About St. Joseph the Worker Chapel at Jesus House · Wilmington, Delaware
St. Joseph the Worker Chapel is the Catholic worship and prayer space housed on the campus of Jesus House Prayer & Renewal Center in Wilmington, Delaware, within the Diocese of Wilmington. Mass is celebrated in the chapel on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 10:30 AM, and the chapel also hosts Centering Prayer, Taizé-style services of prayer and reflection, and other spiritual programs open to the wider community. Jesus House itself was founded in 1975 by Chris and Angie Malmgren of Resurrection Parish as a sacred space for programs, community service, retreats, counseling, and spiritual direction — and St. Joseph the Worker Chapel has been the Catholic heart of that ministry ever since. After the Milltown Road property was sold to Family Promise of Northern New Castle County, the chapel was preserved so that Mass, prayer, and reflection could continue there while Jesus House expanded its outreach to area churches and other locations.
- Established
- 1975
- Patron
- St. Joseph the Worker
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wilmington
Why belong here
St. Joseph the Worker Chapel is a quiet, intimate Catholic worship space tucked onto the Jesus House Prayer & Renewal Center campus, perfect for anyone who values contemplative spirituality in a small setting. Visitors can attend Mass twice a month on Tuesdays, join a weekly Centering Prayer group, take part in Days and Evenings of Reflection, Lenten and Walking With Purpose Bible studies, and Taizé-style services of song and silence — all under the care of the Jesus House Society in the Diocese of Wilmington. It is also a place with a deep outreach heart: for years Jesus House shared its campus with overflow shelter for homeless families through Family Promise, and that spirit of accompanying the marginalized continues to shape its mission today.
Mass times at St. Joseph the Worker Chapel at Jesus House
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- Centering Prayer in the chapel on Mondays, 10:30 AM – 12:00 noon (silent contemplative prayer; led by Bev Roberts)
St. Joseph the Worker Chapel at Jesus House
St. Joseph the Worker Chapel is the small Catholic worship space located on the campus of Jesus House Prayer & Renewal Center at 2501 Milltown Road, Wilmington, Delaware, in the Diocese of Wilmington. It is the heart of the Jesus House Society's Catholic life, hosting Mass twice a month, weekly Centering Prayer, and special services of prayer and reflection. Although Jesus House has expanded its program offerings beyond its original Milltown Road campus, the chapel has been explicitly preserved for Masses, prayer, and reflection.
- Catholic Mass — 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 10:30 AM
- Centering Prayer — Mondays, 10:30 AM – 12:00 noon, led by Bev Roberts
- Taizé-style services and Days of Reflection
- Spiritual direction and pastoral counseling by appointment
Our History
The Jesus House movement began between 1971 and 1974, when Chris and Angie Malmgren, parishioners of Resurrection Parish, discerned a call to a more active ministry under Father Hanley. A $75,000 sales commission came as a 'sign,' the Milltown Road property was purchased, and the family moved in with their four children. Volunteers prepared the grounds, and on July 19, 1975, the first retreat was offered — the beginning of decades of Days of Reflection, Bible studies, book groups, retreats, pastoral counseling, and Catholic worship in St. Joseph the Worker Chapel.
- 1971–1974 — Malmgrens discern a calling while parishioners at Resurrection Parish
- 1974 — Milltown Road property purchased
- July 19, 1975 — First retreat held on the campus
- 1975–2015+ — 40+ years of retreat ministry, Bible study, and spiritual direction
- 2015 — 40th Anniversary Mass held in the chapel
- 2023 — Co-founder Chris Malmgren dies on May 11 after 42 years as Co-Director
- Property transferred to Family Promise of Northern New Castle County; chapel preserved for Catholic use
Mass & Liturgical Life
The chapel's liturgical life centers on a small, intimate Catholic Mass celebrated on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 10:30 AM, with times occasionally noted at 12:15 PM for special events. Times and dates can shift with the liturgical calendar, so the Jesus House website encourages visitors to verify the current schedule online or by phone.
- Regular Mass: 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, 10:30 AM
- Special / Solemnity Masses (e.g., Assumption, August 15) at 12:15 PM
- Taizé-style Prayer & Reflection evenings (e.g., Lent, led by Fr. Brian Zumbrum, OSFS)
- Communal prayer and quiet Eucharistic devotion centered on the tabernacle
Centering Prayer & Contemplative Life
The chapel is the home of a weekly Centering Prayer group, led by Bev Roberts on Mondays from 10:30 AM to 12:00 noon. Centering Prayer is described by Jesus House as a silent prayer practice that 'helps us be open to experiencing God's presence within us' — a contemporary expression of the ancient Christian tradition of contemplative prayer, often paired with introductory workshops and follow-up sessions in partnership with Resurrection Parish.
