1971 and Oakland Mills (The Meeting House) followed in 1975. Two early pastors, Father John Walsh and Father George Cora, both left the priesthood to marry, and in 1977 a 37-year-old priest, Father Richard H. Tillman, was sent in to provide stability. He would stay 33 years, quadruple the typical tenure, and roughly double parish size. The parish's Hispanic ministry began the same year he arrived, when Spanish-speaking parishioners requested a Mass; it grew from a monthly gathering of about 30 people into one of the largest Spanish-language Catholic communities in the region. By its 50th anniversary in September 2017, the parish served about 3,200 families across two campuses.
- Founded 1967 as part of Columbia, MD
- Wilde Lake Interfaith Center opened September 1971
- Oakland Mills Interfaith Center (The Meeting House) opened 1975
- Hispanic ministry begun 1977 with first Spanish Mass
- Father Richard H. Tillman served as pastor 1977–2011 (33 years)
- 50th anniversary celebrated September 2017 with Archbishop Lori
- Parish history book 'Creative Tension' co-authored by Carolyn Arena
Worship at Two Interfaith Centers
Because St. John's has no building of its own, Mass is celebrated across two shared campuses. The Wilde Lake Interfaith Center at 10431 Twin Rivers Road hosts the main parish office, almost all weekday and Saturday Masses, and most Sunday Masses in Rooms 1 and 4. The Oakland Mills Interfaith Center (The Meeting House) at 5885 Robert Oliver Place hosts the 11:30 AM Sunday English Mass in Room 200 and includes a dedicated St. John's Chapel for smaller services and private prayer. Both centers are shared with other Christian congregations; the Wilde Lake building was, in the words of one longtime observer, deliberately designed to look 'more like a utilitarian office building than a church' so that priests, ministers, and rabbis could share a 'lowest common denominator' worship space. The Wilde Lake gathering space was undergoing a $1.5 million renovation in 2017.
- Wilde Lake Interfaith Center — 10431 Twin Rivers Road, Columbia, MD 21044 (main office)
- Oakland Mills Interfaith Center / The Meeting House — 5885 Robert Oliver Place, Columbia, MD 21045
- St. John's Chapel at The Meeting House for intimate services and private prayer
- Wilde Lake gathering space renovation: ~$1.5 million (as of 2017)
Hispanic / Spanish-Language Ministry
The Hispanic community is one of the defining ministries of St. John the Evangelist. It began in 1977 when parishioner Laurentina Moreno Takovich and a small group requested a Spanish Mass; what started as one monthly Mass of about 30 people has grown to roughly 1,400 people attending three Spanish-language Masses each weekend. The community maintains five Spanish-language choirs, prayer and charismatic groups, and a Hispanic Youth Ministry where young people of Hispanic heritage can experience Church in their own language. The parish marked the 40th anniversary of the Hispanic community alongside its own 50th anniversary in September 2017.
- Three Spanish-language weekend Masses
- Five Spanish-language choirs
- Hispanic prayer groups and charismatic groups
- Hispanic Youth Ministry
- First Spanish Mass requested 1977
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Faith formation at St. John's is split by age group. Consuelo Petro directs the Religious Education program for children in Pre-K through 6th grade, and also coordinates the children's RCIA process for catechetical-age children (9 and older) who are entering the Church. The youth Confirmation process (grades 7–12) is coordinated through the parish office; adult Catholics who still need Confirmation are personally guided by Evangelization staff member Peter Barbernitz. Adult RCIA — for inquirers and catechumens — is also led by Peter Barbernitz, who can be reached at [email protected] or 410-964-1425 x310.
- Religious Education Pre-K–6th grade (Consuelo Petro, x325)
- Children's RCIA ages 9+ (Consuelo Petro)
- Youth Confirmation preparation (Jan Shaw, x324)
- Adult RCIA (Peter Barbernitz, x310)
- Adult Confirmation for already-baptized Catholics (Peter Barbernitz)
Youth, Young Adult, and Music Ministries
D. Scott Miller oversees Youth Ministry for grades 7 through 12 and Young Adult Ministry. Each summer the young-adult program runs the Appalachian Service Project, an interfaith mission trip in which St. John's young people travel to Appalachia to build and repair houses for families in need. Music Ministry is led by Christopher Youstra; the parish's Sunday choirs are described in parish materials as a centerpiece of joyful liturgy, and the Hispanic community maintains five Spanish-language choirs in parallel.
