ABERDEEN – From a humble start when several Catholics gathered for prayer to a community of 400 families, St. Joan of Arc Church persevered through its share of trials to grow into a vibrant parish that, despite the halting effects of the coronavirus pandemic, is proudly celebrating its milestone 100-year anniversary.
In April 1920, Cardinal James Gibbons assigned Jesuit Father Francis Siggins as pastor, naming the newly formed parish St. Joan of Arc.
“The naming of a parish is determined by the archbishop,” said Father William Franken, who is entering his ninth year as pastor. “I suspect he wanted to name the parish after Joan of Arc since she was canonized that same year.”
The present-day campus, situated amid Victorian-style homes on Law Street in the Harford County town, disguises a history of growing pains.
Sequentially, Town Hall, an American Legion Post, a Knights of Columbus “hut” and a house served as places of worship before the parish finally settled on its current location.
In spring 1953, the parish embarked on a 13-year construction plan that would provide it with a church, rectory, convent and a school that opened in 1954 under the tutelage of the Sisters of St. Casmir. The sisters have since departed. The convent now serves as the parish office.
Initially St. Joan of Arc School included four grades. But as the city of Aberdeen’s population grew exponentially, affected somewhat by the military’s development of Aberdeen Proving Ground, so did the demand for parochial education. The school’s diverse enrollment is holding steady at more than 200, with students attending pre-K4 through eighth grade. In 2010, St. Joan of Arc School earned the unique distinction of becoming the first STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) school in Maryland to be accredited by AdvancED.
“The Catholic schools underwent a lot of consolidation and change around 2010,” said the school’s principal, Virginia Bahr. “They closed multiple schools and consolidated schools. At that time they also decided to designate certain schools for a particular need. STEM was seen as the future of education and our mission clearly states that we do want children in those STEM fields.”
The school draws from 20 ZIP codes in Harford and Cecil counties and as far away as Washington, D.C. With the school located in close proximity to Aberdeen’s MARC train station, students accompany parents commuting to jobs at APG.
“This year we’re praying for a good enrollment,” Bahr said. “All Catholic schools, all private schools have been impacted by the economics of the times. We’re hoping we can continue to attract students. We are richly diverse because we serve students from varying socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. That brings a richness to the school that, to me, is very beautiful.”
The coronavirus pandemic affected many of the parish’s events that were to commemorate the centennial anniversary. A 100-year Mass in April celebrated with Archbishop William E. Lori and subsequent blessing of a new statue had to be postponed until sometime in the fall. Among events cancelled were a Lenten mission featuring noted speaker Valerie Bang-Jensen that was booked two years in advance, a family talent show and a series of community projects have been scrapped. A trip to France to follow in the footsteps of St. Joan of Arc has been rescheduled for 2021.
A variety of mementos including spirit wear, a 100th anniversary memory book and special Christmas ornaments are marking the occasion.
“COVID-19 hit and just wiped out a lot of the events and destroyed a lot of what we had planned,” Father Franken said. “But we’re still looking to end the year in November at Bulle Rock with a gala dinner just for parishioners.”
St. Joan of Arc is moving ahead with plans to join St. Patrick Parish in Havre de Grace to form a pastorate in a spirit of collaboration. It’s one of the changes St. Joan of Arc will experience along the way as it looks to the future and continues to add to its history.