- Centering Prayer in the chapel — Mondays, 10:30 AM – 12:00 noon (Bev Roberts)
- Fall Introduction to Centering Prayer Workshop (e.g., Oct. 19 Day of Reflection at Resurrection Parish)
- Six weekly follow-up sessions on Wednesdays at 7 PM in Jesus House Chapel
- Registration fee typically $25; register via jesushousecenter.org or 302-995-6859
Ministries & Programs
Beyond the chapel's weekly worship, Jesus House runs a full calendar of spiritual formation and outreach ministries for the Diocese of Wilmington and beyond. These include Days and Evenings of Reflection, seasonal Bible studies, women's Catholic Bible studies (such as Walking With Purpose, hosted with Resurrection Parish), book groups, Centering Prayer workshops, Taizé prayer, spiritual direction, and pastoral counseling. Jesus House has also been a 'support church' for Family Promise of Northern New Castle County.
- Days and Evenings of Reflection (full calendar of one-day retreats)
- Walking With Purpose — six-week Women's Catholic Bible Study (with Resurrection Parish)
- Lenten Bible Study, 'Ordering Your Priorities, Building a Life Well Lived'
- Lenten Day of Reflection on Forgiveness (Eileen Donnelly)
- Fall Introduction to Centering Prayer Workshop
- Family Promise support-church partnership and overflow emergency housing
- Spiritual direction and pastoral counseling
Founders & Leadership
St. Joseph the Worker Chapel exists because of the vision of Chris and Angie Malmgren, co-founders of Jesus House Prayer & Renewal Center. Chris Malmgren (1935–2023) was a Korean War veteran, longtime teacher and audiovisual specialist, parishioner of Resurrection Parish since 1975, board president at St. Patrick's Senior Center, and a member of the Diocese of Wilmington's Pastoral Team for Charismatic Renewal and a chaplain at Manor Care. The couple co-directed Jesus House for 42 years and were active in the Cursillo movement.
- Chris & Angie Malmgren — Co-Directors, 1975–2017 (42 years)
- Father Hanley — Resurrection Parish pastor who discerned with the Malmgrens in 1971–1974
- Fr. Brian Zumbrum, OSFS — celebrant / leader of Taizé-style prayer services
- Bev Roberts — leader of Centering Prayer in the chapel
- Eileen Donnelly — presenter of Lenten Day of Reflection
- Mare Draper — Executive Director of Jesus House, previously chaplain at Nemours Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
Outreach: Family Promise & the Marginalized
From its earliest days, Jesus House has welcomed the marginalized and offered its campus for community outreach. For many years the Milltown Road property provided overflow emergency housing for homeless families served by Family Promise of Northern New Castle County, helping families regain independence. Today Jesus House continues that relationship as a 'support church,' and the sale of the property to Family Promise was arranged so the nonprofit could build a brand-new shelter dedicated to families with children, doubling the shelter capacity available at any one time in the county.
- Partnership with Family Promise of Northern New Castle County (since at least the 2010s)
- On-campus overflow emergency shelter rotated with area host churches
- 'Support church' relationships with Holy Rosary (Claymont), Resurrection (Wilmington), and St. John the Beloved (Wilmington)
- Commitment to accompanying the marginalized as part of the Jesus House mission
Visit, Register & Get in Touch
St. Joseph the Worker Chapel welcomes visitors, retreatants, and program participants from across the Diocese of Wilmington and beyond. For current Mass schedules, Centering Prayer times, retreat registrations, and inquiries about spiritual direction or counseling, contact Jesus House directly.
- Address: 2501 Milltown Road, Wilmington, DE 19808
- Phone: (302) 995-6859 (leave a message)
- Website: https://www.jesushousecenter.org/
- Catholic Mass page: https://www.jesushousecenter.org/catholicmass
- Events calendar: https://www.jesushousecenter.org/events
- Centering Prayer page: https://www.jesushousecenter.org/centering-prayer
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Hanley (Father Hanley)1971–1974
Pastor of Resurrection Parish who discerned with Chris and Angie Malmgren before Jesus House was founded.