Tucked into the Old Frederick Road corridor of Catonsville, the brick walls of St. Agnes Catholic Church have watched over western Baltimore County for nearly 175 years. The parish was born in 1852, when Archbishop Francis P. Kenrick laid its cornerstone and a small, determined group of local Catholics pooled their land, funds, and labor to build a church. Mrs. Somerville, who led the fundraising, named the new community for her daughter, placing it under the patronage of St. Agnes, the young Roman martyr and model of pure faith. The original church was dedicated on July 21, 1853, and as Catonsville grew, St. Agnes grew with it - eventually becoming the mother church for what would become St. Mark, St. Joseph Monastery, St. Edward, St. Cecilia, St. William of York, and St. Lawrence. The current church building was dedicated on April 8, 1951, by Archbishop Francis Keough, and the parish now prepares to mark its 175th anniversary in 2027 under the pastoral leadership of Fr. Hamilton Okeke.
A Week Shaped by the Eucharist
Mass at St. Agnes runs throughout the week, giving parishioners many opportunities to gather. The Saturday Vigil is celebrated at 4:30 PM, and three Sunday Masses follow at 7:30 AM, 10:00 AM, and 12:30 PM. The 12:30 PM Mass is offered in Latin as a Novus Ordo liturgy, sung by the parish Latin Schola. Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 8:00 AM, with an additional 8:00 AM Mass on Saturday morning.
Music at the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass changes through the month. The Traditional Choir leads worship on the second and fourth Sundays from September through June, while a Contemporary group provides music on the first and third Sundays. On fifth Sundays, an organist and cantor accompany the liturgy. The result is a parish that blends the Church's musical heritage with more contemporary expression.
Confession, Adoration, and the Wednesday Day of Encounter
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered three ways each week. On Saturdays from 3:15 to 4:15 PM and on Sundays from 7:00 to 7:20 AM, priests hear confessions in the church. On Wednesdays - except third Wednesdays - confessions are heard from 6:00 to 7:00 PM in the church, and from 1:00 to 2:00 PM in the Office Chapel. Additional opportunities are added during Advent and Lent.
Eucharistic Adoration is the heartbeat of midweek life at St. Agnes. Every Wednesday, after the 8:00 AM Mass, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed and remains so until Evening Prayer at 5:30 PM and Benediction at 5:45 PM - a span the parish calls its Day of Encounter and Glory in the Lord. The first Wednesday of each month reserves the 4:45 to 5:45 PM hour as a Holy Hour for Life, focused on the dignity of every human being from conception to natural death. Saturday mornings offer a quieter hour of adoration paired with Morning Prayer from 6:45 to 7:45 AM, before the 8:00 AM Mass. The Seven Sisters Apostolate keeps one of those hours covered each day, with seven women committing to a weekly Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament for the intentions of Fr. Hamilton.
Faith Formation from Toddlers to Teens
Children's faith formation is woven into nearly every part of the parish week. Little Disciples, a Liturgy of the Word ministry for children ages three to six, gathers in the lower church during the 10:00 AM Mass on all but the third Sundays of the school year. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori-based program for ages three to six, meets on the first and third Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 PM in the Old School Atrium Classroom. Elementary-aged children not enrolled in Catholic school meet for Elementary School Faith Formation on third Wednesdays from 6:30 to 7:30 PM.
Middle and High School youth gather through Life Teen on the first and third Wednesdays at 6:30 PM in the Old School Parish Center. High schoolers serve as peer ministers alongside the middle schoolers, walking with them as they grow in faith and earning service hours in the process. Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist runs on the second and fourth Sundays after the 10:00 AM Mass for students in grades two through five, while Confirmation preparation begins annually for 9-year-olds (and older students through the OCIC process) on the second and fourth Wednesdays.
OCIA and OCIC: A Journey to Full Communion
St. Agnes walks with adults and older children seeking full communion with the Catholic Church through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) and the OCIA adapted for children (OCIC). The parish offers a year-round inquiry process so that families and individuals can begin at any time. The journey moves through the Period of Inquiry and Evangelization, the Catechumenate, the Period of Purification and Enlightenment, the celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil, and a six-week Period of Mystagogy for continued growth. Meghan Fleming, the Pastoral Associate for Faith Formation and Evangelization, accompanies candidates throughout the process.
Sacraments Across a Catholic Life
Beyond the Eucharist and Reconciliation, St. Agnes celebrates the full range of Catholic sacraments. Infant baptisms are typically held on Saturday mornings or after the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass, with parents required to attend a preparation class. Marriage preparation begins at least six months before the wedding and includes participation in a marriage preparation program (Pre-Cana) and a Natural Family Planning class. Couples seeking to validate a previous marriage are invited to contact Fr. Hamilton. The Anointing of the Sick is available to those who are seriously ill or elderly; the parish office makes arrangements for home or hospital visits. Those discerning priesthood or religious life are encouraged to speak with Fr. Hamilton, and inquiries about the diaconate are directed to Fr. Michael Foppiano of the Archdiocese.
Funerals are arranged first through a funeral home, which then coordinates with the parish. The Arimathean Society - a group of caring parishioners who bury the dead and assist grieving families - serves as lectors, Eucharistic ministers, altar servers, and ushers at Funeral and Memorial Masses. The Legion of Mary visits the sick and homebound, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion bring the Blessed Sacrament to those unable to attend Mass.
