About St. Rita · Dundalk, Maryland
St. Rita is a Catholic parish in Dundalk, Maryland (Baltimore County) that was established on June 2, 1922. Originally a mission of St. Luke in Edgemere, it grew from the working-class community drawn to jobs at the Bethlehem Steel plant in Sparrows Point. Today the parish is part of the Sacred Heart of Mary–Saint Rita Pastorate and is administered as an additional worship site of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Dundalk under the Archdiocese of Baltimore. After a July 1, 2025 lightning-sparked fire caused more than $1 million in damage, the Archdiocese announced on March 1, 2026 that the St. Rita church building would be permanently closed, and the St. Rita faith community continues its worship and ministries at Our Lady of Hope.
- Established
- 1922
- Patron
- St. Rita of Cascia
- Rector
- Father Kevin Mueller (pastor of the merged Our Lady of Hope parish, which includes St. Rita)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Baltimore
Why belong here
St. Rita's community has remained close-knit across more than a century of parish life on the Dundalk peninsula. The faith community is known for deep outreach: the parish's St. Vincent de Paul Society has served neighbors for over 16 years, its food pantry fed roughly 70 people twice a month through the pandemic, and the parish long ran the legendary St. Rita Supper Table soup kitchen that fed 200–300 people every Monday night. Mass, confession, adoration, rosary and faith formation are celebrated in a tight pastorate with Sacred Heart of Mary and Our Lady of Hope, so newcomers find multiple Mass times, Bible studies, youth groups and devotional life within easy reach.
Mass times at St. Rita
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 10:30 AM (until 11:00 AM) at Our Lady of Hope
- Saturday: 3:00 PM to 3:30 PM at Our Lady of Hope Church/Chapel
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Tuesday: 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM at Our Lady of Hope Chapel
- Friday: 8:00 AM at Our Lady of Hope Chapel
- First Friday Adoration (Our Lady of Hope Chapel)
- Sacred Heart of Mary church open periodically for prayer (e.g., April 28, 4:00 PM–6:00 PM)
Parish Identity & Pastorate
St. Rita Catholic Church in Dundalk is part of the Sacred Heart of Mary–Saint Rita Pastorate of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Since the end of 2024 it has been administered as an additional worship site of Our Lady of Hope Parish (1727 Lynch Road, Dundalk), together with the former parishes of St. Luke (Edgemere) and Sacred Heart of Mary (Graceland Park). The pastorate's mission, drawn from baptismal calling, is to serve the spiritual and material needs of the Dundalk community through hospitality, evangelization, liturgy, education, stewardship and service.
- Seated parish: Our Lady of Hope (1727 Lynch Road, Dundalk, MD 21222)
- Pastorate website: http://shmstr.org
- Pastoral Planning: Archdiocese of Baltimore's 'Seek the City to Come' (2024)
- Pastorate phone: (410) 284-6600
A Parish Born from Bethlehem Steel
St. Rita was established June 2, 1922, beginning as a mission church of St. Luke in Edgemere. The community was built by families drawn to the steady jobs at the Bethlehem Steel plant at Sparrows Point. The first generation of parishioners cleaned the grounds and built the original wooden church with their own hands in 1922. Within five years the parish had grown enough to open St. Rita School (1926).
- Founded June 2, 1922
- Mission of St. Luke, Edgemere
- Founded by Bethlehem Steel / Sparrows Point workers
- St. Rita School opened 1926; closed 2006
The 1947 Church on Dunleer Road
By 1947 the parish had outgrown its original wooden church, and the present church was built on Dunleer Road (also addressed 3 Dunmanway, at the corner of Dunglow Road & Dunmanway). It served the parish for nearly 80 years until the 2025 lightning fire and was the gathering place for generations of Dundalk Catholic families. The parish also planted two mission churches of its own—St. Adrian in Inverness and St. Mildred in Gray Manor—before post-World War II population growth.
- Second church built 1947 on Dunleer Road
- Entrance on Dunglow Road & Dunmanway
- Mission churches: St. Adrian (Inverness), St. Mildred (Gray Manor)
Centennial Anniversary (2021–2022)
St. Rita celebrated 100 years as a parish from June 2, 2021 through May 22, 2022. The faith community held two healing Masses, movie nights and a Christmas concert. A basket near the St. Rita statue inside the church collected Mass petitions. Parishioners prayed a novena to St. Rita from May 13–22, accompanied by a St. Rita festival, a tree dedication in memory of departed clergy, talks about St. Rita, a living rosary, Eucharistic adoration and communal Confessions. The anniversary closed with a Mass and dinner on May 22, 2022, the feast of St. Rita of Cascia.
