About St. Stephen · Bradshaw, Maryland
St. Stephen is a Roman Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, located on Bradshaw Road in the Kingsville/Bradshaw area of northern Baltimore County, Maryland. The parish's roots reach back to the 1840s with Catholic worship in the Bradshaw area and it was formally established as a mission of St. John the Evangelist in Long Green Valley in the 1850s–60s and became an independent parish in 1866. Today St. Stephen operates as a pastorate with the Church of the Holy Spirit and is the center of a thriving Catholic community anchored by St. Stephen School (Pre-K through 8), an active music and faith-formation program, and the historical legacy of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia who taught in the parish school for 90 years.
- Established
- 1866
- Patron
- Saint Stephen
- Rector
- Rev. George Gannon
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Baltimore
Why belong here
St. Stephen is a multi-generational Catholic community with deep roots in northern Baltimore County — the parish and its school have served the Bradshaw/Kingsville area continuously since the 1850s. It offers four Sunday Masses plus a daily 7:30 a.m. Mass, Saturday confessions, an on-site parish school (Pre-K through 8) that is one of the largest in the archdiocese, an active music program, and ongoing faith formation from RCIA through adult ministries. Visitors and parishioners also encounter the living legacy of 90 years of ministry by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, a strong sense of neighborhood identity, and a recent $19.5 million campus investment that signals a parish growing in service to its people.
Mass times at St. Stephen
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
About St. Stephen Parish
St. Stephen is a Roman Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Baltimore located at 8030 Bradshaw Road in the Kingsville/Bradshaw area of northern Baltimore County. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Baltimore and is currently in a pastorate with the Church of the Holy Spirit. Its mission statement, as listed in the Catholic Church Directory, reads: 'We, the parish of St. Stephen, will carry out the mission of Jesus Christ as a welcoming, worshiping, Catholic Community by sharing, growing, and living the Gospel.' Worship is offered in English at a daily 7:30 a.m. Mass and at four Sunday Masses, with Saturday vigil Masses at 4:30 and 6:00 p.m.
History
St. Stephen's history reaches back to 1841, when Stephanie Raphel began Catholic catechesis in her Bradshaw home, and to 1851, when the parish was officially recognized as a place of worship. The mission chapel was dedicated in 1863 and the community became an independent parish in 1866, separating from St. John the Evangelist in Long Green Valley. After years of combined church-and-school worship in a two-story frame building, the current brick church was completed on Bradshaw Road in 1931, with parishioners having hauled fieldstone from the countryside to prepare the site. The parish marked 150 years of Catholic presence in 2013.
- 1841 — Catholic education begins in Stephanie Raphel's Bradshaw home
- 1851 — St. Stephen parish officially recognized as a place of worship
- 1863 — Mission chapel dedicated
- 1866 — Becomes an independent parish (separating from St. John the Evangelist, Long Green Valley)
- 1931 — Current church completed; two-story frame building moved up the hill and reused as school
- 1941 — Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia begin teaching (170 students)
- 1953 — New elementary school building erected
- 1963 — Enrollment reaches ~1,000 students
- 1964 — St. Stephen High School closes; John Carroll Regional Catholic High School opens
- 2013 — Parish celebrates 150th anniversary
- 2014 — Pre-K building opens
- 2020 — New middle-school building (grades 6–8) opens; Archbishop Lori celebrates Mass
- 2021 — Final farewell to the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia after 90 years of ministry
Pastoral Leadership
The parish is currently led by Pastor Rev. George Gannon, with Associate Pastors Rev. Jude McPeak and Rev. Samuel Young. Earlier pastor Rev. Lawrence F. Kolson has retired (as of 2020). The parish has a long line of associate pastors and visiting clergy who later served elsewhere, including Msgr. John Dietzenbach (associate 1986–94) and Fr. Leo R. Tittler, OFM (associate in 1970).
- Rev. George Gannon — current Pastor (appointed ~2020)
- Rev. Jude McPeak — Associate Pastor
- Rev. Samuel Young — Associate Pastor
- Rev. Lawrence F. Kolson — former Pastor (now retired)
- Rev. Vincent Fitzgerald — Pastor who brought the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia in 1941
St. Stephen School
St. Stephen School is a parish Catholic school educating approximately 330–349 students from Pre-K4 through 8th grade, with 49 faculty and a president who is the parish pastor, Fr. George Gannon. The school traces its founding to 1841 and Stephanie Raphel's catechesis, and was formally established as a K-12 parish school in 1931 alongside the new church. Its colors are maroon and gold, its nickname is the Eagles, and its motto is 'Faith, Values, Education.' Campus additions include a 2014 Pre-K building and a new middle-school building for grades 6–8 that opened in January 2020.
