About St. Margaret of Scotland · Seat Pleasant, Maryland
St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church is a historic African American parish in Seat Pleasant (with a Capitol Heights mailing address), Maryland, serving the communities of Seat Pleasant, Capitol Heights and surrounding Prince George's County since 1908. The parish was canonically established under the Archdiocese of Washington and is currently administered by the Society of African Missions (SMA), with Sunday worship offered in both English and Spanish. Today it ministers to several hundred families through an extensive network of parish organizations, faith formation, outreach, and devotional life.
- Established
- 1908
- Patron
- St. Margaret of Scotland
- Rector
- Fr. Austin Ochu, S.M.A. (and Father Gustavo C. Buccilli, S.M.A.)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Washington
Why belong here
St. Margaret of Scotland is a faith community with more than a century of history in Seat Pleasant and a deeply multicultural identity — welcoming English-speaking and now Spanish-speaking families under one roof since 2024. The parish pairs traditional Catholic devotional life (daily Mass, the Miraculous Medal Novena, daily Rosary, Saturday confession) with practical outreach such as the Ladies of Charity Food Pantry, a Veterans Ministry, Health Ministry, marriage preparation, OCIA, and youth ministry. It is also a parish where lay leadership has long mattered: Mrs. Anna T. Robinson became the first lay school administrator in the Archdiocese of Washington here in 1966.
Mass times at St. Margaret of Scotland
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday, 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
History of St. Margaret of Scotland Parish
The parish traces its roots to about 1906, when Father Charles M. Bart of St. Teresa of Avila in Washington, D.C., began celebrating Mass in private homes for Catholics in the Seat Pleasant area. Washington native and Catholic businessman Francis Simon Carmody then asked Father Bart to found a church in his hometown. After consulting Cardinal James Gibbons of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Carmody donated the land, paid for construction, and managed the church's early operating expenses. The Addison Road church was completed in 1908 and named St. Margaret's in honor of Carmody's mother and her patron saint. Father Francis Schwallenberg became the first resident priest.
- 1908 – Original church on Addison Road completed and named St. Margaret's
- 1910 – St. Matthias Church erected on Nova Avenue in Capitol Heights; dedicated 1911
- 1913 – First full-scale organized Sunday school begins at St. Matthias
- 1920 – Miss Irene Mattingly becomes first nun from the parish (Sisters of Charity)
- 1923 – Reverend Edward R. Braham ordained as first priest from the parish
- 1953 – Groundbreaking for new church, school, auditorium, and convent
- 1955 – New St. Margaret's opens in December; Felician Sisters run the school with 250 students
- 1963 – St. Matthias reopens as a mission church with a 10:00 AM Mass
- 1966 – Mrs. Anna T. Robinson named first lay school administrator in the Archdiocese of Washington
- 1977 – Parish begins St. Margaret's Daycare for 2- to 4-year-olds
- 1988 – Pastoral care passes to the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
- 2003 – Final closure of St. Matthias on August 31, 2003 (Father Fergal McGuire)
- 2007 – St. Margaret of Scotland School closes in May with about 100 students
- 2015 – Parish returns to the Archdiocese of Washington under Father Damian Shadwell
- 2016 – Daycare (Early Learning Center) thriving with about 100 students
- 2020 – Society of African Missions (SMA) assumes administration of the parish
- 2021 – COVID-19 pandemic forces permanent closure of St. Margaret's Daycare
- 2023 – Father Gustavo Buccilli becomes the parish's first Spanish-speaking priest
- 2024 – Parish welcomes the Hispanic community with a regular Sunday Spanish Mass
Parish Staff & Leadership
The parish is administered by the Society of African Missions (SMA) under Father Austin Ochu, S.M.A., alongside Father Gustavo C. Buccilli, S.M.A. Pastoral and liturgical leadership is supported by Deacons Keith Somerville and Samuel Minor (Emeritus), a Coordinator of Religious Education, Bookkeeper, Music Minister, office staff, and the Co-Chair of the Parish Council.
- Pastor: Fr. Austin Ochu, S.M.A.
- Fr. Gustavo C. Buccilli, S.M.A. (first Spanish-speaking priest of the parish)
- Deacon: Rev. Mr. Keith Somerville
- Deacon Emeritus: Rev. Mr. Samuel Minor
- Coordinator of Religious Education: Virginia Richardson
- Bookkeeper: Arryelle Thomas
- Music Ministry: Joseph Joy
- Office Assistants: Beverly Byam-Hercules, Evelyn M. Dickerson
- Co-Chair Parish Council: Lynne Harris
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Margaret of Scotland's Sunday School program (CCD) provides religious instruction to the children of the parish and prepares them for the reception of the Sacraments of Penance, Eucharist, and Confirmation. It supplements parents' baptismal promises through weekly catechetical instruction, a standards-based curriculum with textbooks and online materials, clear expectations for students and families, take-home reinforcement activities, and accountability measures.
