About St. Mary Star of the Sea · Baltimore, Maryland
St. Mary, Star of the Sea was a Roman Catholic parish in the Federal Hill South neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland, founded in 1868 to serve the Irish Catholic immigrant community of South Baltimore's working waterfront. The parish church, built in the Late Victorian/Gothic Revival style and dedicated on March 26, 1871, was famous for the illuminated star-and-cross beacon atop its tall spire that guided ships into the Port of Baltimore. After 156 years, the Archdiocese of Baltimore closed the church in November 2024; St. Mary's worshipping community is now carried on as part of the Catholic Community of South Baltimore (CCSB), together with Holy Cross and Our Lady of Good Counsel, under Fr. Kevin Ewing as pastor.
- Established
- 1868
- Patron
- Our Lady, Star of the Sea (Stella Maris)
- Rector
- Rev. Kevin Ewing (administrator 2023, appointed pastor 2024)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Baltimore
Why belong here
St. Mary, Star of the Sea is one of three parishes that together form the Catholic Community of South Baltimore (CCSB), a 19th-century-rooted community that today runs a wide-ranging set of ministries across the peninsula. Parishioners can join faith formation for K-5, youth ministry for grades 6-12, a young-adult group, a young-families group, the Monday Night Bible Study, and OCIA (formerly RCIA) for adults seeking full initiation, plus sacramental preparation for First Eucharist, First Reconciliation, and Confirmation. Service-minded members can plug into SALT Mt 5:13, the All-Weather Compassion Team, the Green Team (Laudato Si'), the Helping Hands Ministry, the long-standing Baltimore Station partnership, and the Archdiocesan Grief Ministry that assembles care packages for families of homicide victims — all coordinated through Director of Evangelization Beth Mayr.
Mass times at St. Mary Star of the Sea
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:00–8:30 am (Holy Cross)
- Sunday 12:00–12:30 pm (Our Lady of Good Counsel)
- Sunday 4:15–4:45 pm (Holy Cross)
- Anytime by appointment — email Fr. Kevin Ewing at [email protected]
- Additional times scheduled during Advent and Lent
Adoration times
- First Tuesday of the month, 7:00–8:00 pm, in conjunction with the Tuesday evening Mass at Our Lady of Good Counsel
- Second Tuesday of the month, 7:30 pm, following Mass at Our Lady of Good Counsel (per Archdiocese of Baltimore listing)
History of St. Mary, Star of the Sea
The parish was founded in 1868 by Father Peter McCoy, then pastor of St. Lawrence Church in Locust Point, to serve the Irish Catholic population of South Baltimore — shipbuilders, sailors, and Baltimore & Ohio Railroad workers. Father McCoy purchased the present Riverside Avenue site from a Mrs. Arnold in the fall of 1868, built a red-brick rectory whose basement (about 50 by 20 feet) served as the first church for three years, and celebrated the first Mass there on December 16, 1868. The cornerstone was laid May 9, 1869, and Archbishop John Martin Spalding dedicated the church on March 26, 1871 — the Feast of the Annunciation — funded largely by local festivals and street harvest markets. In the 1890s, Munich-made stained-glass windows were added; a tall spire topped with an illuminated star-and-cross (later electrified) became an official Port of Baltimore landmark. A 1903 tornado toppled half the steeple; in 1999 the roof shifted off its wooden supports, leaving a four-foot hole. The parish school opened in 1877 and was staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph from a 1914 building at Battery Avenue and Gittings Street. In 1972 the school merged with those of Holy Cross and Our Lady of Good Counsel to form the South Baltimore Area Community School, renamed the Catholic Community School of South Baltimore in 1982.
