About St. Peter · Westernport, Maryland
St. Peter Catholic Church in Westernport, Maryland, is one of the five worship sites of Divine Mercy Parish in the Allegany Mountains of western Maryland. Founded in 1851 as St. Peter in Chains to serve Irish Catholic railroad workers building the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, the present church was built in 1873 and has served the small mountain community for over 150 years. Today it is joined liturgically with St. Michael in Frostburg, St. Joseph in Midland, St. Ann in Grantsville, and St. Gabriel in Barton under a single pastoral team.
- Established
- 1851
- Patron
- St. Peter in Chains
- Rector
- Rev. Scott Kady
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Baltimore
Why belong here
St. Peter Westernport is a small, historic mountain parish with deep roots in the Irish Catholic community that built the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and it now belongs to Divine Mercy Parish — a five-church family that shares clergy and ministry across the western Maryland mountains. Worshippers can attend a Saturday Vigil Mass, a Sunday Mass, and weekday Masses right on Church Street, with the Sacrament of Reconciliation offered every Saturday afternoon. Joining the parish means becoming part of a tradition that goes back to 1851 and is still served today by the same Catholic presence that has nurtured Westernport for more than 170 years.
Mass times at St. Peter
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 pm - 3:45 pm at St. Peter, Westernport (other times available by appointment)
History of St. Peter, Westernport
Catholic life in Westernport began in 1851 when Irish railroad workers arrived to build the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad; a parish named St. Peter in Chains was organized in a Bloomington, MD schoolroom. The first Catholic church in Westernport itself was established in 1857 when land was purchased. The present St. Peter's Catholic Church was built in 1873 under the direction of Rev. Jeremiah O'Sullivan, who also built the convent in 1874 and promoted the parish school. By January 1876, 60 boys and 110 girls attended the school, which the Sisters of St. Joseph took over in September 1875 and operated for 111 years.
- 1851 — St. Peter in Chains parish founded in a Bloomington, MD schoolroom for B&O Railroad workers
- 1857 — Land purchased, first Catholic church in Westernport built
- 1873 — Present St. Peter's Catholic Church built under Rev. Jeremiah O'Sullivan
- 1874 — Convent built
- 1875 — Sisters of St. Joseph arrive to run the parish school (111 years of service)
- 1876 — Parish school enrollment: 60 boys and 110 girls
- 1898-1902 — Fr. Thomas E. Lyons builds the three-story brick rectory
- 1902-1921 — Fr. Gallagher builds the new school (1905-1906)
- 2002 — Parish school closes (June)
- 2003 — Convent demolished
Parish Clergy & Staff (Divine Mercy Parish)
St. Peter Westernport is served as one of five worship sites of Divine Mercy Parish. The clergy and lay staff listed below care for the parish's spiritual, liturgical, and administrative life across all five sites, including St. Peter in Westernport.
- Rev. Scott Kady — Pastor
- Fr. Eric Gauchat — Associate Pastor
- Rev. Edward S. Hendricks — Pastor Emeritus
- Deacon Harold Bradley
- Ms. Margaret Meyers — Director of Mission
- Mr. Edward Jones — Business Manager
- Mrs. Virginia Gostomski — Bookkeeper
- Mrs. Alison Lyons — Director of Music and Liturgy / Administrative Associate
Pastoral Succession (Selected)
Parish records name a few of the pastors whose hands built and shaped St. Peter's through its first seventy-five years.
- Rev. Jeremiah O'Sullivan — built the present church (1873) and convent (1874)
- Fr. Thomas E. Lyons — 1898-1902; built the rectory
- Father Gallagher — 1902-1921; commissioned the new school building (1905-1906)
Contact & Visiting
- Address: 127 Church Street, Westernport, MD 21562
- Phone: (301) 359-3055
- Fax: (301) 359-0657
- Email: [email protected]
- Parish website: https://www.divinemercymd.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Jeremiah O'Sullivanthrough 1873
Built the present St. Peter's Church (1873) and the convent (1874); promoted the parish school.
- Sisters of St. Josepharrived September 1875
Operated the parish school for 111 years.
- Fr. Thomas E. Lyons1898-1902
Built the three-story brick rectory that still serves as priest residence, parish office, and social center.
- Father Gallagher1902-1921
Determined a new school building was needed and saw it constructed in 1905-1906.