Early in 1963 the Archbishop of Baltimore, Lawrence J. Shehan, realized the need for a Catholic parish in the Joppatowne area. Archbishop Shehan, with the cooperation of Monsignor Austin L. Healy, Pastor of St. Stephen Church in Bradshaw, obtained a 10-acre site in Joppatowne. Four of the ten acres along Riviera Drive were later sold to Harborside Apartments in 1987.
On June 15, 1963, the Reverend Charles W. Dausch was appointed founding pastor of the fledgling church community of about 100 Catholic families living in Joppatowne. The Church was officially titled Church of the Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Congregation, Inc. (aka Holy Spirit Church).
The first Sunday Mass was celebrated on June 30, 1963, in the “Little Red Theater” which was in a builder’s sales office on Averill Road. The first Mass was attended by approximately 100 people. Father Dausch established his residence at 1022 Erwin Drive in July of 1963 and remained there until September of 1965. The small two-story building became the first Chapel/Rectory. Daily Mass and confessions took place in the Erwin Drive “Church.”
Early in 1964, Father Dausch rented a small L- shaped rancher at 820 Foxwell Road that was a shell of a house without interior walls that could accommodate up to 200 people for Mass. This building became the center of all parish activities. The first Mass there was celebrated on October 30, 1964.
The newly constructed Rectory & Parish Center at 540 Joppa Farm Road were dedicated during the parish’s first Mass, August 8, 1965. An addition, known as the “rear wing” was completed in April 1970. The parish Center was to be the church for many years.
Father Dausch, became ill early in 1982 and died of cancer on September 7, 1982. Father Joseph Simmons (2/10/36-2/25/25) was appointed the new pastor of our parish on October 24, 1982. He was officially installed as Pastor on January 30, 1983 by Archbishop Borders.
A church ground-breaking ceremony was held on September 27, 1987 and the new church building was dedicated in November 1988.
The Parish Center succumbed to an accidental electrical fire on December 16, 2009. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new parish center was held on January 10, 2012 and the new Parish Center was dedicated on August 12, 2012 by Archbishop William Lori.