- Founded 1868; first Mass December 16, 1868 in the rectory basement
- Cornerstone laid May 9, 1869; dedicated March 26, 1871 by Archbishop John Martin Spalding
- Stained-glass windows from Munich added in the 1890s; Cassavant organ installed in the 1920s
- Tall spire with star-and-cross beacon served as a Port of Baltimore maritime landmark
- 1903 tornado toppled half the steeple; 1999 roof failure (wood support beams shifted) left a four-foot hole
- St. Mary's school opened 1877; merged in 1972 into South Baltimore Area Community School, then Catholic Community School of South Baltimore in 1982
Current Status and the Catholic Community of South Baltimore (CCSB)
Since 2002, St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Holy Cross, and Our Lady of Good Counsel have been administered as a single pastoral unit — the Catholic Community of South Baltimore — while remaining three separate canonical parishes. In late 2024, the Archdiocese of Baltimore decided to seat the CCSB parish at Holy Cross, with an additional worship site at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, and to close St. Mary's. A 'Mass of Thanksgiving' was celebrated on Saturday, November 16, 2024, and the final Mass — the Solemnity of Christ the King — was held on Saturday, November 23, 2024. A parishioner-led St. Mary's Legacy Preservation Team gathered the parish's memories through a virtual Memorial Wall, a 'Stella Maris Memories' audio/podcast project, and a history-timeline presentation. Today's worship, faith formation, and outreach across South Baltimore continue under Fr. Kevin Ewing.
- CCSB formed in 2002 as a unified pastorate of Holy Cross, St. Mary Star of the Sea, and Our Lady of Good Counsel
- Mass of Thanksgiving: Saturday, November 16, 2024, 4:00 pm at St. Mary's
- Final Mass: Saturday, November 23, 2024, 4:00 pm (Solemnity of Christ the King)
- St. Mary's Legacy Preservation Team — Memorial Wall and 'Stella Maris Memories' audio project
- CCSB parish now seated at Holy Cross with an additional worship site at Our Lady of Good Counsel
Faith Formation, Youth, and Young Adult Ministries
Faith formation across the CCSB is led by Director of Evangelization Beth Mayr ([email protected], 410-752-8498 x1100). Children in grades K-5 attend religious education classes on Monday evenings from 6:15 to 7:30 in the classrooms and church of Our Lady of Good Counsel, beginning each October. Youth Ministry gathers children in grades 6-12 to extend the parish religious education program with age-appropriate communal learning, sacrament, and service. Young adults in their 20s and 30s meet through the CCSB Young Adults group (Flocknote and Facebook). A Young Families group hosts social events, networking, and play dates. OCIA (formerly RCIA) walks adults seeking full initiation through the Church year, culminating in reception at the Easter Vigil, with OCIC and Adult Confirmation also offered. A Monday Night Bible Study, a Newly Married Couples group, Together Time Thursday, a Grief Support Group, and a Caregiving Support Group round out the formation offerings.
- Religious Education K-5 — Monday evenings 6:15–7:30 pm at Our Lady of Good Counsel
- Youth Ministry (grades 6-12)
- Young Adults (20s and 30s) — Flocknote ccsb.flocknote.com/YoungAdults
- Young Families group — Flocknote ccsb.flocknote.com/YoungFamilies
- OCIA (formerly RCIA) — adult initiation, contact Fr. Kevin Ewing
- OCIC and Adult Confirmation
- Monday Night Bible Study
- Newly Married Couples
- Together Time Thursday
- Grief Support Group
- Caregiving Support Group
Service, Justice, and Outreach
Service and outreach at CCSB is inspired by Catholic Social Teaching and coordinated by Beth Mayr. SALT (Mt 5:13) is a Baltimore-based ministry to people experiencing need, with two CCSB teams: a Food Prep Team and an All-Weather Compassion Team. The Green Team brings the principles of Laudato Si' to life through neighborhood trash pickups, watershed care, and pollinator habitat creation. CCSB has partnered with Baltimore Station — a South Baltimore therapeutic residential and outpatient program for veterans — for over two decades, serving meals on the second Wednesday and on the last Thursday of even-numbered months, plus fundraisers. The Archdiocese of Baltimore Grief Ministry gathers at the parish: perishable-food shoppers deliver on Mondays, packers bundle fresh and non-perishable goods on Tuesdays, and care packages are picked up each Wednesday by the Baltimore Police Department's Homicide Survivor Advocate Unit for delivery to families who have lost a loved one to homicide. A Helping Hands Ministry and the parish's Catholic Counseling service (with on-site counselor Katie Pestka, LGPC) round out the pastoral and material care offered.
