St. Mary Church in Govanstown, Maryland began in 1849 out of a response to care for and educate young Irish boys, orphaned on their voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, while escaping famine in Ireland. The orphans' home became a chapel, then a church and parish for local residents. Over time the congregation grew and split off three other congregations in North Baltimore, hence the identification as the historic "Mother Church of North Baltimore."

As the original church in the woods aged, a location for a new church was found on a bustling city thoroughfare. The location met a purpose that remains meaningful today - to be where the people are, to be a presence where they carry out their daily lives, and to be an active part of the community. For 175 years the St. Mary community was a good neighbor, maintaining awareness of community needs, and responding to them.