St. Mary Catholic Church, newport

Off a lightly-traveled side road, in an out-of-the-way corner of southern Maryland, in a lovely expanse of fields and farms surrounded by woods and creeks, lies the third-oldest continuously-open parish in the Unites States: St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Newport.

St. Mary’s was established in 1674 by two Franciscan priests, Fr. Basil Hobart and Fr. Polycarp Wickstead, the only Franciscan parish in the thirteen colonies. This part of Charles County was inhabited by numerous devoted Catholic families, who played a vital role in the early colonial history of this locality and were instrumental in shaping the religious landscape of the region. Many of those families still reside in the parish today!

In 1698, the parish was given to the care of the Jesuits at St. Ignatius at Chapel Point; in 1881, it was handed over to the Archdiocese of Baltimore; and in 1947, it became part of the newly founded Archdiocese of Washington.

St. Mary’s may be the most rural parish in the Archdiocese of Washington, but we like to say it must be the most beautiful! Surrounded by farms and fields and woods, off several back roads, filled with gardens full of flowers, our parish provides a welcome retreat to hear that still, small voice of God.

Most important of all, after 350 years and counting, you can still find a wonderful parish community here, with that small-town country feel. We strive to celebrate the Mass beautifully and reverently in our lovely little church. You'll find that our pastor, Fr. Matt, offers thoughtful homilies (but not too long!), and that the music at the 5:00pm Vigil and 10:30am Sunday Masses, sung well by our musicians and choir, will lift your spirits and help you enter more deeply into prayer. After Mass, parishioners gather on the front steps of the church for coffee and donuts. Throughout the year, we throw great parties to bring our community together (Oktoberfest and St. Patrick's are the highlights!). Our monthly Food Pantry is a great ministry of service to the local community, and our CCD classes provide solid and attentive formation for our children.

Last but not least, St. Mary's has a remarkable building on the National Historic Register, the old former church, currently being renovated. First erected in the 1790s, finished in 1840, it was built in the Greek Revival style, containing a second floor gallery and the largest collection of extant pre-Civil War church painting and stenciling in southern Maryland. We plan on moving our Shrine of St. John Vianney (founded in 1931, the only one in the country!) into the old church, once it is restored. You can find out more about our vision for the old church here.