Parish Ministries and Faith in Fellowship
Parishioners serve in dozens of ministries, many of which meet in the Emmaus Room. The Legion of Mary gathers each Saturday at 9:00 AM for prayer and apostolic work. The Young Adult Group and Bible Study, for men and women ages 18 to 34, meets Monday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Walking with Purpose, a women's Bible study, runs two groups - one Wednesday morning at 9:00 AM and another Thursday evening at 7:00 PM. Men's Morning Prayer and Fellowship brings men of the parish together on the second Friday of each month from 5:40 to 7:00 AM for prayer in the church and fellowship afterward; during Advent and Lent the group meets every Friday.
Other parish groups include the Prayer Shawl Ministry, which meets on the second Tuesday of each month from 10:00 AM to noon to knit and crochet shawls that are blessed by the pastor and given to those who are ill or grieving, and the Grief Support and Sharing Group, which meets Tuesday afternoons at 4:00 PM. Behind the scenes, three teams of Offertory Counters tally collections every third week, and the Church Cleaning and Decorating Ministry meets Friday mornings to prepare the worship space, with extra help at Christmas and Easter. The Sanctuary Space Flower and Candle Ministry arranges flowers and rotates candles through the liturgical seasons, while the Adopt-a-Garden Ministry cares for the parish grounds.
Music, Liturgy, and the Art of Service at the Altar
Stacey Bilenki directs the parish's liturgical music ministry, which includes a Contemporary Music group, an Adult Choir, Cantors, and the Latin Schola. A Children's Latin Schola for ages six to sixteen is being established for 2027, with the goal of teaching young parishioners to sing sacred music in classical language. Children aged six through sixteen interested in joining can contact the parish office for details.
Other liturgical roles are filled by parishioners who have been trained and approved. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion assist with the distribution of the Body and Blood of Christ at Mass and bring Communion to the sick and homebound. Lectors proclaim the Scripture readings and lead the Prayers of the Faithful. Altar servers, both children who have received First Holy Communion and adults through the Servants of the Sacred Heart ministry, assist the priest at Mass. Ushers and greeters welcome parishioners and visitors at the church entrances.
Respect Life and Spiritual Outreach
The Respect for Life Ministry is one of the parish's most active groups, devoted to the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death. The ministry organizes the parish's annual participation in the Women's Center West Baby Bottle Campaign, an annual Eucharistic Procession that walks along Route 40 to a local abortion facility for prayer, and the first-Sunday-of-October Respect Life Sunday with representatives in the gathering space after Mass. The parish also connects members with the Gabriel Project, Mary's Home, Rachel's Vineyard, and Maryland Right to Life. The Respect Life Coordinator publishes a monthly Holy Hour reflection that is available in the parish gathering space.
Service to the Broader Catonsville Community
St. Agnes extends its care beyond the parish through several outreach efforts. The parish supports the 40 West Assistance and Referral Center, which provides rental assistance, food pantry help, and utility bill assistance to neighbors along the 40 West corridor, through yearly monetary commitments and non-perishable food donations. Catonsville Emergency Assistance receives food donations for emergency food, eviction prevention, and utility cut-off intervention. The parish's own St. Vincent de Paul Fund offers limited emergency outreach to parish and local families facing utility cutoff or eviction, often through grocery gift cards. The parish also collects seasonal donations for the Franciscan Center in Baltimore and other area efforts during the holidays. St. Agnes Knights of Columbus Council #4449, which serves Catonsville and Ellicott City, complements these efforts through programs in faith, family, community, and life.
It Is Good That We Are Here: The Capital Campaign
In preparation for the parish's 175th anniversary, St. Agnes has launched a capital campaign titled It Is Good That We Are Here. The campaign focuses on five priorities: ADA-compliant restrooms in the upper church for accessible, dignified worship; reimagining the lower church into flexible gathering spaces for youth ministry, hospitality, parish meetings, and outreach; preserving and adapting the Old School Building for faith formation and community use; renewing the rectory as a suitable home for the pastor and visiting clergy; and making the campus safer and more accessible through improvements to parking, entrances, and pedestrian pathways. Contributions can be made online or by texting AGNES CapitalCampaign to 73256.
Visiting St. Agnes
St. Agnes sits at 5422 Old Frederick Road in Catonsville, with parking available via entrances on Old Frederick Road and St. Agnes Lane. Stadium-style parking lines the Old School driveway, and handicapped parking is available along the side of the church. The building has five entrances, including a handicapped-accessible ramp along the side facing the shopping center. The parish welcomes children at Mass and understands that little ones sometimes make joyful noise. Dress ranges from Sunday best to casual, and a wide variety of musical styles shapes the worship experience from week to week.
Newcomers are encouraged to register as parishioners, and information about joining the parish is available on the Join Our Parish page. Online giving can be set up through the parish's Realm portal, with the option to text AGNES followed by a dollar amount to 73256. The parish also keeps a regular weekly bulletin online and welcomes volunteers in every ministry through its I'm New page, which walks new volunteers through the Archdiocese of Baltimore's VIRTUS screening process.
Leadership
Fr. Hamilton Okeke serves as pastor, supported by Deacon Ed Whitesell. Meghan Fleming is the Pastoral Associate for Faith Formation and Evangelization, Owen Hanratty serves as Business Manager, and Franklin Uvere is the parish's Maintenance Technician. Stacey Bilenki directs Liturgical Music, and Benedicta Ebhoaye coordinates Outreach. Jennifer Gross serves as Administrative Coordinator. The parish is also served by an active Pastoral Council, which meets four times a year on Saturday mornings and offers vision and guidance alongside the pastor.