- Centennial opened June 2, 2021
- Novena to St. Rita: May 13–22, 2022
- Healing Masses, movie nights, Christmas concert
- Tree dedicated in memory of departed clergy
- Eucharistic adoration & confessions offered May 13–21, 2022
The 2025 Fire and Permanent Closure
On the afternoon of July 1, 2025, lightning struck St. Rita's bell system during a storm and sparked a two-alarm fire. The blaze caused extensive smoke, water and structural damage to the reconciliation room, vestibule, downstairs restroom and the stairwell to the bell tower; damage was assessed at more than $1 million, later adjusted to $1.1 million. About 150 St. Rita parishioners were welcomed into Our Lady of Hope, which itself was holding Masses in the school hall due to the main church's failing air conditioning. After a discernment process that included an October 2025 parish meeting of more than 120 people, Archbishop William E. Lori and archdiocesan leaders announced on March 1, 2026 that St. Rita would be permanently closed. Monsignor Jay F. O'Connor, Episcopal Vicar of the Eastern Vicariate, said the decision followed the spirit of Seek the City: 'A new parish needs to develop.'
- Lightning fire July 1, 2025
- $1.1 million in damages
- Closure announced March 1, 2026 by Archbishop Lori
- Parishioners welcomed at Our Lady of Hope
- Insurance funds under discussion for OLH renovation or new church
Outreach & Charity
St. Rita has long been known for feeding the Dundalk community. The St. Rita Supper Table soup kitchen once served 200–300 people every Monday night and continued operating through the pandemic; it is now an independent ministry called Soup for the Soul on Willow Spring Road. The parish's St. Vincent de Paul Society has been active for 16+ years, with eight core members. The food pantry serves approximately 70 people twice a month with both pickup and home-delivery options. The Apostleship of the Sea, the Archdiocese of Baltimore's ministry for seafarers, has historically been based in the former St. Rita rectory.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society (16+ years, 8 core members)
- Food Pantry (~70 people served twice monthly)
- Soup for the Soul (formerly St. Rita Supper Table)
- Apostleship of the Sea (archdiocesan seafarers' ministry)
Faith Formation & Groups
The pastorate offers Bible Study in person at Our Lady of Hope Rectory (call Ms. Dot at 410-284-9215), as well as a Bible Study group via Zoom (call Fiona at 410-371-4018). A youth group serves boys and girls ages 11–18 (call Helgi at 443-986-3904), and a children's choir welcomes boys and girls. Additional prayer and devotional groups meet via Zoom (call 410-285-1585). Sacramental preparation (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage) is coordinated through the parish office.
- In-person Bible Study at Our Lady of Hope Rectory
- Zoom Bible Study
- Youth Group (ages 11–18)
- Children's Choir
- Zoom prayer / devotional groups
Clergy & Staff
St. Rita is served through the Our Lady of Hope pastorate team. Father Kevin Mueller is pastor and Father Vincent Arisukwu is associate pastor. In earlier years, Father Jim Szobonya, C.Ss.R. served as pastor of the Sacred Heart of Mary & St. Rita Pastorate, and Father George Gannon became pastor of St. Rita in July 2015 while remaining pastor of Sacred Heart of Mary, beginning the consolidation of Dundalk-area parishes under one pastor. Deacon John Langmead served St. Rita as Pastoral Life Director from January 2006 until his retirement in June 2014. The pastorate is staffed out of the Our Lady of Hope rectory at 1727 Lynch Road, Dundalk.
- Father Kevin Mueller — Pastor
- Father Vincent Arisukwu — Associate Pastor
- Father Jim Szobonya, C.Ss.R. — former Pastor (SHM–St. Rita Pastorate)
- Father George Gannon — Pastor of St. Rita from July 2015
- Deacon John Langmead — Pastoral Life Director, 2006–2014
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Jim Szobonya, C.Ss.R.
Pastor of the Sacred Heart of Mary & St. Rita Pastorate (listed on joinmychurch.com profile)
- Father George Gannon2015–
Became pastor of St. Rita July 1, 2015 while remaining pastor of Sacred Heart of Mary; began uniting Dundalk parishes under one pastor
- Father Kevin Mueller2025–present
Current pastor of Our Lady of Hope, the seated parish of the merged community that includes St. Rita
- Father Vincent Arisukwu2025–present
Associate pastor of Our Lady of Hope / St. Rita Pastorate