About St. John the Evangelist · Silver Spring, Maryland
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church (SJE) is a historic parish in Silver Spring/Forest Glen, Maryland, founded in 1774 by Fr. John Carroll — the future first Catholic bishop and archbishop in the United States. Falling under the Archdiocese of Washington, the parish operates two church buildings: the spacious 'Main Church' on Georgia Avenue (dedicated 1962, designed by Johnson & Boutin) and the much smaller 1894 stone 'Historic Church' on Rosensteel Avenue in Forest Glen. Today SJE is a vibrant, multicultural parish offering Mass in both English and Spanish, an active Catholic school (Pre-K–8), a religious education program, OCIA (formerly RCIA), Eucharistic adoration, novenas, and a wide range of parish ministries — all led by its current pastor, Very Rev. Joseph Calis, V.F., who has served since 2014.
- Established
- 1774
- Patron
- St. John the Evangelist
- Rector
- Very Rev. Joseph Calis, V.F.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Washington
Why belong here
SJE is a living link to the very beginnings of American Catholicism — founded by the man who became the first U.S. bishop — yet it remains a forward-looking, multicultural parish where Sunday Mass is offered in both English and Spanish. Families can send their children to the parish's own Blue Ribbon award-winning Catholic school (Pre-K through 8), receive the sacraments through a robust Religious Education program, journey to full communion through OCIA, pray before the Blessed Sacrament in a dedicated Adoration Chapel, or serve through Hispanic ministry, the parish Help Line, the Stewardship Committee, the Knights of Columbus (Fr. Rosensteel Council), and many other groups. As pastor Fr. Joseph Calis writes, 'If up until now you have kept Him at a distance, step forward. He will receive you with open arms' — and the parish's monthly 'Community Sunday' breakfast after Mass is designed to make that first step easy.
Mass times at St. John the Evangelist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 9:40 AM – 10:15 AM (Main Church)
- Saturday: 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM (Historic Church on Rosensteel Ave)
- Sunday: 1:15 PM – 1:45 PM (Spanish — Main Church)
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration Chapel — contact the parish office for the access code
- 1st Friday: Adoration and Benediction follow the 9:30 AM Mass (Main Church)
- Monday: Rosary at 7:00 PM (see bulletin for details)
Parish History — From Carroll's Chapel to a Two-Church Parish (1774–Present)
St. John the Evangelist is the parish founded by Fr. John Carroll in 1774 — the same John Carroll who would become the first Catholic bishop (1789) and first archbishop (1811) in the United States and the founder of Georgetown University. The original Carroll Chapel stood near the family home in Rock Creek (now Forest Glen); penal laws then made it illegal to build Catholic churches, and larger Catholic homes reserved rooms for the offering of Mass. After Carroll moved to Baltimore in 1786, Jesuit missionaries tended the mission until 1813, when it became a mission church of St. Mary's in Rockville. In 1850 the chapel was rebuilt and officially named St. John's Church. In 1893, Fr. Charles Rosensteel — a devoted champion of Carroll's legacy — began building the stone church that still stands in Forest Glen; he was appointed its first resident pastor in 1894. He was succeeded by Fr. Joseph T. Kennedy in 1936, who bought the McKeever property on Georgia Avenue and in 1950 opened St. John the Evangelist School with the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. As the parish grew, two new parishes were formed from it — St. Catherine Laboure (1951) and St. Andrew Apostle (1959). On May 27, 1962, Archbishop Patrick A. O'Boyle blessed the new convent and dedicated the present Main Church on Georgia Avenue, whose front is wrapped by a large marble mosaic of the Crucifixion. The Forest Glen stone church became the parish's beloved 'Historic St. John's.' Since 2014 the parish has been led by Fr. Joseph Calis, who in fall 2017 added a Spanish Sunday Mass at 2:00 PM and built a thriving Hispanic ministry.
