About St. Peter the Apostle · Oakland, Maryland
St. Peter the Apostle is a Roman Catholic parish in Oakland, Maryland, the seat of Garrett County and the westernmost parish in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Established in 1852 to serve the Catholics of the western part of Allegany County (later Garrett County, formed in 1872), the parish today spans two worship sites: the historic St. Peter the Apostle Church on South Fourth Street in Oakland, and St. Peter at the Lake Center, a 300-seat lakeside church on Mosser Road in McHenry that serves vacationers around Deep Creek Lake. The parish of roughly 490 registered families is pastored by Rev. William Keown and welcomes year-round worshipers and summer visitors alike.
- Established
- 1852
- Patron
- St. Peter the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. William Keown
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Baltimore
Why belong here
St. Peter the Apostle is a small, family-sized parish with deep roots in Garrett County — the original Catholic mission for the entire county since 1852 — where every registered family is known and welcomed. With weekday noon Mass in the Oakland chapel, a Sunday morning Mass in the historic Oakland church, and a lakeside mission at St. Peter at the Lake Center serving thousands of Deep Creek Lake visitors each summer, the parish offers both an intimate year-round community and an open door to seasonal worshipers. It is the kind of place where Archbishop-inspired liturgies, daily Eucharistic Adoration, rosary before Sunday Mass, and a small-town welcome come together.
Mass times at St. Peter the Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 4:30 PM (First Wednesday of the month in the chapel)
- Confessions also available before Masses or by appointment — please contact the parish office
Adoration times
- First Sunday following 9:00 AM Mass — Adoration
- Monday–Thursday after 12:00 PM Noon Mass (or Communion Service) — Eucharistic Adoration
About St. Peter the Apostle
St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Parish is a Roman Catholic community in Oakland, Maryland, established in 1852 to serve the needs of the western part of Allegany County. After Garrett County was created in 1872, the parish became the Catholic parish for the entire county until 1909, when St. Ann's in Grantsville was founded to serve the eastern section. The parish retains Immaculate Conception in Kitzmiller (1928) as a mission church, which is the furthest western parish in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and the state of Maryland. Today the parish numbers about 490 registered families and welcomes visitors to the Deep Creek Lake area.
- Founded 1852
- About 490 registered families
- Westernmost parish in the Archdiocese of Baltimore
Worship Sites
The parish operates from two physical sites. The historic St. Peter the Apostle Church, parish hall, chapel, and offices are located together at 208 South Fourth Street in Oakland, where Sunday morning and weekday noon Masses are celebrated. The mission church St. Peter at the Lake Center, on Mosser Road in McHenry, serves the Deep Creek Lake vacation community with weekend Masses year-round and an additional Sunday Mass in summer.
- St. Peter the Apostle Church & Parish Center — 208 South Fourth Street, Oakland, MD 21550
- St. Peter at the Lake Center — 1140 Mosser Road, McHenry, MD 21541
Devotions and Other Services
The parish invites the faithful to pray the Rosary at 8:30 AM on Sunday mornings, half an hour before Mass. This small devotional offering reflects the parish's traditional Catholic rhythm.
- Sunday Rosary at 8:30 AM
St. Peter at the Lake Center
St. Peter at the Lake was dedicated on June 28, 2009, blessed by Auxiliary Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski after the parish celebrated weekly summer Masses around Deep Creek Lake for 17 years without a permanent building. The $1.2 million Center seats about 300 and was designed by Eades Architects of Cumberland and built by Harbel Construction Company of Cumberland on 14.5 acres of former pasture. Its sliding doors open onto outdoor patios that can host another 600 people for overflow liturgies and parish gatherings. The Center features a stained glass window of St. Peter casting his fishing net — a fitting tribute to the patron's trade and the parish's ministry to lake visitors.
- Dedicated June 28, 2009 by Auxiliary Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski
- $1.2 million, seats 300, patio overflow for 600
- Designed by Eades Architects of Cumberland, built by Harbel Construction Company of Cumberland
- Furnishings include items from closed Diocese of Allentown parishes and woodwork from a former Holy Cross Fathers chapel
Contact and Visit
Parishioners and visitors may contact St. Peter the Apostle through the parish office at 208 South Fourth Street, Oakland, MD 21550. The office is open Monday–Thursday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Phone, fax, email, website, and Facebook page all serve as ongoing points of contact.
- Phone: (301) 334-2202
- Fax: (301) 334-9006
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.garrettstpeter.com
- Facebook: /stpeteroakland
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Donald Parson
Pastor at the time of the June 28, 2009 dedication and blessing of St. Peter at the Lake Center by Auxiliary Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski.