About St. Peter · Hancock, Maryland
St. Peter Catholic Church is a historic brick parish serving the town of Hancock, Maryland, in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Founded in 1835 amid Irish immigrants working on the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, the parish is now joined in a pastorate with St. Patrick Mission in Little Orleans under the pastoral care of Father John "Jack" Lombardi. Located at 16 East High Street in the heart of Hancock, St. Peter offers daily and Sunday Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Thursdays, and a Catholic community that traces nearly two centuries of continuous worship in western Maryland.
- Established
- 1835
- Patron
- St. Peter (the Apostle, Prince of the Apostles)
- Rector
- Rev. John "Jack" Lombardi
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Baltimore
Why belong here
St. Peter offers something rare — a small-town Catholic parish where nearly two centuries of faith still meet a living community today. Mass is celebrated daily in the original 1835 brick church on East High Street, with two Sunday Masses (7:30 and 10:00 a.m.), a full weekday Mass schedule, Friday and Saturday confession times, and weekly Thursday Eucharistic Adoration from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Father Jack Lombardi continues to shepherd the parish in pastorate with St. Patrick Mission in Little Orleans, supported by Deacon James Mason, a Parish Council, a Religious Education program, and ministries such as youth activities and pro-life prayer in Hagerstown. It is a faithful, family-sized parish — perfect for those seeking traditional Catholic worship and genuine community in western Maryland.
Mass times at St. Peter
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- St. Peter (Hancock) — Fridays after 9:00 a.m. Mass
- St. Peter (Hancock) — Saturdays 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
- St. Peter (Hancock) — Sundays prior to 7:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Masses
- St. Patrick (Little Orleans) — Saturdays prior to 5:00 p.m. Mass, upon request
- Or by appointment by calling 301-678-6339 (Fr. Lombardi is available in the Church at these times or by appointment)
Adoration times
- Weekly Thursday Eucharistic Adoration: 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. (begun by Father Jack Lombardi)
Welcome to Ss. Peter & Patrick Parish
Ss. Peter & Patrick is a two-church Catholic pastorate in the Archdiocese of Baltimore serving Hancock, Maryland and the Little Orleans area. The parish office is at 16 East High Street, Hancock, MD 21750, open Monday–Friday 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., phone (301) 678-6339, email [email protected]. The parish is led by Father John "Jack" Lombardi and supported by a Parish Council and Deacon James Mason. The motto on the parish's About page is taken from Micah 6:6-8: "Act justly, love kindness, walk humbly with God."
- St. Peter Catholic Church — 16 E. High Street, Hancock, MD 21750
- St. Patrick Catholic Mission — 12517 Saint Patrick Road SE, Little Orleans, MD 21766
- Pastor: Rev. John "Jack" Lombardi
- Deacon: James Mason
- Office Manager: Pamela Kunkle (also Administrator of Religious Education and Virtus Screening Coordinator)
History of the Parish
St. Peter Catholic Church was founded in 1835 by Irish immigrants working on the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal. The cornerstone was laid in 1834 under Father Timothy Ryan, and the building was completed at no labor cost by the canal workers themselves, with materials supplied by contractor Philip P. Fitzgerald. The land was purchased from Jonathan Rowland for $175 and deeded to Archbishop Samuel Eccleston of Baltimore. The parish's name was a Father Ryan compromise between older residents who wanted 'St. Timothy' (for the pastor) and Irish workers who wanted 'St. Patrick' — St. Peter, Ryan reasoned, was a name 'no one would argue about.'
- Pre-1833: Mass said in private homes
- 1834: Cornerstone laid; land purchased for $175
- 1835: Church dedicated
- 2010: 175th anniversary celebrated with 300+ parishioners and Auxiliary Bishop Denis J. Madden
The Companion Mission — St. Patrick, Little Orleans
Across the Potomac River from Magnolia, West Virginia, St. Patrick Mission in Little Orleans, Maryland, has been served from St. Peter's for roughly 175 years — originally by circuit-riding priests on horseback. Father Nicholas Zacchey built the first 'Mass House' in 1807 near Fifteen Mile Creek for $96 in pledges; it served as a base for priests traveling to Pittsburgh, Cumberland, and Wheeling. St. Patrick Church itself was built and dedicated in 1860 under Father John C. Gloyd, partly funded by a large donation from Elizabeth Lady Stafford, granddaughter of Charles Carroll of Carrollton. Father George Glick began weekly Mass at St. Patrick's in 1985, and today St. Patrick's hosts the Saturday 5:00 p.m. (4:00 p.m. in winter) Vigil Mass.
