About St. Patrick · Conowingo, Maryland
St. Patrick's Chapel is a historic Catholic mission church in the tiny village of Pilottown, in far northwestern Cecil County, Maryland, just south of the Pennsylvania border near Conowingo. It is a mission of Good Shepherd Parish in Perryville and is part of the Diocese of Wilmington's Iron Hill Deanery. The one-room frame chapel, which seats roughly 75–80 people, was built in 1819 by Irish immigrant canal and lumber workers along the lower Susquehanna River. Mass is no longer celebrated weekly at the chapel; instead, Masses and other devotional events are held several times a year, often coordinated by the St. Patrick's Chapel Historical Society and the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
- Established
- 1819
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Jay R. McKee
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wilmington (Iron Hill Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Patrick's Chapel is not a typical weekly parish church — it is a living piece of American Catholic and Irish-American history, and a place where devotion, heritage, and community converge. Visitors become part of a small but dedicated circle of pilgrims, neighbors, Hibernians, and members of the St. Patrick's Chapel Historical Society who keep the 1819 chapel alive through seasonal Masses, Lenten Stations of the Cross, and ongoing preservation work. Coming here connects you to the Irish immigrants who first worshipped freely in America and to a Cecil County landmark on the Maryland Historic Trust.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
St. Patrick's Chapel — A Living Historic Shrine
St. Patrick's Chapel is the mission church of Good Shepherd Parish in Perryville, Maryland, and one of four worship sites served by the parish alongside the Church of the Good Shepherd in Perryville, St. Agnes in Rising Sun, and St. Teresa of Avila in Port Deposit. Tucked into the village of Pilottown in far northwestern Cecil County — a short drive north of Conowingo and a stone's throw from the Pennsylvania border — the chapel sits on a half-acre lot on Pleasant Grove Road that the Rev. Roger Smith purchased from Daniel Glackin in 1819 for a church and burial ground. The chapel is a Diocese of Wilmington Historic Shrine in the care of Good Shepherd Parish, listed on the Maryland Historic Trust register since 1978. Unlike the parish's other three churches, St. Patrick's is not used on a weekly basis; instead, Mass is celebrated seasonally, supplemented by Lenten Stations of the Cross and an annual open house. The day-to-day life of the chapel is sustained by the St. Patrick's Chapel Historical Society (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit), the Ancient Order of Hibernians of Harford County (which has long maintained the grounds), and the Cecil County Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians.
- Mission church of Good Shepherd Parish, Perryville (Iron Hill Deanery, Diocese of Wilmington)
- Address: 287 Pleasant Grove Road, Conowingo, MD 21918
- Listed on the Maryland Historic Trust (1978)
- Mass celebrated seasonally (approximately four times a year); contact the parish office for the schedule
History of St. Patrick's Chapel
The chapel was built by Irish Catholic immigrants who came to the lower Susquehanna River to dig canals and work in the region's lumber and mining industries. In their homeland, Catholics had been subject to the Penal Laws, which restricted their rights to worship, run schools, and own property; in America, the Bill of Rights guaranteed those freedoms, and these working immigrants pooled their meager savings to erect a permanent place of worship. Throughout the 19th century the wooden chapel was served by priests traveling from across the Susquehanna in Harford County, with Mass celebrated roughly every fifth Sunday. The community shrank after the canal era ended — railroads crossing the Susquehanna near the Chesapeake Bay bypassed Conowingo — and was further scattered in 1927 when construction of the Conowingo Dam flooded the old town of Conowingo. A 125th-anniversary Mass was celebrated in 1934, but the chapel had fallen into serious disrepair; restoration plans stalled through the Depression and World War II.
- 1819: Rev. Roger Smith (St. Ignatius, Hickory) buys a half-acre from Daniel Glackin; first Masses celebrated.
- 19th century: served by Harford County priests; Mass about every fifth Sunday (≈10 times a year).
- 1927: Conowingo Dam construction floods old Conowingo; immigrant community disperses.
- 1934: 125th-anniversary Mass celebrated amid major disrepair.
- c. 2000: Rev. Gregory Corrigan, as interim administrator, launches a major renovation.
Restoration and the Historical Society
After the chapel had deteriorated badly again by the start of the 21st century, neighbors and parishioners organized to save it. The St. Patrick's Chapel Historical Association was created in the early 2000s and later incorporated as a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit. A roughly $180,000 restoration brought the exterior and interior as close to the original as possible, preserving the original altar, side tabernacle, large candle stands, and altar rail, and reproducing the Stations of the Cross and stenciling seen in 1930s photographs from the 125th-anniversary Mass. Bishop W. Francis Malooly rededicated the restored chapel in 2010, and on September 14, 2019 he returned to celebrate the chapel's 200th-anniversary Mass, drawing more than 100 people to the remote site.
- St. Patrick's Chapel Historical Society (501(c)(3)) — preservation, fundraising, and event coordination.
- Bishop Malooly's rededication: 2010.
- 200th-anniversary Mass: September 14, 2019, celebrated by Bishop Malooly with Father Jay McKee.
- Featured in the Diocese of Wilmington's historic-church video series (youtube.com/user/DioceseofWilm).
