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PARISH HISTORY
 Holy Cross
Holy Cross parish in Federal Hill was the first and oldest faith community
established in the south Baltimore area. The parish was founded in 1858 as a
mission of St. Alphonsus Church for the one thousand Catholics of German descent
who lived in South Baltimore. Mass was first held in a room on the second floor
of the St. Alphonsus School until a church building, begun in 1858, could be
built.
After the Church was completed in 1860, Redemptorist Father John Hespelein
became pastor. By 1864, because of the quick growth of the parish, he was
assigned an associate. Holy Cross School, the first Catholic school on Federal
Hill, opened its doors in September 1855 with 60 children. By March 1857
ground was broken on a new and larger school on West Street. In 1866, the
Sisters of Christian Charity came to staff the school. In 1972, the school
merged with the previous Saint Mary, Star of the Sea and Our Lady of Good
Counsel schools to become the South Baltimore Area Community School. In 1982,
this consolidated school became the Catholic Community School of South
Baltimore.
Within a decade, the mission church had grown to such proportions, that a German
priest was recruited by the Redemptorists. The parish attained full status as
Fr. Vogtmann, arrived and became pastor in 1869. He immediately began plans for
a rectory which was begun in 1870 and completed in May 1871. In later years,
this rectory was given to the Sisters of Christian Charity to be used as a
convent. An addition was made to the church in 1885, including a towering
steeple crowned with a copper cross. Rising two hundred feet, this landmark in
South Baltimore was damaged in 1980 when powerful spring storms caused one of
the four 1,000 pound steeple ornaments to fall through the church roof causing
extensive damage to the sacristy.
Holy Cross marked its centenary in 1958. The parish moved from one made up of
German immigrants to a parish of second and third generation Baltimoreans of
many ethnic traditions. In 1980, over 500 people worshipped there weekly. The
parish plant, stretching the entire even side of the 100 block of West Street,
housed many ministries including Villa Louise, a Catholic Charities home for
unwed mothers.
In the early 1990s, Father Joseph Maskell served as the pastor of Holy Cross. In
May 1993, current Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore, Most Reverend Mitchell T.
Rozanski, was assigned to administer both Holy Cross and St Mary, Star of the
Sea parishes and served in this capacity from 1993-1999. Fr. Tom Malia became
pastor in 1999 and he was succeeded by Father Ray Martin in 2002, pastor of Our
Lady of Good Counsel. It was at that time the three parishes of Holy Cross, St.
Mary, Star of the Sea and Our Lady of Good Counsel came under direction of one
leader, forming the Catholic Community of South Baltimore, though each still a
separate canonical parish. Fr. Patrick Carrion succeeded Fr. Martin in January
2008.
 Saint Mary, Star of the Sea
In the 1860s, Father Peter McCoy, Pastor of St. Lawrence Church in Locust Point
(now Our Lady of Good Counsel see below), realized that there was a need for an
additional church in the South Baltimore area referred to as "the Hill." At that
time, the surrounding area included open country, an undeveloped suburb, a few
farming spaces and countless clay banks. The view westward from Fort McHenry was
practically unobstructed and there were no car lines connecting this part of
Baltimore with the rest of the city.
In the fall of 1868, Father McCoy purchased the present site of Saint Mary, Star
of the Sea from a Mrs. Arnold. The first building erected by Father McCoy was a
rectory of red brick. The basement of this rectory, which served the
congregation for three years as a church, was about 50 feet long and 20 feet
wide. Later it was used as a school room and assembly hall. The first Mass was
celebrated in this basement church on December 16, 1868.
The cornerstone of the church was laid on May 9, 1869. Two years later, on March
26, 1871, the church was dedicated by the Most Reverend John Martin Spalding.
St. Mary, Star of the Sea was established to meet the spiritual and material
needs of the growing Irish immigrant population, who found work in the very
active shipbuilding industry and with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.
As the parish grew, a tall spire with a light at the top was added to the Church
building. Originally powered by candles and mirrors and later by electricity,
this light has served as a beacon to ship traffic in the Inner Harbor and as an
official landmark on mariners maps of the Port of Baltimore. In the mid 1890s,
beautiful stained glass windows made in Munich were added to the
church, and in the 1920s a magnificent Cassavant organ was purchased and
installed. In 1903, weather wreaked havoc at St. Mary's when a disastrous
tornado swept through Baltimore and toppled half the steeple. Despite this
damage the sanctuary remained opened for Sunday services. Nearly a century
later, in 1999, St Mary's again experienced roof problems when shifts in the
wood support beams caused the roof to slide off its foundation and leave a four
foot hole in the roof.
St. Mary, Star of the Sea school was begun in 1877. In 1914, a new school
building was built at Battery Avenue and Gittings Street, and was staffed by the
Sisters of St. Joseph. In 1972, the school merged with the previous Holy Cross
and Our Lady of Good Counsel schools to become the South Baltimore Area
Community School. In 1982, this consolidated school became the Catholic
Community School of South Baltimore.
On March 26, 2001, the celebration of the Feast of the Annunciation, St. Mary,
Star of the Sea parish celebrated it 130th anniversary. More recent
pastors at St. Mary's included Father Jack Lippold in the 1980s, Father Glenn
Byrne in the early 1990s and current Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore, Most
Reverend Mitchell T. Rozanski in the late 1990s. Fr. Tom Malia became pastor in
1999 and he was succeeded by Father Ray Martin in 2002, pastor of Our Lady of
Good Counsel. It was at that time the three parishes of Holy Cross, St. Mary,
Star of the Sea and Our Lady of Good Counsel came under direction of one leader,
forming the Catholic Community of South Baltimore, though each still a separate
canonical parish. Fr. Patrick Carrion succeeded Fr. Martin in January 2008.
 Our Lady of Good Counsel
Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish was begun in 1855 as a mission of St. John's
parish when a cornerstone of St. Lawrence Chapel was laid by Archbishop Kenrick.
The Chapel of St. Lawrence O'Toole was later dedicated in 1859. In 1862, Fr.
James Gibbons became the first pastor. In addition to his assignment to the
Chapel of St. Lawrence Mission, Fr. Gibbons was also the pastor of St. Brigid
and served as chaplain at Fort McHenry. Each Sunday Fr. Gibbons crossed the
Baltimore Basin, as the harbor was then called, at six o'clock in the morning,
to hear confessions, celebrate Mass, visit the sick and return across the harbor
to St. Brigid in time to celebrate ten o'clock Mass. He was pastor until 1865.
Fr. Peter McCoy, a protégé of Fr. Gibbons, was pastor from 1866-1885. He
consolidated the parish and got it ready for a resident priest. At the same
time, Fr. McCoy built St. Mary, Star of the Sea church.
Fr. Hagan, a classmate of Cardinal Gibbons, became the first resident pastor at
St. Lawrence Chapel. During this time, immigration from Ireland was at its peak.
While most of the immigrants passed from Baltimore to points further west, many
took up residence where their feet first touched land in America, Locust Point.
To provide for the religious needs of the additional people, Fr. Hagan planned
for a new church to be built. Parishioners, including grain trimmers and
waterfront workers, excavated the foundation for the church. The cornerstone for
Our Lady of Good Counsel was laid and blessed in 1889 by its former pastor,
Cardinal Gibbons. During the first year of the new church there were 62
baptisms. Fr. Hagan served as pastor from 1886 until his death in 1897.
Between 1897 and 1929, Our Lady of Good Counsel was served by four pastors: Fr.
James Donellan Marr, 1897-1903; Fr. John Paul White, 1903-1904; Fr. Edward
Augustine Williams, 1904-1908; and Monsignor Robert J. Achstetter, 1908-1929,
who became pastor at Our Lady of Good Counsel at the age of 30.
In 1929, Fr. Francis Schwallenberg became pastor. He was able to keep the parish
from foundering during the Great Depression and built a modern eight room school
house. The school population grew so much that classes had to be held in the
basement of the Church as well. The School Sisters of Notre Dame replaced the
two lay teachers who had begun the school. In 1972, the school was closed and
merged with the previously closed Holy Cross School and the St. Mary, Star of
the Sea School to become the South Baltimore Area Community School. In 1982,
this consolidated school became the Catholic Community School of South
Baltimore.
Over the years, the pastors of the parish made improvements to the church
building, including those to the interior of the church, the church hall, and
renovations of the church kitchen. Handicap accessibility was enhanced, upgrades
to the rectory were undertaken, and changes to the steeple and bell tower were
also made. From 1947 to present, the pastors at Our Lady of Good Counsel
included: Fr. Edward Braham, Fr. John McGlone, Fr. Herbert Derwart, Fr. Henry
Milkowski, Fr. John Barbernitz, Fr. David Smith and Fr. Raymond Martin in 2000.
In 2002, the three parishes of Holy Cross, St. Mary, Star of the Sea and Our
Lady of Good Counsel came under direction of Fr. Martin, forming the Catholic
Community of South Baltimore, though each still a separate canonical parish. Fr.
Patrick Carrion succeeded Fr. Martin in January 2008.
Catholic Community of South Baltimore
In 1996, the Archdiocese asked the parishes of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Holy
Cross and Saint Mary, Star of the Sea to look to the future and study how best
to serve God's people in South Baltimore. The parishes of St. Mary, Star of the
Sea and Holy Cross were twinned and shared one pastor, but Our Lady of Good
Counsel remained alone. In 2003, when Fr. Raymond Martin, the pastor of Our Lady
of Good Counsel was also named the pastor of Holy Cross and St. Mary, Star of
the Sea, the Catholic Community of South Baltimore was formed with three
separate parishes working together under one pastor and pastoral staff that
minister collaboratively to the people of South Baltimore. In these past years,
the parishes have grown closer and share a Mass schedule and other activities,
support the Catholic Community School of South Baltimore, and have formed one
pastoral council which represents the three parishes. Fr. Patrick Carrion
succeeded Fr. Martin in January 2008.
STATISTICAL DATA
The population living within the combined parish boundaries of the Catholic
Community of South Baltimore has experienced both areas of growth and decline in
the decade between 1990 and 2000.
During this period, the northern part of the Holy Cross parish boundaries
experienced modest growth, with a gain of 10-19% in population. The southwest
and south central sections of the Holy Cross boundaries experienced a loss of
10-19% in population, while the southeast section of the parish boundaries had a
stable population or a slight loss of 5-9% in population. However, according to
the U.S. Census, the net change in population in the Holy Cross boundaries was
relatively stable, declining 1% from 6,438 in 1990 to 6,342 in 2000.
While most of the western portions of the St. Mary, Star of the Sea parish
boundaries remained stable in population, the upper-most portion of the
northwest area had a population loss of 10-19% in the decade between 1990 and
2000. The majority of the eastern section of the parish boundaries suffered a
loss of 10-19%, with the exception of the north central section, which
experienced a slight loss of 5-9%. The far northeastern section experienced
slight to modest growth of 5-19%. According to the U.S. Census, overall
population in the St. Mary, Star of the Sea parish boundaries fell from 9,181 in
1990 to 8,631 in 2000, resulting in a 6% decline in population.
The majority of the Our Lady of Good Counsel parish boundaries has experienced a
loss of 10-19% in population between 1990 and 2000, while a small area of the
northwestern section has a slight gain of 5-9%. According to the U.S. Census,
overall population in the Our Lady of Good Counsel parish boundaries declined
10%, from 3,325 in 1990 to 2,977 in 2000.
Looking at the combined populations for the Catholic Community of South
Baltimore, there was an overall decline in population, from 18,944 in 1990 to
17,950 in 2000, representing a 5% decline in population over the course of that
decade. Similarly, the combined parish membership for the Catholic Community of
South Baltimore has experienced a decline in the last five years from 3,308
registered persons and 1,501 registered families in 2001 to 2,723 registered
persons and 1,388 registered families in 2006, representing an 18% decline in
registered persons and an 8% decline in registered families. While U.S. Census
data for South Baltimore indicate declines between 1990 and 2000, it is
important to note that redevelopment within the parish boundaries of the
Catholic Community of South Baltimore in the past five years has increased
considerably and more growth in the future is expected.
In addition to coming from other neighborhoods in the city that are outside the
parish boundaries, parishioners at the Catholic Community of South Baltimore
also travel from Glen Burnie, Linthicum, Timonium, Elkridge, Severn,
Millersville, Lansdowne and other parishes outside of the Urban Vicariate to
attend services. Conversely, families living within the boundaries of the
Catholic Community of South Baltimore attend services at twenty or more other
Catholic churches, the vast majority of which are in the city.
The Catholic Community of South Baltimore also operates the Catholic Community
School of South Baltimore, serving children in Pre-Kindergarten (age 3) through
the 8th Grade. In the last eight years, the enrollment at the school
has fallen from 242 in the 1999-2000 school year to 157 in the 2006-2007 school
year, resulting in a 35% decline. With a capacity of 272 students, the school
has a utilization rate of 58%.
In the current school year, 51% of the students are Catholic and 49% are
non-Catholic; 58% of the students are Caucasian, 34% are African-American and 8%
are Asian, Hispanic, Native American and other races. The tuition for the
2006-2007 school year is $4,100. With a median family income of $42,280.70, 9.7%
of household income is spent on tuition (assuming one child in attendance). In
the current school year, approximately 52% of the students receive some sort of
financial assistance and the school is receiving $11,600 in federal government
aid to support its programs. In the 2005-2006 school year, 35% of the students
attending the Catholic Community School of South Baltimore lived within 1 mile
of the school, 27% lived within 1-3 miles of the school, and 38% lived more than
3 miles from the school.
In the 2006 Archdiocesan Parent Satisfaction Survey, the Catholic Community
School of South Baltimore received favorable marks from parents. Regarding the
overall quality of education, 92.66% of the Catholic Community School parents
were somewhat or very satisfied (compared with an Archdiocesan average of
89.77%). With respect to responsiveness of the school to their child's needs,
88.07% of the parents were somewhat or very satisfied (compared to the
Archdiocesan average of 78.89%). Regarding the physical condition of the school,
85.32% of the parents were somewhat satisfied or very satisfied and only 2.75%
of the parents were somewhat or very dissatisfied (well above the Archdiocesan
average of 77.12% somewhat or very satisfied and 13.25% somewhat or very
dissatisfied). With respect to the overall value for the money, 76.15% of the
parents were somewhat or very satisfied (compared with an Archdiocesan average
of 72.21%). On the question of overall happiness with the school and how it is
run, 88.99% of the parents were somewhat or very satisfied (compared with an
Archdiocesan average of 84.16%).
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