Historic Church Closed Indefinitely, Shuttle Service to be Provided to Nearby Sacred Heart of Jesus Church.
St. Patrick Catholic Church in Fells Point has been deemed unsafe and will close indefinitely as a result of damage incurred from the August 23rd 5.9 magnitude earthquake. The historic church’s steeple was badly damaged and will be selectively deconstructed and stabilized, a process that is expected to take several weeks. Once completed, the church will be reopened for use.
In the meantime, parishioners of St. Patrick’s, the oldest Catholic parish in Baltimore, are being encouraged to attend Mass at nearby Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Highlandtown. Shuttles will be provided to those needing transportation to Sacred Heart. Parishioners can access the shuttles by going to the parish parking lot at 7:15 Wednesday evenings and 8:15 Sunday mornings.
Archbishop Edwin O’Brien, Archbishop of Baltimore, visited St. Patrick today, reviewing the damage with Father Robert Wojtek, the Redemptorist priest who administers the parish and is pastor of Sacred Heart, and with Archdiocesan officials and engineers. Engineers determined the parish hall, where the parish had hoped to temporarily move its two weekly Masses, structurally unsafe.
St. Patrick’s was founded in 1792. Construction of the current church was completed in 1898.
St. Patrick’s is closed due to damage incurred during the August 23 earthquake. Visit our home page for a list of nearby parishes or read the press release.
Shuttle service from St. Patrick to Sacred Heart of Jesus will operate will the parish is closed. To access the shuttles parishioners must meet in the parking lot at St. Patrick on Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m. and Sundays at 8:15 a.m.
Two other Catholic parishes in the Archdiocese have reported minor damage at this time. St. Patrick is the only Catholic church in the Archdiocese deemed unsafe to continue operations following yesterday’s earthquake.
San Patricio está cerrado debido a los daños que recibió en el temblor de tierra del 23 de agosto. Visite nuestra página web para ver una lista de parroquias cercanas o lea el comunicado de prensa.
Servicio de transportación desde San Patricio a Sacred Heart of Jesus/Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, estará disponible mientras la parroquia esté cerrada. Para usar ese servicio los feligreses deben reunirse en el estacionamiento de San Patricio, los miércoles a las 7:15 p.m. y los domingos a las 8:15 a.m.