- Sunday School / CCD for parish children
- Preparation for Baptism, First Penance, First Communion, and Confirmation
- Standards-based curriculum with textbooks and online materials
Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA)
Formerly known as RCIA, the parish's OCIA team invites adults to take a spiritual journey toward full initiation into the Catholic Church through Baptism, Holy Eucharist, and Confirmation. The parish emphasizes that it is never too late to come to know Jesus and welcomes anyone curious about the faith to reach out.
- Contact: Kim Smith or Verginia Richardson
- Rectory: 301-336-3344
- Open to adults who have not yet received all three Sacraments of Initiation
Youth Ministry
The Youth Ministry is designed for high-school-aged youth (grades 9 to 12) who have already received the three Sacraments of Initiation. It operates under the Archdiocese of Washington's Office of Youth Ministry and the Catholic Youth Organization, meeting Sunday mornings October through May to walk through the Renewing the Vision curriculum and engage in service projects benefiting both the parish family and the wider community.
- Grades 9–12
- Sundays, October through May
- Curriculum: Renewing the Vision
- Service projects for parish and wider community
Marriage Preparation
St. Margaret's Marriage Preparation Ministry is available to all couples planning marriage. Archdiocese-trained sponsor couples walk with engaged couples through the meaning of marriage as a sacrament, as a vocation, and as married love.
- Contact: Ronald & Monica Wormsley
- Pairs engaged couples with archdiocese-trained sponsor couples
- Focus on marriage as sacrament and vocation
Outreach, Charity & Community Service
Outreach is a defining feature of St. Margaret of Scotland parish life. The Ladies of Charity — the world's oldest faith-based volunteer group, founded by St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac — operates the parish food pantry in partnership with the Capital Area Food Bank and the Maryland Umbrella Group, serving residents of Capitol Heights, Seat Pleasant, and surrounding communities with no income restrictions. The parish also maintains a Veterans Ministry, a Health Ministry, a Young Seniors ministry, a Bereavement Committee, and a Multicultural Committee dedicated to welcoming all cultures into the life of the parish.
- Ladies of Charity (Coordinator: Katrice Kelly) — meets 2nd Sundays after 8:00 AM Mass
- Food Pantry — partnership with Capital Area Food Bank and Maryland Umbrella Group
- Veterans Ministry — Ronald Wormsley and Lisa Simmons
- Health Ministry — Dr. Judith E. Cooper, Dr. Dainty Jackson (2nd & 4th Fridays, 7:00 PM)
- Young Seniors ministry
- Bereavement Committee
- Multicultural Committee
Spiritual Life & Devotions
The Spiritual Life & Worship (SL&W) team fosters active participation of the faithful in the Mass, the sacraments, holy days, and other devotions. It brings together members of the music ministry, environmental team, and other parish organizations and meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from September through June.
- Miraculous Medal Novena: Monday after 8:00 AM Mass
- Daily Rosary: Monday–Friday after the 8:00 AM Mass
- Saturday Confessions: 3:30–4:00 PM
- Spiritual Life & Worship team meets 3rd Wednesdays, September through June
Parish Governance & Finance
The Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) assists the pastor through consultation and represents the people of the parish. It coordinates, motivates, supports, and evaluates pastoral activities and serves as liaison between ministries, groups, and parishioners. The Finance Council works alongside the pastor on budgeting, financial planning, internal controls, reporting, and stewardship.
- Parish Pastoral Council — Co-Chair Lynne Harris
- Finance Council — Chair Alphonso Pearson
- Fundraising Committee — Charles Ross
Plan Your Visit
St. Margaret of Scotland welcomes visitors to its campus on Addison Road South at the heart of the Seat Pleasant / Capitol Heights community in Prince George's County, Maryland. The parish facility is wheelchair accessible. Daily Mass, weekend Masses in English and Spanish, Saturday confessions, and a live-streamed Sunday Mass make it easy to participate in parish life in person or online.
- Address: 408 Addison Road South, Capitol Heights, MD 20743
- Phone: 301-336-3344
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stmargaretos.org
- Wheelchair accessible
- Sunday Mass live-streamed at 11:00 AM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Francis Schwallenberg1908–
First resident priest of the parish
- Fr. McCarthy
Pastor when the new church and school opened in December 1955
- Fr. Fergal McGuire
Celebrated the last Mass at St. Matthias on August 31, 2003
- Fr. Damian Shadwell2015–
Pastored St. Margaret's after it returned to the Archdiocese of Washington in 2015
- Fr. Austin Ochu, S.M.A.2020–
Current pastor from the Society of African Missions (SMA)