The Building and Grounds
St. Patrick's is a one-room frame chapel that seats roughly 75 to 80 people. The building retains its original wavy glass window panes and was historically heated by a pot-bellied stove whose pipe ran up through the ceiling. Inside, visitors can still see the original altar furnishings, a small hand-pumped organ, and the reproduced wall stenciling and Stations of the Cross. The adjoining cemetery on the half-acre lot includes the graves of the Glacken family (Daniel Glackin sold the property to the Church in 1819) and members of the family of Robert Fulton, the engineer and inventor associated with the development of the steamboat.
- One-room frame structure, capacity ~75–80.
- Original altar, side tabernacle, candle stands, and altar rail preserved.
- Original wavy glass windows; historic pot-bellied stove venting.
- Cemetery on-site with Glacken and Fulton-family graves.
Worship Schedule and Devotions
Because St. Patrick's is the only one of Good Shepherd Parish's four churches not used weekly, its liturgical calendar is event-based rather than weekly. Mass is celebrated seasonally — historically about four times a year — with the bishop or the parish pastor typically presiding. Lenten Stations of the Cross are held at the chapel, and an annual summer open house offers refreshments and historical tours. Schedules vary; the parish office at Good Shepherd (410-642-6534) is the best source for upcoming dates.
- Seasonal Mass (≈4 times per year) — schedule announced by Good Shepherd Parish office
- Stations of the Cross during Lent
- Annual Open House (typically June) with refreshments and historical tours
- Special anniversary and historical Masses (e.g., September 14, 2019, 200th anniversary)
Clergy and Pastoral Care
St. Patrick's Chapel is pastored through Good Shepherd Parish in Perryville. The current pastor is Rev. Jay R. McKee, who also serves as pastor of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Perryville, St. Agnes in Rising Sun, and St. Teresa of Avila in Port Deposit. Two deacons assist the parish community: Deacon Matthew L. Raymond and Deacon Dr. Luke E. Yackley. Past celebrations at St. Patrick's have also been led by visiting priests, including Father Gregory (Greg) Corrigan, who served as interim administrator during the early-2000s renovation and famously declared that, as an Irishman, he could not let the chapel fall into ruin.
- Pastor: Rev. Jay R. McKee
- Deacons: Matthew L. Raymond; Dr. Luke E. Yackley
- Former interim administrator (c. 2000): Rev. Gregory Corrigan
Community Life and Getting Involved
The chapel's ongoing life is sustained by a tight-knit group of volunteers and partner organizations. The St. Patrick's Chapel Historical Society welcomes new members and donations to support preservation; the Ancient Order of Hibernians of Harford County has, for many years, mowed and maintained the lawn; and the Cecil County Division One Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians helps with events and outreach. Good Shepherd School students have visited the chapel as part of their formation, and the diocese has produced a video tour featured on the Diocese of Wilmington's YouTube channel. Anyone interested in helping preserve this 200-year-old landmark is encouraged to contact the parish office or the Historical Society.
- Volunteer through the St. Patrick's Chapel Historical Society
- Support the Ancient Order of Hibernians (Harford County) or the Ladies AOH (Cecil County Division One)
- Donate through Good Shepherd Parish (goodshepherdcecilmd.org)
- Visit during the annual Open House or seasonal Masses
Good Shepherd Parish — The Wider Community
St. Patrick's is one of four worship sites that together make up Good Shepherd Parish, which is pastored by Rev. Jay R. McKee and supported by a staff including Director of Christian Formation Jeanmarie Sepka, Business Manager Annette Brown, Administrative Assistant Sharon Rapposelli, and Music Director Dr. Richard Allen. The parish office is at 810 Aiken Avenue, Perryville, MD 21903, phone (410) 642-6534, with office hours of 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Monday–Friday (summer hours 9 a.m.–12 p.m. from Father's Day through Labor Day). The parish website at goodshepherdcecilmd.org lists the full schedule of Masses, reconciliation, religious education, and parish school information for the Perryville, Rising Sun, and Port Deposit churches, and serves as the hub for news about St. Patrick's Chapel events.
- Parish office: 810 Aiken Ave., Perryville, MD 21903 — (410) 642-6534
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: goodshepherdcecilmd.org
- Other parish churches: Church of the Good Shepherd (Perryville); St. Agnes (Rising Sun); St. Teresa of Avila (Port Deposit)
Visiting St. Patrick's Chapel
Pilottown is a small village in the far northwestern corner of Cecil County, Maryland, just south of the Pennsylvania state line and a short drive north of Conowingo. Because the chapel seats only about 75–80 people, larger events (like the 200th-anniversary Mass) have historically been supported with an outdoor tent and video feed. Visitors are advised to confirm event times with the Good Shepherd Parish office before traveling, dress appropriately for the season (there is no air conditioning, and historically heating was by a single pot-bellied stove), and expect a quiet, contemplative experience in a setting that connects present-day pilgrims with the Irish Catholic immigrants who first worshipped here in 1819.
- Location: Pilottown village, Conowingo, MD 21918 — Pleasant Grove Road near the PA line
- Confirm event times with Good Shepherd Parish office: (410) 642-6534
- Historic chapel — limited capacity (~75–80), no modern climate control
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Roger Smith1819
Priest from St. Ignatius Church, Hickory (Harford County), who purchased the half-acre plot from Daniel Glackin and held the first religious services.
- Rev. Gregory (Greg) Corriganc. 2000
Interim administrator during the early-2000s renovation project; championed the restoration.
- Rev. Jay R. McKeepresent
Pastor of Good Shepherd Parish, Perryville, and celebrant of the chapel's 200th-anniversary Mass in 2019.