About St. Michael the Archangel · Baltimore, Maryland
St. Michael the Archangel is a Roman Catholic parish in the Overlea section of Baltimore County, Maryland, founded in 1914 to serve the growing communities along Belair Road. The parish is the seated church of the MAC Pastorate, which also includes the merged Church of the Annunciation and an additional worship site at St. Clement Mary Hofbauer in nearby Rosedale. Known locally as 'St. Michael's Overlea,' it operates an attached parish school (St. Michael–St. Clement School), a large Hispanic ministry anchored by a weekly Spanish Mass and a Tuesday-evening Spanish Mass, and the long-standing organizations of the Holy Name Society, Knights of Columbus, and Society of St. Vincent de Paul. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Baltimore and was led by Father Hector Mateus-Ariza at the time of the most recent directory listing.
- Established
- 1914
- Patron
- St. Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Rev. Hector Mateus-Ariza (Pastor)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Baltimore
Why belong here
St. Michael's Overlea is a vibrant, multi-ethnic parish with both a deep parish-school identity (St. Michael–St. Clement School, founded 1926 by the Ursuline Sisters) and a large, active Hispanic ministry anchored by a Sunday Spanish Mass and a Tuesday-evening Spanish Mass. Long-standing organizations — Holy Name Society, Knights of Columbus, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Beans and Bread volunteers, and a bereavement ministry — give parishioners many concrete ways to live out their faith. Combined with weekly school Masses, monthly reconciliation for students, the Angelus prayed at noon, and the parish's six core committees (stewardship, community life, service, liturgy, Catholic faith formation, and Hispanic), it is a place where families, school families, and Hispanic parishioners worship side by side.
Mass times at St. Michael the Archangel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM (until 3:30 PM)
- Sunday 11:45 AM (in Spanish, before the 12:30 PM Spanish Mass)
- Holy Day / Holy Day Eve: as announced in the parish bulletin
- By appointment
History of St. Michael the Archangel, Overlea
St. Michael the Archangel was founded in 1914 to serve the Overlea section of Baltimore County. The first Mass was celebrated in November 1913 in a room above a grocery store; the cornerstone was laid in September 1914 and the first Mass at the Belair Road site was held that November. The current church was built in two phases — a lower church and an upper church — and dedicated in 1928 by Archbishop Michael J. Curley. The parish traces its financial origin to a strawberry festival that raised $500, and its cultural origin to Overlea's identity as a place where Baltimoreans reunited with their 'country cousins.' The parish school opened in 1926 under the Ursuline Sisters; the Daughters of Charity took over in 1952 and led the school until 1992. A Spanish-language Mass was added in 2006 and quickly drew 150–200 Hispanic families. The parish marked its centennial on October 4, 2014 with a Mass and the inaugural St. Michael the Archangel Hall of Honor banquet.
- First Mass: November 1913 (room above a grocery store)
- Cornerstone laid: September 1914
- First Mass at Belair Road site: November 1914
- Upper church dedicated: 1928 by Archbishop Michael J. Curley
- School founded: 1926 (Ursuline Sisters, 140 students)
- Daughters of Charity assume school leadership: 1952
- Spanish Mass added: 2006
- Centennial celebrated: October 4, 2014
Parish Identity & Leadership
St. Michael the Archangel is the seated parish of the MAC Pastorate and operates as a hub for the broader Rosedale/Overlea Catholic community, with an additional worship site at St. Clement Mary Hofbauer and the Church of the Annunciation merged into the same pastorate. Parish life is shaped around six core committees — stewardship, community life, service, liturgy, Catholic faith formation, and Hispanic — guided by pastor Father Hector Mateus-Ariza with associate pastor Father Hilario Avendaño and deacons John Micciche and Rich Olkowski. Business operations are led by Business Manager Jeannette Suarez and Office Administrator Debbie Pfeifer, with parish facilities overseen by Jamie Spangler.
- Pastor: Rev. Hector Mateus-Ariza
- Associate Pastor: Fr. Hilario Avendaño
- Deacon John Micciche (Head Sacristan @ St. Clement's)
- Deacon Rich Olkowski
- Pastoral Associate / Business Manager: Jeannette Suarez
- Office Administrator: Debbie Pfeifer
- Director of Pastorate Facilities: Jamie Spangler
St. Michael–St. Clement School
St. Michael the Archangel School opened in 1926 under the Ursuline Sisters with 140 students, was led by the Daughters of Charity from 1952 to 1992, and has continued as a parish school serving pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Today it operates as St. Michael–St. Clement School in partnership with neighboring St. Clement Mary Hofbauer. Catholic identity is a daily practice: students, faculty and staff pray the Angelus at noon, attend weekly Mass, and participate in monthly reconciliation. Under past-pastor Father James Sorra, students were expected to memorize the Ten Commandments. The school regularly prepares its eighth-grade graduating class, with alumni returning year after year for the parish Christmas Bazaar.
