The Roman Catholic Community of St. Vincent de Paul is in the heart of downtown Baltimore, within walking distance of the Inner Harbor. Although relatively few of our parishioners actually reside in its vicinity, every weekend almost 300 of us come from all over the city and the five surrounding counties to celebrate liturgy here, even though most of us pass several other churches on our way. Why?
» because of the liturgy
We have three Masses on the weekend, each with its own character, but all with a strong sense of community. We know each other, care about each other, and enjoy celebrating together. The Kiss of Peace is not a formality, but a reality. The music on Sunday is engaging, and we actually sing. Our Saturday liturgy is quieter, more meditative. We celebrate in and we proudly honor history of the oldest and one of the most beautiful Catholic parish churches in Baltimore.
»because of the community
We are a diverse lot–different races, ethnicities, ages and professions. What we share is an awareness of our Baptismal commitment and a desire to be active in ministry. We have one of the highest percentages of volunteers serving our community in one ministry or another.
»because of the shared commitment to build our community on Word and Sacrament and to live our discipleship in Service
We have programs for children and adults; classes, seminars, retreats and discussion groups to deepen our understanding of Scripture and to grow in our spirituality. We have a panoply of liturgical minsters, from planners to decorators. And we have a long tradition both of direct service ministries and of advocacy for peace and justice. We attempt to be good stewards of our Earth by implementing a variety of upgrades to our facilities and programs that help conserve our planet’s natural resources.
»because of our sense of ownership
Our pastor, parish council, and committees try to provide vision and leadership, but there is plenty of room for everyone’s ideas and everyone’s ministry. If you’ve got a good idea, we’ll help you bring it to fruition.
We are a comfortable and friendly community who knows how to have fun.
We are the people of God.
We warmly welcome others to join us on the journey.
