St. Mary, Govans

St. Mary Church in Govanstown, Maryland began in 1849 out of a response to care for and educate young Irish boys escaping famine in Ireland and orphaned during their voyage across the Atlantic. The chapel in the orphans' home served local residents. Shortly, a church was built and a parish begun. Over time the congregation grew and split off three other congregations north of Baltimore, hence the identification as the historic "Mother Church of North Baltimore." As the original church in the woods aged, a location for a new and larger church was found on a bustling city thoroughfare. The location met a purpose that remains meaningful today - to be where the people are, to be a presence where they carry out their daily lives, and to be an active part of the community. For 175 years the St. Mary community was a good neighbor, maintaining awareness of community needs, and responding to them.