- SALT Mt 5:13 Food Prep Team and All-Weather Compassion Team
- Green Team (Laudato Si') — trash pickups, watershed care, pollinator habitat
- Baltimore Station (veterans) — meal service 2nd Wednesday and last Thursday of even months; fundraisers
- Archdiocese of Baltimore Grief Ministry — perishable food shoppers (Mon), packers (Tue), BPD Homicide Survivor Advocate Unit pickup (Wed)
- Helping Hands Ministry
- Catholic Counseling on-site with Katie Pestka, LGPC ([email protected], 240-621-2267)
Sacraments
The parish welcomes Catholics and newcomers to receive the sacraments through CCSB. OCIA (formerly RCIA) prepares adults for full initiation, typically culminating at the Easter Vigil. Children preparing for First Eucharist and First Reconciliation normally receive these in second grade, after at least one prior year of religious education or Catholic school. Adult Confirmation is offered through OCIC. Couples preparing for marriage, and families seeking Baptism, should contact the parish office (410-752-8498) for preparation details. The Anointing of the Sick and other pastoral care are available through the parish.
- OCIA / RCIA for unbaptized adults and those seeking full communion
- OCIC and Adult Confirmation
- First Eucharist and First Reconciliation (typically 2nd grade)
- Marriage preparation — contact the parish office
- Baptism — contact the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick available on request
The Stella Maris Beacon and Other Heritage Features
St. Mary, Star of the Sea's most recognizable feature was the star-and-cross atop its tall spire — a beacon that was originally lit by candles and mirrors, later electrified, and that appeared on mariners' charts of the Port of Baltimore as a navigational landmark and a welcome-home signal to Irish sailors and immigrants entering the harbor. The 1890s brought Munich-made stained-glass windows, and a magnificent Cassavant pipe organ was installed in the 1920s. The building has withstood both a 1903 tornado that toppled half the steeple and a 1999 structural failure that left a four-foot hole in the roof — the sanctuary remained open for Sunday services through both. The parish's records (baptisms 1868–1981, marriages 1867–1981, deaths 1922–1981, first communions 1874–1893) are preserved on microfilm at the Maryland State Archives as the 'St. Mary's Star of the Sea Collection' (MSA SC 2681).
- Star-and-cross beacon atop the spire — Port of Baltimore maritime landmark
- Munich stained-glass windows (1890s)
- Cassavant pipe organ (1920s)
- 1903 tornado; 1999 roof failure — sanctuary kept open through both
- Maryland State Archives microfilm collection: MSA SC 2681, films SCM 2704–SCM 2712
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Peter McCoy1868 (founder)
Pastor of St. Lawrence, Locust Point; purchased the site from a Mrs. Arnold, built the rectory whose basement served as the first church, and laid the cornerstone May 9, 1869.
- Father Jack Lippold1980s
Pastor during the 1980s.
- Father Glenn Byrneearly 1990s
Pastor in the early 1990s.
- Most Reverend Mitchell T. Rozanskilate 1990s
Later became Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore.
- Father Tom Malia1999–2002
Became pastor in 1999; oversaw the 130th anniversary in 2001.
- Father Ray Martin2002
Took on the unified pastorate of Holy Cross, St. Mary Star of the Sea, and Our Lady of Good Counsel, forming the Catholic Community of South Baltimore.
- Father Patrick CarrionJanuary 2008
Succeeded Fr. Martin in January 2008.
- Father Josh Lawsafter Fr. Carrion
Succeeded Fr. Carrion.
- Father Kevin Ewing2023–present
Became administrator of the Catholic Community of South Baltimore in 2023 and was appointed pastor in 2024.