- 1807: Little Orleans Mass House built
- 1808: Cemetery deeded as 'Church Lot'
- 1860: St. Patrick Church dedicated under Father Gloyd
- Today: weekly Vigil Mass and pastoral care from St. Peter's
Pastorate Activation & "From Maintenance to Mission"
Under the direction of Archbishop William E. Lori, Ss. Peter & Patrick entered a formal Pastorate Activation uniting the two churches into a single pastoral vision. The catalyst was the parish mission 'From Maintenance to Mission,' initiated by Father Jack Lombardi in 2009, which has continued to shape the parish's outreach, ministries, and shared identity across Hancock and Little Orleans.
- "From Maintenance to Mission" parish mission (begun 2009)
- Formal Pastorate Activation under Archbishop William E. Lori
Parish Staff & Leadership
The parish is staffed by Father John J. Lombardi (Pastor), Deacon James Mason (Permanent Deacon), and Pamela Kunkle (Office Manager, Administrator of Religious Education, and Virtus Screening Coordinator). The Parish Council is led by President James Buchheit. Parish office staff member Amanda assists with online giving via Give Central.
- Pastor — Rev. John J. Lombardi ([email protected], 301-678-6339)
- Permanent Deacon — Deacon James Mason ([email protected], 301-331-2371)
- Office Manager / Religious Education Administrator — Pamela Kunkle ([email protected])
- Parish Council President — James Buchheit
- Parish office staff — Amanda
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The Religious Education Program (PREP) is administered by Pamela Kunkle and has been a parish mainstay since the late 1970s, when the first parish hall addition under Father Paul Witthauer was built specifically to house it. In the summers of that era, Sister Emily and the School Sisters of Notre Dame would travel to Hancock to teach. Today, parish children continue to be prepared for the sacraments through PREP, and families are encouraged to contact the parish office for registration.
- Administrator of Religious Education: Pamela Kunkle
- Sacramental prep (Baptism, First Eucharist, First Reconciliation, Confirmation)
- Virtus screening for adult volunteers
Ministries & Outreach
Ss. Peter & Patrick runs an active program of parish ministries rooted in its Catholic social teaching and parish mission. From the pro-life Sidewalk Ministry praying in front of the abortion mill in Hagerstown and the practice of "adopting the unborn," to vocation discernment meetings for young parishioners with the Archbishop, to youth activities (skiing, parties, the annual parish parade with altar servers carrying a banner), the parish encourages broad lay participation. Parish life is rounded out by an annual parish picnic and seasonal parish-hall celebrations.
- Pro-life Sidewalk Ministry (Hagerstown)
- "Adopting the Unborn" spiritual adoption program
- Vocation discernment / meetings with the Archbishop
- Youth activities and parish parade
- Annual parish picnic
- Parish Hall gatherings and seasonal celebrations
- Parish Council (President James Buchheit)
Music & Liturgy
Music at St. Peter's centers on a pipe organ that was upgraded with a new 'midi' box under Father John Lesnick (2006–2009), enabling organ music at all Masses even when a live organist is unavailable. The parish's stained-glass windows were originally procured through the Total Abstinence Society originated by Father Michael Dausch (1863–1869) and remain a defining liturgical feature of the 1835 church.
- Organ with midi box (added under Fr. Lesnick)
- Stained-glass windows (Total Abstinence Society, Fr. Dausch era)
- Monthly Holy Hour
- Altar servers (active program with annual day at the Hagerstown ballpark)
Giving & Parish Support
Parishioners can support Ss. Peter & Patrick online through Give Central — a safe, easy platform for one-time or recurring donations. For help with online giving or questions, contact Amanda in the parish office. The parish is also part of the Archdiocese of Baltimore's Annual Appeal for Catholic Ministries and other parish-giving programs.
- Online giving via Give Central (contact Amanda)
- Archdiocese of Baltimore Annual Appeal for Catholic Ministries
- Parish office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Visiting the Parish
St. Peter is located at 16 East High Street in downtown Hancock, Maryland, at the western edge of Washington County. The parish office entrance is on the kitchen side — visitors have noted it is easy to miss, so calling ahead at 301-678-6339 is recommended. A handicapped-accessible side entrance was added to the church under Father Witthauer's pastorate. The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
- Address: 16 East High Street, Hancock, MD 21750
- Phone: (301) 678-6339
- Parish Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- Handicapped-accessible side entrance
Notable Dates in Parish Life
Key milestones in Ss. Peter & Patrick's history include the 1835 dedication, the 1807 Little Orleans Mass House and 1860 St. Patrick Church, the 1910 building of the rectory and parish hall under Father Thomas Reinhart, the late-20th-century parish hall expansions under Fathers Witthauer and Glick, the 2009 launch of weekly Thursday Adoration and the 'From Maintenance to Mission' parish mission under Father Lombardi, and the April 25, 2010 175th anniversary Mass with Auxiliary Bishop Denis J. Madden.
