BNHA Saint Vincent de Paul Church

Saint Vincent's bills itself as "the oldest Catholic parish church in continuous use in America's oldest archdiocese." This church opened its doors to its first worshipers in 1841 and has been welcoming worshipers in the same building ever since.

In the 1880s, Saint Vincent's was the leading parish in the city. It supported a parochial school, an orphanage, a social hall, plus a host of other organizations. The interior of the church was thoroughly renovated to fit its enhanced stature, and a peel of 13 bells was hung in the tower, the first carillon in the city.

Saint Vincent's is perhaps best known for its "printers' masses." These were Saturday night and early Sunday morning services conducted for the "spiritual welfare" of the printers at nearby newspapers but attended by all kinds of Baltimore night owls. The church is a "metropolitan parish," drawing parishioners from five surrounding counties as well as the city. The small but stable congregation was instrumental in founding (and continues to support) the Jonestown Planning Council. It also operates a number of emergency services programs for its neighbors.