St. Joseph in Odenton stays vibrant by banking on its diverse congregation

ODENTON – When parishioners describe St. Joseph in Odenton, “diversity” is a common refrain. There’s little wonder why as the parish sits less than five miles from one of the nation’s biggest military installations, Fort George G. Meade.

As the parish celebrates its 100th year of existence in the western reaches of Anne Arundel County, its congregants and clergy celebrate its rich heritage and the diverse gifts its worshipers bring to the table.

Much of that diversity is due to the nature of its congregants, who hail from all over the nation and bring a wide array of cultural influences with them.

The original church was built in 1924 from discarded lumber from the nearby military barracks.

“One of the things that makes our parish unique is the diversity as people transition to the area from all over the country,” said Kathleen Rattenbury, who has been a parishioner for more than two decades. She was originally a worshiper at Holy Apostle, which merged with St. Joseph in 2014. “The diversity is what we love about the parish. You see a lot of military people with fascinating backgrounds.” 

The church regularly celebrates that diversity with multicultural celebrations, encouraging parishioners to bring food that shares their heritage from the United States and other nations. The parish also hosts multicultural Masses.

The diversity also helps the parish with a vibrant music ministry. St. Joseph held a 100th anniversary concert April 28, showcasing its many musical talents.

“It’s an intergenerational diversity with people coming together to share one faith,” said Jeff Cullen, who serves as a cantor at St. Joseph, where he has worshiped for nearly 20 years with his wife, Kristen, and adult children, Nate, 20, and Mackenzie, 23. “It’s a very vibrant parish with a strong sense of volunteerism. Whenever a ministry needs anything, the parishioners always show up.”

As part of its 100th anniversary, the parish set a goal of having at least 100 events. It surpassed the number by May after kicking off the festivities with a dinner in November.  

Deacon David Roling, who started as a parishioner in 1992 and was ordained a deacon in 2011, recently took over as pastoral associate after retiring from practicing law for 42 years.

“It’s vibrant, it’s diverse and it’s welcoming,” Deacon Roling said of St. Joseph. “This is a place where people can tell instantly that Christ is present. Its diversity stems from the welcoming spirit everyone here has.”

As part of the anniversary celebration, parishioners printed and framed all the parish priests’ pictures from the past century. Plans are to display them permanently at the church.

Deacon Roling, Cullen and Rattenbury all said a big part of the current vibrancy is due to St. Joseph’s new pastor, Missionary of St. Paul Father Augustine Etemma Inwang, who, they say, brings an immense sense of joy to his services. He also has been open to making changes suggested by parishioners, including the addition of weekly eucharistic adoration times.

Installed as pastor in April, Father Inwang said he is grateful to have joined such a vibrant church.

The parish plans to host an anniversary Mass Sept. 22 and a gala Sept. 27.

“I could tell right away that the people were very committed to their parish,” Father Inwang said. “They are very faithful, and it shows in their love for others and the way they set such a good example for their children.

“It’s obvious the priests who came before me did such a great job here,” he said. “I’m very happy that (Archbishop William E. Lori) found me worthy to serve in such a great parish. My prayer is that we can do as well in the next 100 years as those who have gone before us in the first 100.”

Email Gerry Jackson at gjackson@CatholicReview.org

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