- Grades: Pre-K4 through 8
- Enrollment: ~330–349 students
- Faculty: 49
- Motto: Faith, Values, Education
- Colors: Maroon and Gold; Mascot: Eagles
- 2014 — Pre-K building opens
- 2020 — New middle-school building (grades 6–8) opens
Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia
The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia arrived at St. Stephen in 1941, invited by then-pastor Rev. Vincent Fitzgerald to staff the parish school. For 90 years the order provided teachers, principals, pastoral associates, RCIA support, and faith formation. By 2021 only five sisters remained in the on-campus convent built in the 1960s. They were honored at an outdoor farewell Mass on May 16, 2021 and relocated to a five-bedroom house at the Benedictine Sisters' monastery in Lutherville.
- 1941 — Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia begin teaching at St. Stephen
- 2013 — Sister Angela DeFontes celebrates her golden jubilee at the parish
- 2021 — Farewell Mass celebrated May 16; sisters leave the parish campus after 90 years
Ministries and Faith Formation
Parish ministries include faith formation for children and adults, RCIA and RCIC (Rite of Christian Initiation for children), a parish music program directed by Rob Hott, school and parish choirs, and family/youth ministry connected to St. Stephen School. Outreach and parish life are coordinated through the parish office and pastoral team.
- RCIA / RCIC
- Faith Formation (school-age)
- Parish music program (director Rob Hott)
- School and parish choirs
- Youth and family ministry
Sacraments
The parish prepares members for the sacraments of Baptism, First Reconciliation and First Communion (in both the parish school and Faith Formation program), Confirmation, Marriage (with archdiocesan marriage preparation), and Anointing of the Sick. RCIA and RCIC support adult and child initiation into the Catholic Church.
Campus, Buildings and Architecture
The parish campus on Bradshaw Road includes the 1931 brick church with bell tower, the 1953 elementary school building, a 1960s two-story convent (now decommissioned), the 2014 Pre-K building, and the 2020 middle-school building. The original 19th-century frame church/school was relocated up the hill in 1931 and demolished after the high school closed in 1964.
- 1931 brick church (current sanctuary)
- 1953 elementary school building
- 1960s two-story convent (decommissioned 2021)
- 2014 Pre-K building
- 2020 middle-school building (grades 6–8)
Visiting St. Stephen
St. Stephen is at 8030 Bradshaw Road, Kingsville, MD 21087. From I-95 North, take Exit 67B (MD-43/White Marsh), continue east to MD-7, then follow MD-7 past Ebenezer and Allender Roads and turn left onto Bradshaw Road; the church is on the right about one mile. On-site parking is available adjacent to the church and school.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Lawrence F. Kolson
Previously Pastor of St. Stephen, Bradshaw; retired (per St. Mary's Seminary Class Notes, 2020).
- Rev. George J. Gannonappointed ~2020
Previously Pastor of Sacred Heart of Mary, Graceland Park/St. Rita, Dundalk/Our Lady of Fatima, Baltimore; appointed Pastor of St. Stephen, Bradshaw; ordained 2002 (St. Mary's Seminary).
- Rev. Paul Breczinskithrough 2021
Associate Pastor; concelebrated May 16, 2021 farewell Mass for the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia.
- Rev. Fr. Tittler (Fr. Leo R. Tittler, OFM)1970
Early assignment as associate pastor at St. Stephen in Bradshaw (1970) before incardination into the Archdiocese in 1972.
- Rev. Msgr. John Dietzenbach1986–1994
Eight years as associate pastor at St. Stephen, Bradshaw (1986–94); later pastor at St. Peter the Apostle, Libertytown, and Church of the Resurrection, Ellicott City.
- Rev. Joshua Laws2021
Alumnus of St. Stephen School; concelebrated the May 2021 farewell Mass for the Franciscan Sisters; pastor of the Catholic Community of South Baltimore.
- Rev. Vincent Fitzgerald
Pastor who renovated the existing school building and engaged the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia to teach in 1941.
- Rev. Jude McPeakcurrent
Current Associate Pastor (per Archdiocese of Baltimore parish page).
- Rev. Samuel Youngcurrent
Current Associate Pastor (per Archdiocese of Baltimore parish page).