- 1774 — Carroll Chapel built on land owned by Fr. John Carroll's mother
- 1786 — Carroll departs for Baltimore; Jesuit missionaries take over
- 1813 — becomes a mission church of St. Mary's, Rockville
- 1850 — chapel rebuilt; officially named St. John's Church
- 1893–94 — Fr. Charles Rosensteel builds the stone church in Forest Glen
- 1936 — Fr. Joseph T. Kennedy becomes pastor (3rd resident pastor)
- 1950 — St. John the Evangelist School opens (IHM Sisters; Mother Mary Amata, first principal)
- 1957 — School enrollment peaks at 1,070 students
- 1962 — Archbishop Patrick A. O'Boyle dedicates the new Main Church on Georgia Avenue
- 2000 — Parish celebrates the school's 50th anniversary
- 2014 — Fr. Joseph Calis becomes pastor
- 2017 — Spanish Mass at 2:00 PM added; Hispanic ministry launched
Faith Formation — Religious Education (CCD) and Sacraments
The Parish Religious Education Program at SJE educates children in the truths and practices of the Catholic Faith, using the Archdiocesan curriculum Forming Disciples for the New Evangelization. Volunteer catechists staff grades Pre-K through 8 on Sunday mornings from 9:00 to 10:15 AM in the parish school. Preparation for First Eucharist spans two years (1st and 2nd grade), with First Penance typically received on a Saturday in late January and First Communion on the First Saturday in May. Confirmation preparation is also a two-year program (7th and 8th grade), with the Sacrament conferred by a Bishop of the Archdiocese in the spring. All adult volunteers over 18 must complete the ADW Child Protection Workshop and a Virtus background check.
- Pre-K through 8th grade CCD, Sunday mornings 9:00–10:15 AM
- First Eucharist — two-year preparation in 1st and 2nd grade
- First Penance — typically a Saturday in late January
- Confirmation — two-year preparation in 7th and 8th grade
- Office: 10201 Woodland Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20902
- Phone: 301-681-7634
- Email: [email protected]
Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA)
SJE welcomes adults seeking full communion with the Catholic Church through the OCIA process (formerly called RCIA), which serves unbaptized 'catechumens,' baptized Christians from other communities seeking full communion ('candidates'), and baptized but uncatechized Catholics preparing to receive Eucharist and Confirmation. Classes are held Monday evenings in the school library. The process typically requires two years and moves through four phases — Precatechumenate, Catechumenate, Purification and Enlightenment (Lent), and Mystagogia (Easter to Pentecost) — culminating in the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist) at the Easter Vigil. Each catechumen or candidate is assigned an individual sponsor, who must be a practicing Catholic at least 16 years old who has received all the Sacraments of Initiation.
- OCIA classes — Monday evenings in the school library
- Four-phase process: Precatechumenate, Catechumenate, Purification & Enlightenment, Mystagogia
- Rite of Acceptance — celebrated in the Fall at a Sunday Mass
- Rite of Election — during Lent
- Easter Vigil — reception of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist
- Contact: [email protected] or 301-681-7663
Hispanic / Spanish-Language Ministry
Since the fall of 2017 the parish has celebrated a Spanish-language Sunday Mass at 2:00 PM (with confessions from 1:15 to 1:45 PM), and has built a growing and committed Hispanic community under the care of a Spanish-speaking priest who assists with Reconciliation, Baptism, Marriage, Bible study, and OCIA. The Hispanic ministry is organized into sacristans, eucharistic ministers, lectors, cantors, musicians, ushers, altar servers, and a hospitality committee, and is open to anyone who wishes to join the parish family.
- Misa en español — Sunday 2:00 PM (Main Church)
- Confesiones en español — Sunday 1:15–1:45 PM
- Parish Registration Form available in Spanish
- Flocknotes updates — text SJESS to 84576
St. John the Evangelist School (Pre-K through 8)
St. John the Evangelist School opened on September 17, 1950, fulfilling a dream first set aside in 1931 by Fr. Charles Rosensteel, who wrote to the bishop, 'I have a special fund which I have been saving to build a school at Forest Glen, MD.' The school was opened under the guidance of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) from Scranton, Pennsylvania, with Mother Mary Amata as first principal. Today the school serves Pre-K through 8th grade and is honored to still have two IHM religious serving its students and families. In 2013 SJE was named a U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon School — one of only 50 private schools nationally and one of only seven Maryland elementary schools (public or private) to receive the honor that year, recognized as a 'high-performing' school with students testing in the top 10 percent of the state in reading and math.
