About St. William of York · Baltimore, Maryland
St. William of York was a Roman Catholic parish in the Ten Hills neighborhood of southwest Baltimore, Maryland, at 600 Cooks Lane near the Baltimore City/Baltimore County line. The parish was founded on July 1, 1914, by Cardinal James Gibbons, and served the Catholic faithful along the Route 40 corridor for 110 years before being merged into St. Agnes Church in Catonsville effective December 1, 2024, as part of the Archdiocese of Baltimore's 'Seek the City to Come' pastoral planning initiative. Known for its distinctive Gothic church modeled on an English parish, a strong Swahili-speaking community, and a tradition of missionary outreach, St. William of York concluded its independent life with a closing commemorative Mass on November 24, 2024.
- Established
- 1914
- Patron
- St. William of York (William of York, d. June 8, 1154)
- Rector
- Father Michael DeAscanis (pastor of St. Agnes and St. William of York from 2010 to 2012; later served as Archdiocesan Vocation Director 2012–2014 and pastor of St. Philip Neri from Feb. 1, 2015). The parish was merged into St. Agnes effective December 1, 2024.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Baltimore
Why belong here
St. William of York was a small, family-sized Catholic parish where, in the words of longtime secretary Pat Adams, 'parishioners are very friendly and very hospitable.' The church was open daily for anyone wishing to stop in and pray, and the community intentionally helped newcomers get to know one another. Through its 2010 linkage with St. Agnes, parishioners shared in ChristLife evangelization, joint youth ministry with service camps and discussion series for middle and high schoolers, a monthly food collection for the Franciscan Center, and outreach to Forty West Assistance Center and Pregnancy Center West. The parish was also home to a vibrant Swahili-speaking community gathering on the last Sunday of each month and a weekly Tridentine weekday Mass each Thursday.
Mass times at St. William of York
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 9:45 AM – 10:00 AM (before the 10:15 Mass)
- And by appointment
Parish History
St. William of York was founded on July 1, 1914, by Cardinal James Gibbons with Father Pasquale Di Paola as first pastor, to serve Catholics of the Route 40 corridor in southwest Baltimore near the city–county line. Patrick and Annie McEvoy donated the land on February 11, 1914, and Catherine Lanahan funded construction of the church as a memorial to her husband William Lanahan, a prominent Baltimore businessman who had died in 1912. The Gothic church, reportedly a copy of a church in England, was the gift that gave the parish its identity; both William and Catherine Lanahan are buried in a north alcove at the back of the nave. A convent (today's Parish Center) and a school were added to the campus in later generations.
- Founded July 1, 1914, by Cardinal James Gibbons
- First pastor: Father Pasquale Di Paola
- Land donated Feb. 11, 1914, by Patrick and Annie McEvoy
- Church built with funds from Catherine Lanahan as a memorial to her husband William Lanahan (d. 1912)
The Lanahan Memorial Church
The defining feature of St. William of York is its 1914 Gothic church, built through the generosity of Catherine Lanahan in memory of her late husband. Modeled on a church in England, it served as both parish church and family memorial; the Lanahans' tombs occupy the north alcove at the rear of the nave, where they remain part of the worship space.
- Gothic architectural style
- Reportedly modeled on a church in England
- Memorial to William Lanahan (d. 1912)
- Lanahan family burial alcove at rear of nave
St. William of York School
The parish school opened September 13, 1950, under the care of the Holy Union Sisters with 203 students in kindergarten through grade five. Sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade classes were added between 1951 and 1953. Archbishop Francis P. Keough had granted permission to build the school the previous year at the request of the fourth pastor, Father Francis J. Egan, who became pastor in 1949. The school peaked at 720 students in 1961 — a year when morning and afternoon sessions were added in the first three grades — and served generations of southwest Baltimore families before closing in 2010 amid shifting demographics.
- School opened Sept. 13, 1950 with 203 students
- Staffed by the Holy Union Sisters (active in the parish since 1934)
- Grade levels expanded K–8 between 1950 and 1953
- Peaked at 720 students in 1961
- Closed in 2010; part of the building later housed a Head Start program and St. Agnes School arts camps
Demographic Change and Community Identity
St. William of York grew rapidly after World War II, peaking at more than 4,200 parishioners in the 1960s. Demographic shifts across southwest Baltimore steadily reduced those numbers; by the time of the 2024 merger, the parish had about 150 registered families. Parish leaders embraced the small size as a strength, noting that it fostered a sense of family — parishioners were described as 'very friendly and very hospitable,' and the church was opened daily for anyone wishing to stop in and pray.
- 1960s peak: more than 4,200 parishioners
- 2024: about 150 registered families
- Daily open-door policy for personal prayer
Linkage with St. Agnes Parish
In 2010 St. William of York was formally linked with St. Agnes Church in Catonsville, sharing pastoral leadership, facilities, and programming. Together the two communities offered the ChristLife evangelization program and a joint youth ministry that included service camps for middle- and high-school students, movie nights, and discussion series. The combined campus offered two churches, two gymnasiums, three stages, and abundant parking for parish events.
