St Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church's Obituary
St. Mary Star of the Sea
Dedicated: March 26th, 1871
To be Closed: November 23rd, 2024
(153 Years, 7 Months, 28 days)
St. Mary Star of the Sea church building (1400 Riverside Avenue nee corner of Johnson and Clement streets) will close its doors after more than 153 years. The Parish, which pre-dates the church building by 2-3 years will itself continue canonically as part of the Catholic Community of South Baltimore.
In the fall of 1868, Father McCoy, then Pastor of St. Lawrence O’Toole Chapel in Locust Point (which preceded the present Our Lady of Good Counsel church) purchased land at the present site of Saint Mary, Star of the Sea in hopes of establishing a mission Church. A red brick rectory was built. A first Mass was held there in the basement on December 16th, 1868, as Fr. McCoy began serving the increasing immigrant congregation of railroad laborers, dockworkers, and ship builders, Irish and otherwise, now living in the flourishing, formerly rural, area.
The cornerstone of the church building itself was laid on May 9th, 1869. Construction was completed in two short years, with many of the parishioners themselves contributing their labor and skills as craftsmen. St. Mary, Star of the Sea church was dedicated on March 26th, 1871 by Archbishop Spalding along with Bishops Gibbons and O’Hara, and fifteen or more other priests participating. The Sunpapers called St. Mary’s on the church’s dedication day, “one of the most beautiful structures of the kind belonging to the Roman Catholic denomination in the city.”
Many decades before the Domino sign shone so brightly in South Baltimore, an iconic lighted cross atop a tall spire was added to the church building. The cross, initially lighted by candles, utilized mirrors to magnify and produce a brilliant light bright enough to assist mariners navigating the Patapsco. The cross later was powered by electricity, and it survived damaging winds several times over its proud and enduring history.
The stained-glass windows now so beautifully adorn the church were not original to the building but added some twenty years later. These windows were custom made in Munich Germany before crossing the Atlantic. Like so many in the congregation then and still afterwards, who themselves had come and made their way to St, Mary’s and a home inside the most beautiful church in South Baltimore.
The enormous Canadian-made Cassavant organ was installed in St. Mary’s in the 1920’s, bringing powerful worship music to all the church’s liturgies via its pipes. Sadly, the magnificent organ nearly fully obstructs the now seldom seen beautiful Rose window on the church’s East wall.
St. Mary, Star of the Sea is survived by the many thousands who were baptized and/or worshiped there in the decades since Ulysses S. Grant was President of the United States and Pius IX Pope. Her legacy easily includes some seven generations of Catholics! Many of her progeny still live within her shadows, while others have spread out across the city, country, and indeed even the world. While the celebration of Mass and the Sacraments inside the church building will be missed, our chuch will never be forgotten!
During the weekend of September 27th – 29th, the Feast of St. Mary, Star of the Sea will be celebrated throughout the Catholic Community of South Baltimore and at all Masses in each of its three Churches (Holy Cross, Our Lady of Good Counsel, and St. Mary’s)
A farewell reception will be held at and following the 4pm Vigil Mass at St. Mary, Star of the Sea church on Saturday, November 16th, 2024. Likewise, all are invited to attend the final Mass at St. Mary’s, to be celebrated by the Parish’s Pastor, Fr. Kevin Ewing, on Saturday, November 23rd 2024 at 4pm.
What’s your fondest memory of St Mary Star of the Sea?
What’s a lesson you learned from St Mary Star of the Sea?
Share a story where St Mary Star of the Sea's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with St Mary Star of the Sea you’ll never forget.
How did St Mary Star of the Sea make you smile?