- Founded September 17, 1950 (70th anniversary celebrated September 17, 2020)
- Currently 16 classrooms, library, school offices, and auditorium
- Enrollment peak: 1,070 students in 1957
- U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon School, 2013
- Two IHM religious sisters still serving students and families
- Principal: Caitlin Keeton
- Website: sjte.org
Parish Staff, Clergy and Getting Involved
The parish is led by Very Rev. Joseph Calis, V.F. (Pastor) with Parochial Vicar Rev. Pablo Villa, Deacons Joseph Petrizzo and Alan Jeeves, Coordinator of Religious Education Sister Delphine Okoro, Office Manager Melanie Newbrough, and Director of Liturgy & Music Dr. Mario Francisco. New parishioners are encouraged to register online (a Spanish registration form is also available) and to join the parish community for 'Community Sunday' breakfast on the third Sunday of each month after the 8:00, 10:30, 12:00, and 2:00 PM Masses in the Kennedy Room on the lower level of the Main Church. Parishioners can also sign up for Flocknotes updates by texting SJESS to 84576.
- Pastor: Very Rev. Joseph Calis, V.F.
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Pablo Villa
- Deacons: Joseph Petrizzo, Alan Jeeves
- Coordinator of Religious Education: Sister Delphine Okoro, IHM
- Office Manager: Melanie Newbrough
- Director of Liturgy & Music: Dr. Mario Francisco
- Parish phone: 301-681-7663
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Religious Education phone: 301-681-7634
- Religious Education email: [email protected]
- Flocknotes: text SJESS to 84576
Two Church Buildings: Main Church and Historic St. John's
The parish maintains two active worship sites, a rare arrangement that reflects its 250-year history. The Main Church at 10103 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20902, was designed by Johnson & Boutin and dedicated by Archbishop Patrick A. O'Boyle on May 27, 1962. Its front wall is wrapped by a large marble mosaic of the Crucifixion visible from Georgia Avenue, and the building houses the baptistry (completed 1984), the Stations of the Cross, statues of the Sacred Heart and St. John the Evangelist, and Our Lady's Chapel in the lower level for daily Mass. The Historic St. John's ('Old Church') at 9700 Rosensteel Avenue in Forest Glen, MD 20910, was built in 1894 by Fr. Charles Rosensteel in stone near the original 1774 Carroll Chapel. It hosts the Saturday vigil Mass at 5:30 PM and its preceding confessions; the surrounding Forest Glen Cemetery contains Fr. Rosensteel's grave. The parish is wheelchair accessible.
- Main Church: 10103 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20902
- Historic St. John's: 9700 Rosensteel Avenue, Forest Glen, MD 20910
- Religious Education Office: 10201 Woodland Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20902
- Wheelchair accessible
- Saturday 5:30 PM Mass held in Historic Church
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John Carroll, S.J.1774–1786
Founder; said the first Mass in his mother's home; built the Carroll Chapel in 1774; later became the first Catholic bishop (1789) and Archbishop of Baltimore (1811) in the United States.
- Rev. Charles Rosensteel1894–1936
Built the 1894 stone church in Forest Glen; donated land for the Knights of Columbus; dreamed of and set aside funds for a parish school; buried in Forest Glen Cemetery.
- Rev. Joseph T. Kennedy1936–1968
Purchased the McKeever property on Georgia Avenue; opened St. John the Evangelist School in 1950; oversaw construction of the new Main Church (dedicated 1962). Buried at Gate of Heaven Cemetery.
- Msgr. Harry Echle1968–1970
Served during the parish's 200th anniversary year (1974).
- Msgr. Louis Albert1970–1983
Added the Stations of the Cross, the Sacred Heart and St. John statues, and opened Our Lady's Chapel in the basement for daily Mass.
- Fr. Oliver Mahedy1983–1999
Completed the baptistry in 1984; named the basement meeting room the Kennedy Room; known for his love of the parish school children. Died November 9, 1999; a statue of Jesus with children of the world stands at the church entrance in his memory.
- Msgr. William J. English2000–2006
Revitalized the parish; renovated the Kennedy Room; launched the original parish website.
- Msgr. Barry Knestout2004–2006
Developed a pastoral plan; instituted the parish Help Line.
- Msgr. John Pennington2006–2014
Formed the Stewardship Committee; brought financial stability; welcomed beauty on the altar and in the music.
- Rev. Joseph Calis2014–present
Current pastor; launched the Spanish Mass in fall 2017 and the growing Hispanic ministry.