- 1835: Church dedicated
- 1860: St. Patrick's, Little Orleans, dedicated
- 1910: Rectory & Parish Hall built
- 1985: Weekly Mass begins at St. Patrick's
- 2009: Thursday Adoration and 'From Maintenance to Mission' begun
- 2010: 175th anniversary celebrated
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Augustine Fromback
Earliest recorded priest associated with the parish.
- Rev. Dennis Cahill
Early priest of the parish.
- Rev. Demetrius Gallitzin
Early priest.
- Rev. Nicholas Zacchey1807
First signer of a document for "erecting a house for Divine Worship for the Roman Catholicks near Said (Fifteen Mile) Creek." Built the Little Orleans Mass House.
- Rev. James M. Redmond
Early priest.
- Rev. Timothy Ryan
Built St. Peter's; buried in front of St. Mary's.
- Rev. Michael Guth
- Rev. Henry Myers
Built St. Thomas in Mooresville.
- Rev. Joseph John Maguire1851
Assistant pastor to Fr. Myers.
- Rev. James Carney1853-1855
First resident pastor.
- Rev. C.M. O'Reilly1856
- Rev. George Flautt1857-1858
- Rev. James McDevitt1858-1860
- Rev. John C. Gloyd1860-1863
Built St. Patrick's in Little Orleans (dedicated 1860).
- Rev. Michael Dausch1863-1869
Originated the Total Abstinence Society, which procured the church's stained-glass windows.
- Rev. John M. Jones1869-1871
Given charge of all of Washington County.
- Rev. Damer1869-1871
Assisted Rev. Jones.
- Rev. Stanislaus F. Ryan1871
- Rev. Charles Damer1871-1881
- Rev. Peter Weider1881-1886
- Rev. John B. Manley1886-1889
Published "The Life of St. Anthony."
- Rev. Theodore D. Mead1889-1890
- Rev. Thomas E. Lyons1890-1896
- Rev. Francis A.B. Wunnenberg1896-1897
- Rev. Romanus Mattingly1897-1904
- Rev. Henry S. Nagengast1904-1910
- Rev. Thomas Reinhart1910-1927
Longest-serving pastor on record (17 years); built the rectory and Parish Hall in 1910.
- Rev. William E. Kelly1927-1933
- Rev. Francis P. Ryan1933-1938
- Rev. J. Ambrose Quinn1938-1942
- Rev. James M. Hogan1942-1944
- Rev. Raymond P. Kelly1944-1946
- Rev. Charles B. Monmonier1947-1950
- Rev. Cornelius J. ByrnesApril-September 1950
Asked to be transferred after only three days in the parish.
- Rev. Thomas W. CaulfieldSeptember 1950-1953
- Monsignor Daniel McGrath1953-1957
- Rev. John T. Kerr1957-1961
Called his years at Hancock and Little Orleans "the happiest years of his life."
- Rev. Charles H. Quinn1961-1965
- Rev. Linus E. Robinson1965-1974
- Rev. Paul G. Witthauer1974-1980
Began the parish council, youth activities, and the building program that expanded the parish hall.
- Rev. George W. Glick1980-2000
Completed two additions to the parish hall; began weekly Mass at St. Patrick's in 1985; died in office May 15, 2000.
- Rev. Joseph Cosgrove2000-2006
Began weekly Holy Hour and annual altar servers' day at the Hagerstown ballpark.
- Rev. John Lesnick2006-2009
Added a "midi" box to the organ; transferred to Belmont Abbey, NC.
- Rev. John "Jack" LombardiJune 1, 2009 – June 2021
Began weekly Thursday Eucharistic Adoration 8:00am–8:00pm; launched "From Maintenance to Mission" initiative; pastor 2009-2021 and again 2023-present.
- Rev. Joseph LanganJuly 1, 2021 – January 1, 2023
- Rev. John "Jack" LombardiJanuary 1, 2023 – present
Current pastor.