- Founded 1926 by Ursuline Sisters (140 students)
- Daughters of Charity staffed the school 1952–1992
- Pre-K through Grade 8; 198+ students in recent years
- Daily practices: Angelus at noon, weekly Mass, monthly reconciliation
- Currently partnered with St. Clement Mary Hofbauer as 'St. Michael–St. Clement School'
Hispanic Ministry & Spanish-Language Community
St. Michael's launched a Spanish-language Sunday Mass in 2006 in response to demographic change in the Overlea/Rosedale corridor, and within a few years the Mass was drawing 150–200 families weekly — a community-defining ministry. Today the parish offers both a Sunday 12:30 PM Spanish Mass and a Tuesday 7:00 PM Spanish Mass, with confessions heard in Spanish on Sunday at 11:45 AM. Parish Spanish-language reception and Religious Education program support is coordinated through Carmen Beltran, with parish communication and Religious Education led by Melanie Zamudio.
- Spanish Mass added in 2006
- Sunday Spanish Mass: 12:30 PM
- Tuesday Spanish Mass: 7:00 PM
- Sunday confessions in Spanish: 11:45 AM
- 150–200 Hispanic families worship at St. Michael's
Parish Organizations, Outreach & Devotions
St. Michael's is anchored by a dense network of lay organizations and outreach ministries that reflect both its century-old Catholic character and its current multi-ethnic life. Long-running men's and service groups include the Holy Name Society, Knights of Columbus, and Society of St. Vincent de Paul, with parishioners regularly serving at Beans and Bread in Baltimore. A bereavement ministry walks with families through loss. The parish's six committees — stewardship, community life, service, liturgy, Catholic faith formation, and Hispanic — coordinate the parish mission of 'joyfully proclaiming the presence of Jesus.' Annual traditions include the parish Christmas Bazaar (running more than 75 years), and the school community's daily Angelus and weekly Mass.
- Holy Name Society
- Knights of Columbus
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul
- Beans and Bread outreach
- Bereavement Ministry
- Annual Christmas Bazaar (75+ year tradition)
- Daily Angelus at the parish school
Music & Liturgy
Music is integral to the liturgical life at St. Michael's, with each Mass having 'its own flavor' depending on its time, the ethnicity of parishioners, and the music offered, according to parish leadership. The MAC Pastorate staffs a Director of Music at St. Michael the Archangel (James Kraus), a Director of Music Ministry at St. Clement Mary Hofbauer (Chris Henry), and an organist at St. Michael's (Greg Satorie-Robinson).
- Director of Music @ St. Michael the Archangel: James Kraus
- Organist @ St. Michael's: Greg Satorie-Robinson
- Liturgy Committee coordinates parish worship
The MAC Pastorate
In recent years St. Michael's has formally clustered with two neighboring Rosedale-area parishes — St. Clement Mary Hofbauer and the Church of the Annunciation — first sharing a youth minister and Lenten missions, and now operating together as the MAC Pastorate. St. Michael's is the seated parish; the Church of the Annunciation has been merged into the pastorate, and St. Clement Mary Hofbauer functions as an additional worship site. The MAC Pastorate publishes a unified website (themacpastorate.org), unified Mass schedule, and unified livestream from St. Michael's at 10:30 AM (English) and 12:30 PM (Spanish).
- Seated parish: St. Michael the Archangel
- Additional worship site: St. Clement Mary Hofbauer (Rosedale)
- Merged parish: Church of the Annunciation
- Shared youth minister and Lenten missions
- Unified website: themacpastorate.org
Getting Involved & Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can plug into St. Michael's through the parish's six core committees (stewardship, community life, service, liturgy, faith formation, and Hispanic), its lay organizations (Holy Name Society, Knights of Columbus, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, bereavement ministry), and its faith formation and youth ministry programs. Sacramental preparation (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage) is coordinated through the parish office. To arrange a visit, tour the church, or schedule a sacrament, contact the parish office at (410) 665-1054 or [email protected].
- Parish office: (410) 665-1054
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: themacpastorate.org
- Address: 10 Willow Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21206
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. James L. SorraAdministrator 2009; Pastor 2012–Feb 1, 2015
Born in the Philippines; studied at St. Mary's Seminary in Roland Park; ordained 2006. Served as associate pastor of St. Louis, Clarksville (2006–2009). Appointed administrator of St. Michael the Archangel, Overlea in 2009; named pastor in 2012. Led the parish through its 2014 centennial and the 2014 launch of the St. Michael the Archangel Hall of Honor. Transferred by Archbishop Lori to Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Baltimore effective February 1, 2015.
- Rev. Charles M. WibleFeb 1, 2015–
Native Baltimorean; ordained 1996 after studying for the priesthood. Served as associate pastor 1996–2000 and was appointed pastor of St. Francis de Sales, Abingdon before being named pastor of St. Michael the Archangel, Overlea in the January 2015 clergy assignments, effective Feb. 1, 2015.
- Rev. Hector Mateus-ArizaCurrent (as of latest archdiocesan directory listing)
Listed by the Archdiocese of Baltimore as Pastor of St. Michael the Archangel and as part of the MAC Pastorate leadership.