St. Ignatius (Inigoes) Church of Maryland

In 1705, St. Ignatius church in Maryland, created in response to the closure of St. Mary’s, America’s first Roman Catholic chapel, opened. In fact, the dispossessed congregation of St. Mary’s used the bricks of the old church to build St. Ignatius. The small brick and oak building represents that Maryland was founded by Lord Baltimore as a haven for Catholics fleeing persecution in England in the 17th century. St. Ignatius would continue to host regular Sunday mass services up until 1930, whereafter the church only held services for special occasions. Today, the church’s legacy still lives on, as a public convenience area for locals. Overall, St. Ignatius church is the epitome of the rich history that underlies the land of Maryland.

On March 25, 1634, the first colonists of Maryland touched down on Her shores, from the ships the Ark and the Dove. 100 Catholics and Protestants, led by the Catholic Leonard Calvert, settled in a fort in Southern Maryland, before gradually building up St. Mary's city, a metropolis that would become Maryland's first capital. In 1641, St. Mary’s chapel was opened (Maryland Historical Trust, 2004). Catholicism in the anglosphere at the time, due to the result of the Reformation, was stigmatized, but the passage of the Toleration act allowed St. Mary’s to run. When William III rose to power from the Glorious Revolution, the Calverts were stripped of their power, and Maryland was turned into a royal charter. The capital was moved to Annapolis by Francis Nicholson in 1695, thus resulting in St. Mary's decline. The Toleration Act was repealed in 1704 and the Maryland legislature passed an "Act to Prevent the Growth of Popery, resulting in royal Governor Seymour ordering the closure of the church (Maryland Historical Trust, 2004). The Toleration Act was passed in 1649 in Maryland as a result of ongoing tensions occurring between Protestant and Catholic colonists. Protestants blamed Catholics for various petty crimes that took place, so the freeman of Maryland passed a law stating that any Christian should not be harassed no matter what sect or branch they belong to (Maryland State Archives). 

Thus, the dispossessed congregation of St. Mary’s strived to build a new church. Out of tradition, they took out the bricks of the old one, went downriver to the site of St. Inigoe’s Manor, in the very southern tip of Maryland, and used them to build a manor house with a chapel. The people would name this chapel after St. Ignatius, the patron saint of those who journeyed across the Atlantic, and was also the founder of the Jesuit Society, an important identity for many Maryland colonists.

The influence of St. Ignatius’s would spread. The Jesuit missionaries went to places in colonial America including Kent Island, the Eastern Shore, Mattapany, Newtown, White's Neck, Port Tobacco, Piscataway and Anacostia (Maryland Historical Trust, 2004). As a result, St. Ignatius’s helped contribute to the Jesuit community’s development in 18th century America. The next century saw the building of many new additions that still stand today. For example, the cemetery by the church today was first built in 1731. In 1745, a small frame church was built near the manor. 

After the revolutionary war, freedom of religion (as per the constitution) was reestablished in Maryland. So in 1785, a new version of the church of St. Ignatius (that we see today) was constructed. In fact, its cornerstone was laid by John Carroll, Maryland’s first archbishop. Thus, the popularity of St. Ignatius’s increased in the 19th century and contemporary period. The parish has some very distinguishable alumni. For example, many Catholic prelates and archbishops (to name a few, Gibbons, Spalding, and Kenrick) received the sacrament of confirmation in this church (Maryland Historical Trust, 2004). Even John Lafarge, editor of the America magazine and founder of the Catholic inter-racial council, celebrated Mass there regularly and often slept there. There are even accounts during the Civil War of prisoners being ministered by a pastor here.

The foundation of the original brick chapel was discovered in 1938. Over 50 years later, it was extensively excavated by archeologists. Excavations led to many interesting findings, namely various Catholic artifacts. A silver crucifix, rosaries, and medals with canonized saints are among the artifacts. Experts claim that items like these were popularized in the 17th century. People wanted items of devotion they could carry with them as part of the Counter-Reformation. Eventually, the chapel would be rebuilt.  

Overall, St. Ignatius’s Catholic church is a building whose history deeply reflects Maryland’s roots and culture. It continued the legacy of its mother church, St. Mary’s. The influence it brought on so many Catholics contributed not only to a vibrant community within its brick walls, but also to other colonies. Today, when people visit this public facility, they are reminded of the Catholic identity ingrained in American society. The ideals the first colonists brought lived on, and would influence the 1st amendment in freedom of religion. It stands as a beacon of pride for Jesuits in America.

Architecture Survey File: https://mht.maryland.gov/secure/medusa/PDF/StMarys/SM-15.pdf 

Bibliography

“St. Ignatius Church (St. Inigoes Church).” Maryland Historical Trust, 6 Jan. 2004.

“Two Acts of Toleration: 1649 and 1826.” Maryland State Archives, https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/speccol/sc2200/sc2221/000025/html/intro.html.

Service, Catholic News. “Newly Found Maryland Site Reveals Clues about Catholic Colonists.” Today's Catholic, Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, 4 May 2022, https://todayscatholic.org/newly-found-maryland-site-reveals-clues-about-catholic-colonists/.