About St. Luke · Edgemere, Maryland
St. Luke was a Roman Catholic parish in Edgemere, Maryland (Baltimore County), part of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Founded in 1888 as the first Catholic parish on the Dundalk/North Point peninsula, it grew out of the Sparrows Point steel-mill community and, after the original church was demolished in 1973, continued as a small faith community worshipping in a former school hall on North Point Road. After 136 years the parish was formally merged into Our Lady of Hope in Dundalk on December 1, 2024 as part of Archbishop William E. Lori's 'Seek the City to Come' pastoral planning initiative, and the 5.26-acre Edgemere campus was subsequently listed for sale. The legacy website, olhstchurch.com, now serves the merged Our Lady of Hope / St. Rita / St. Luke / Sacred Heart of Mary community.
- Established
- 1888
- Patron
- St. Luke the Evangelist
- Rector
- Rev. Kevin Mueller (Pastor of the merged Our Lady of Hope parish, which now includes St. Luke, Edgemere)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Baltimore
Why belong here
St. Luke was a close-knit, mission-shaped Catholic community on a small peninsula in eastern Baltimore County, long associated with the Sparrows Point steelworkers who built it. Under Monsignor Joseph S. Lizor Jr. (1997–2011) it became known for warm, door-to-door evangelization, popular First Friday devotions, Eucharistic adoration, a food pantry serving about 40 families each month, and a robust tuition-assistance endowment at the merged Our Lady of Hope–St. Luke School. Since December 1, 2024 the parish's people, ministries and Sacramental life continue as part of the merged Our Lady of Hope parish in Dundalk, which now offers multiple Sunday Masses, daily Mass, Saturday confession and a livestreamed liturgy — a fitting next chapter for a 136-year-old community.
Mass times at St. Luke
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30–5:15 PM (also by appointment)
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration (established by Msgr. Lizor; specific weekly hours published when parish was active)
History of St. Luke Parish
St. Luke was founded September 18, 1888 as the first Catholic parish in the greater Dundalk and North Point Peninsula. Its origin lay in the Sparrows Point steel-mill community: Bethlehem Steel employees first gathered in a local drugstore on Sundays to celebrate Mass with a priest who traveled by ferry from Fells Point. The first pastor, Father Thomas Leonard, resided at St. Patrick in Fells Point and made the journey to Sparrows Point by boat. The parish grew with the mill town for the next 85 years.
- Founded September 18, 1888 at Sparrows Point by Father Thomas Leonard
- First Catholic parish in greater Dundalk and North Point Peninsula
- St. Luke School operated 1962–1989
- Original Sparrows Point church demolished 1973 due to steel-mill expansion
- Parish relocated to Edgemere and worshipped in a former school hall
- 125th anniversary celebrated Sept. 22, 2013 with Mass by Archbishop William E. Lori
- Closed and merged into Our Lady of Hope, Dec. 1, 2024
The Steel-Mill Heritage and Move to Edgemere
St. Luke's identity was inseparable from the Sparrows Point steelworks, and funeral Masses for men killed at the plant were a regular part of parish life. In 1973 the original church was the last to be demolished inside the Bethlehem Steel community when expansion forced the move to Edgemere, where the parish repurposed a former school hall as its worship space on North Point Road.
- Funeral Masses of steelworkers were a regular feature of parish life
- 1973 relocation to Edgemere, 7517 North Point Road
- Worship continued in a former school hall
Seek the City to Come and the 2024 Merger
After a two-year prayerful planning process that engaged nearly 6,000 people, Archbishop William E. Lori released the final 'Seek the City to Come' plan in May 2024, merging 61 parishes in Baltimore City and the immediate suburbs into roughly 23 worship sites. On September 21, 2024 he issued the formal canonical decree merging St. Luke into Our Lady of Hope in Dundalk, effective December 1, 2024 (First Sunday of Advent). St. Rita (Dundalk) and Sacred Heart of Mary (Graceland Park) were merged in the same configuration. The community marked the transition with a Mass of Thanksgiving and Remembrance on November 24, 2024. The 5.26-acre Edgemere campus was subsequently listed for sale at $1,750,000.
- Seek the City to Come plan released May 22, 2024
- Archbishop Lori's canonical decree issued Sept. 21, 2024
- Merger effective Dec. 1, 2024
- Mass of Thanksgiving and Remembrance celebrated Nov. 24, 2024
- St. Rita and Sacred Heart of Mary also merged into Our Lady of Hope
- Edgemere property listed for sale in 2025 at $1,750,000
Monsignor Lizor's Legacy
Parishioners remember Monsignor Lizor as 'the kind of priest the mold should have been made out of,' who went door-to-door inviting neighbors back to Mass, beat the sick to the hospital, served as a fire chaplain, and even taught the parish children about stocks, bonds and money management. He personally raised more than $300,000 for a tuition-assistance endowment at Our Lady of Hope–St. Luke School. His signature devotions — First Friday, Eucharistic adoration, and the Prayer to St. Michael at the end of every Mass — were cherished traditions that parishioners vowed to keep.
