St. Rose of Lima

About the Merged Pastorate

The Community of St. Athanasius and St. Rose of Lima is a Catholic pastorate serving Curtis Bay and Brooklyn in the southern peninsula of Baltimore City near Anne Arundel County. The two parishes, formally merged under Father John Jicha on July 1, 2023, share one pastor, one pastoral staff, and combined liturgical celebrations including daily Masses, Holy Day Masses, Parish Missions, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and joint Advent/Lent Reconciliation Services. The parish describes itself as 'a welcoming and vibrant worshiping community striving to see the face of Jesus Christ in all people,' answering its baptismal call through worship, education, outreach, advocacy, and evangelization.

A Century of St. Rose of Lima: Origin Story

In the early 1900s the Globe Shipbuilding Company (later Maryland Drydock Company) bought land on the Patapsco River across from Fort McHenry and recruited skilled shipbuilders from Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin. Workers also came from the B&O Railroad, the Coast Guard Yard, leather tanneries, sugar refineries, and farms. Father Paul Sandalgi, pastor of St. Athanasius, ministered to these families across an enormous territory, first saying Mass in homes — old-timers remember Helmstetter's at 416 Patapsco Avenue — and then in the Odd Fellows Hall. The Helmstetter family donated land on the present site, a small wooden church was built, and on its first Mass in 1914 St. Rose of Lima became a parish.

• Mission founded by Father Paul Sandalgi of St. Athanasius
• First Mass said in Helmstetter's at 416 Patapsco Avenue
• Later moved to the Odd Fellows Hall
• Helmstetter family donated the present-site land
• Wooden church dedicated with first Mass in 1914

Fires, Disaster, and 'Keep Smiling'

Few parishes have endured what St. Rose of Lima has. Within a year of its founding, the wooden church burned on February 7, 1915; the cause was never explained. A brick replacement was dedicated February 6, 1916, only to burn again on April 22, 1950 — reportedly from vigil lights. On December 21, 1926, the school caught fire while firemen were trapped by a passing freight train and water pressure could not reach the upper floors; pastor, nuns, and children watched the school burn to the ground. On February 3, 1956, a fire at an oyster roast in Arundel Hall — a Holy Name Society fundraiser for the parish — killed eleven and injured 250. Most dramatic of all, on February 9, 1967, during the 8:00 a.m. Mass, the entire church roof collapsed from snow, sending roughly 35 of the 100-plus attendees to area hospitals. After the 1950 fire, Monsignor Leonard J. Ripple found a piece of movie film in the rubble reading 'Keep smiling' and adopted it as the parish's rallying slogan.

• 1915 wooden church destroyed by fire
• 1916 brick church dedicated February 6
• 1926 school fire (firemen trapped by freight train)
• 1950 brick church destroyed (vigil lights)
• 1956 Arundel Hall oyster-roast fire — 11 dead, 250 injured
• 1967 roof collapse during 8 a.m. Mass
• 'Keep smiling' motto adopted by Monsignor Ripple

Pastorate Staff and Pastoral Leadership

Since July 1, 2023, Rev. John Jicha has served as Pastor of the Community of St. Athanasius and St. Rose of Lima. Under the shared pastoral staff model begun in 2010, the merged community continues to be served by Deacon Mike Dodge (Permanent Deacon), Mary Beth Barnes (Pastoral Associate and Director of Religious Education), Ted Feldmann (Director of Music and Organist), Leo Quinn (Youth Minister), and Brother Bill Griffin, C.F.X. (Pastoral Associate for day-to-day operations). Rev. Charles Klein resides at the rectory and assists with daily and weekend Masses, and Rev. Robert A. DiMattei Jr. served as pastor from 2010 to 2023, continuing earlier service at St. Athanasius since July 2000.

• Rev. John Jicha — Pastor (since July 1, 2023)
• Deacon Mike Dodge — Permanent Deacon
• Mary Beth Barnes — Pastoral Associate and Director of Religious Education
• Ted Feldmann — Director of Music and Organist
• Leo Quinn — Youth Minister
• Brother Bill Griffin, C.F.X. — Pastoral Associate
• Rev. Charles Klein — in residence

Faith Formation, School, and Religious Education

Father Ripple's first act as pastor was to build a school, and Dominican Sisters from Sinsinawa staffed the rebuilt school after the 1926 fire. The parish school operated for nearly a century before closing in June 2010 as part of an Archdiocesan restructuring; its legacy was honored with a Celebration Mass and reception on June 19, 2010. Beginning with the 2010–11 school year, the Religious Education Program, RCIA, and Sacrament Preparation Program were combined with those at St. Athanasius. Faith formation today is directed by Mary Beth Barnes, with a combined youth ministry under Leo Quinn. The former school and convent property was later purchased by The Children's Guild, paying the Archdiocesan debt in full.

• Dominican Sisters from Sinsinawa staffed the school
• School closed June 30, 2010
• Religious Education, RCIA, and Sacrament Preparation combined with St. Athanasius in 2010–11
• Property sold to The Children's Guild (June 26, 2011)

Music Ministry and the St. Rose Singers

Music has long been a centerpiece of worship at St. Rose of Lima. The renowned St. Rose Singers provide music at the 9:15 a.m. Sunday Mass, and Ted Feldmann serves as the pastorate's Director of Music and Organist, supporting combined liturgies at both churches.

• St. Rose Singers at 9:15 a.m. Sunday Mass
• Ted Feldmann — Director of Music and Organist

Outreach and Charity

From the founding days of the Holy Name Society and Children of Mary Sodality (taught by the Mission Helpers of the Sacred Heart), the parish has been defined by service. Today the merged pastorate runs a Food Pantry supporting The Transformation Center (TC) and welcomes continued donations from parishioners. Parish Giving programs support ministries across the southern Baltimore peninsula.

• Holy Name Society (historic, founded at parish's founding)
• Children of Mary Sodality (Mission Helpers of the Sacred Heart)
• Food Pantry supporting The Transformation Center
• Parish Giving through the Archdiocese of Baltimore