- Linked with St. Agnes, Catonsville, in 2010
- Shared pastoral staff and facilities
- Joint ChristLife evangelization program
- Joint youth ministry: service camps, movie nights, discussion series
Worship and Sacraments
Before its merger, St. William of York celebrated a regular Sunday Mass at 10:15 a.m. (with confessions heard from 9:45 a.m.), a 5:00 p.m. Sunday Mass, and weekday Masses on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8:00 a.m. A Tridentine (Latin) weekday Mass was offered each Thursday, and a Swahili Mass was celebrated on the last Sunday of each month at 2:00 p.m.
- Sunday: 10:15 AM (English), 5:00 PM (English)
- Last Sunday of the month: 2:00 PM (Swahili)
- Weekday Masses Mon/Wed/Fri at 8:00 AM
- Tridentine Mass every Thursday
- Confessions Sundays 9:45–10:00 AM and by appointment
Swahili-Speaking Community
Reflecting the changing demographics of southwest Baltimore, St. William of York became home to a Swahili-speaking Catholic community that gathered monthly for Mass celebrated in Swahili on the last Sunday of each month at 2:00 p.m.
- Monthly Swahili Mass, last Sunday of each month, 2:00 PM
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Religious education at St. William of York was coordinated (in the years before the merger) by Peggy Mrozek and built on a tradition stretching back to 1934, when the Holy Union Sisters began the parish's catechetical program. The school, when it was open, served as the primary faith formation center for parish children from kindergarten through eighth grade.
- Religious education coordinator: Peggy Mrozek
- Catechetical program originated with the Holy Union Sisters in 1934
Outreach and Charity
St. William of York parishioners were active in outreach to the wider Baltimore community. A monthly food collection supported the Franciscan Center of Baltimore, and the parish also contributed to the Forty West Assistance Center and Pregnancy Center West. Parishioners also joined with members of a neighboring non-Catholic church in a January 2014 trip to Annapolis to rally in support of traditional marriage.
- Monthly food collection for the Franciscan Center
- Support of Forty West Assistance Center
- Support of Pregnancy Center West
- Joint advocacy trips to Annapolis
Closing and Merger with St. Agnes (2024)
As part of the Archdiocese of Baltimore's 'Seek the City to Come' pastoral planning process, Archbishop William E. Lori announced in May 2024 that St. William of York would be merged into St. Agnes. The formal decree was issued on September 28, 2024, with the merger taking effect December 1, 2024. The community gathered twice in November 2024 to mark the end: a St. William of York School Alumni Mass on November 10 and a final Closing Mass on November 24, both celebrated at 10:15 a.m., followed by receptions in the parish hall. Videos of both commemorative liturgies — and a video of the church's stained-glass windows — are preserved on the St. Agnes Catholic Church website.
- Decree issued Sept. 28, 2024 by Archbishop William E. Lori
- Merger effective Dec. 1, 2024
- School Alumni Mass: Nov. 10, 2024, 10:15 AM
- Closing Mass: Nov. 24, 2024, 10:15 AM
- Memorial videos archived at stagnescatholicchurch.org/swy-closing-mass-celebrations
Visiting and Contact
Before the merger, the parish office and church were located at 600 Cooks Lane, Baltimore, MD 21229, with telephone (410) 744-2900. The parish website, www.saintsaw.org, redirected visitors to the merged St. Agnes Catholic Church site at www.stagnescatholicchurch.org. The combined Facebook page 'St. Agnes and St. William of York Churches' continued to serve the linked community. From Edmondson Avenue, drivers reached the church via a U-turn onto Cooks Lane; the linked campus with St. Agnes provided ample parking and shared facilities for parish events.
- Address: 600 Cooks Lane, Baltimore, MD 21229
- Phone: (410) 744-2900
- Website: www.saintsaw.org → stagnescatholicchurch.org
- Facebook: facebook.com/SaintsAW/
- Directions: Edmondson Ave → U-turn onto Cooks Lane
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Pasquale Di Paola1914–
First pastor, appointed by Cardinal James Gibbons at the parish's founding.
- Father Francis J. Egan1949–
Fourth pastor; received permission from Archbishop Francis P. Keough to build the parish school, which opened Sept. 13, 1950, with 203 students under the Holy Union Sisters.
- (unnamed long-tenured pastor)c. 1998–2010
Served 14 years before being reassigned; his departure coincided with the closure of St. William of York School in 2010.
- Father Michael DeAscanis2010–2012
Joint pastor of St. Agnes (Catonsville) and St. William of York; left to become Archdiocesan Vocation Director in 2012.