- Door-to-door evangelization
- First Friday devotions and Eucharistic adoration
- Prayer to St. Michael at the end of every Mass
- $300,000+ raised for tuition-assistance endowment at OLH–St. Luke School
- Served as fire chaplain and civic outreach leader
Merger Schedule at Our Lady of Hope (current home of the St. Luke community)
Under the merged parish, Our Lady of Hope in Dundalk now offers multiple Sunday Masses (8:00 AM with recitation of the Rosary, 10:00 AM livestreamed, and 12:00 PM), daily Mass Monday through Saturday at 9:00 AM, a Saturday vigil at 4:00 PM, Holy Day vigil at 7:00 PM, and reconciliation Saturday at 3:00 PM. Pastoral leadership: Rev. Kevin Mueller, Pastor; Rev. Vincent Arisukwu, Associate Pastor.
- Sunday: 8:00 AM (with Rosary), 10:00 AM (livestreamed), 12:00 PM
- Daily Mass Mon–Sat 9:00 AM
- Saturday vigil: 4:00 PM
- Holy Day Eve: 7:00 PM
- Confession: Saturday 3:00 PM
Parish Ministries and Outreach
St. Luke was a mission-oriented parish with a strong outreach identity. Its food pantry served approximately 40 families each month, and the parish hosted two Narcotics Anonymous groups — services that parish leaders flagged during the Seek the City listening sessions as essential for the small peninsula community. Monsignor Lizor's stewardship also produced a substantial tuition-assistance endowment supporting Our Lady of Hope–St. Luke School.
- Food pantry — assists about 40 families monthly
- Two Narcotics Anonymous groups
- First Friday devotions and Eucharistic Adoration
- Tuition-assistance endowment for Our Lady of Hope–St. Luke School
Sacraments and Faith Formation
St. Luke prepared parishioners for the Sacraments of Baptism, Marriage and Anointing of the Sick, with funeral Masses — historically many for steelworkers from Sparrows Point — a notable pastoral ministry of the parish. Religious education was supported in cooperation with Our Lady of Hope–St. Luke School, which the parish helped endow.
- Baptism preparation
- Marriage preparation
- Anointing of the Sick and pastoral care of the sick and homebound
- Funeral Masses (long associated with steelworker deaths)
- Faith formation in cooperation with Our Lady of Hope–St. Luke School
School: St. Luke School / Our Lady of Hope–St. Luke School
St. Luke School operated on the Edgemere campus from 1962 to 1989. In the late 1980s it merged with a Dundalk school to form Our Lady of Hope–St. Luke School, which continues to serve families in the area. Monsignor Lizor raised more than $300,000 for a tuition-assistance endowment at the merged school, where he also personally taught students about financial literacy.
- St. Luke School: 1962–1989
- Merged with Dundalk school to become Our Lady of Hope–St. Luke School
- $300,000+ tuition-assistance endowment raised by Monsignor Lizor
Contact Information
St. Luke's contact details as published prior to the December 2024 merger. The merged parish is reached through Our Lady of Hope, Dundalk, at (410) 284-6600 / [email protected].
- Address: 7517 North Point Road, Edgemere, MD 21219
- Phone: (410) 477-5200
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: olhstchurch.com
- Merged parish (Our Lady of Hope): 1727 Lynch Rd., Dundalk, MD 21222 — (410) 284-6600 — [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Thomas (Father Thomas) Leonard1888–
First pastor; resided at St. Patrick in Fells Point and traveled by boat to Sparrows Point.
- Rev. T. Austin Murphy Jr.
Pastor of St. Luke in the years after Monsignor Lizor's retirement; shared as pastor with Our Lady of Hope, Dundalk.
- Msgr. Joseph S. Lizor Jr.1997–2011 (retired Jan. 1, 2012)
Longest-serving pastor (14 years); former U.S. Army chaplain (1971–1993); associate pastor of Sacred Heart, Glyndon (1958–1971) and St. Agnes, Catonsville (1993–1997). Named monsignor 2006; received Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice 2023. Died May 18, 2024 at age 94.
- Rev. Kevin MuellerDec. 1, 2024–present
Pastor of the merged Our Lady of Hope parish encompassing St. Luke (Edgemere), St. Rita (Dundalk) and Sacred Heart of Mary (Graceland Park).