- Youth Ministry grades 7–12 (D. Scott Miller, x316)
- Young Adult Ministry (D. Scott Miller)
- Appalachian Service Project — summer mission trip
- Music Ministry (Christopher Youstra, [email protected])
- Five Spanish-language choirs within Hispanic Ministry
Evangelization, Social Justice, and Outreach
Peter Barbernitz coordinates Evangelization across the parish. The Social Justice Ministry (staff liaison Mary Casey, chair Kathy Gross) connects parishioners with local and international outreach, and a parish St. Vincent de Paul conference is part of the Archdiocese of Baltimore District Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, serving neighbors in need in Howard County. Internationally, the parish has a long partnership with the Tanzanian Children's Project (TCP), and the Religious Education program has helped fund the construction of water wells in Tanzania.
- Evangelization (Peter Barbernitz, x310)
- Social Justice Ministry (Mary Casey, x302; chair Kathy Gross)
- St. Vincent de Paul Conference of St. John — Columbia (Howard County)
- Tanzanian Children's Project (TCP) — wells and children's services in Tanzania
Parish Staff and Pastoral Council
Day-to-day parish operations are supported by a team of lay staff alongside the priests and deacons. The Business Manager is Shirley Tate Rucker (x314); Peter Barbernitz (x310) oversees Evangelization; D. Scott Miller (x316) directs Youth and Young Adult Ministry; Consuelo Petro (x325) directs Religious Education; Christopher Youstra directs Music. Administrative support comes from Mary Casey (pastor's assistant, x302), Jan Shaw (x324), and Cynthia Herrera (x311). The Pastoral Council, elected by the parish, includes a youth member and is supported by a Finance Committee chaired by Geoff Martiny. Parish Council and committee meetings are open to all parishioners.
- Business Manager: Shirley Tate Rucker (x314)
- Evangelization: Peter Barbernitz (x310)
- Youth/Young Adult: D. Scott Miller (x316)
- Religious Education: Consuelo Petro (x325)
- Music: Christopher Youstra
- Pastor's Assistant: Mary Casey (x302)
- Finance Chair: Geoff Martiny
Sacraments at St. John the Evangelist
The parish prepares members for all seven sacraments. Baptism begins with a required preparation class scheduled through the parish office; First Eucharist, First Reconciliation, and Confirmation are prepared through the Religious Education Program and the RCIA process, with Confirmation candidates guided by both parents and sponsors. Couples must contact the parish at least six months before their wedding to begin marriage preparation. The Anointing of the Sick is available by calling the parish office (410-964-1425) or the priests' 24-hour emergency line (240-400-0339). Reconciliation is heard Saturday afternoons at Wilde Lake and by appointment, and on Thursday evenings after the 7:00 PM Spanish Mass.
- Baptism preparation class required (Jan Shaw, x324)
- First Eucharist / First Reconciliation via Religious Education
- Confirmation preparation for youth and adults
- Matrimony: contact 6+ months in advance
- Anointing of the Sick: parish office or 240-400-0339
- Reconciliation: Saturday 3:00 PM and by appointment
Getting Involved and Staying Connected
St. John's makes it easy to plug in. Sunday homily announcements, ministry sign-ups, and breaking news are pushed out via Flocknote (sjerc.flocknote.com), the parish's email-and-text system. The website (sjcolumbia.org) carries the full Mass and confession schedule, livestream links, online giving through Give Central and text-to-give (text 'Donate' to 410-989-4617), and contact information for every staff member and ministry. Parish Council and Finance Committee meetings are open to all parishioners, and most ministries welcome new volunteers year-round.
- Parish Flocknote: sjerc.flocknote.com
- Online giving via Give Central: givecentral.org/location/501
- Text-to-Donate: text 'Donate' to 410-989-4617
- Livestream Mass: sjerc.org/streaming
- Pastoral Council email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John Walsh1967–early 1970s
First pastor; later left the priesthood to marry.
- Rev. George Coraearly 1970s–1977
Second pastor; also left the priesthood to marry.
- Rev. Msgr. Richard H. Tillman1977–2011
Served 33 years — roughly four times the usual tenure — and roughly doubled the parish to about 3,000 families; now Pastor Emeritus.
- Rev. Gerard (Gerry) Bowen2011–present
Succeeded Msgr. Tillman; previously described by the parish as welcoming and engaging pastor.
- Rev. Ramel Portula, CICM (Missionhurst)current
Listed as current pastor on the Archdiocese of Baltimore parish page.