From the church website below in part:
"St. Louis Parish History
The growth we see in our parish today, whether measured in terms of numbers of parishioners, size of the physical plant, or sense of community feeling, is a continuation of our rich history and a reminder of the many people who have so lovingly and generously contributed to it.
Officially we have always been the Church of St. Louis the King, but we are known in the Baltimore Archdiocese as St. Louis Parish, Clarksville. The parish was founded in 1855 with the building of the small church still standing on Dayton Road adjacent to the cemetery. However, our beginnings really go back to the chapel in Doughoregan Manor, a home of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the signer of the Declaration of Independence. Mass was originally celebrated there. Our first pastor, Fr. Augustine Verot, a French Sulpician, had been pastor of St. Paul’s in Ellicott City before coming to Clarksville.
He was succeeded by Fr. Hugh Griffin in 1858 and it was during Fr. Griffin’s tenure that the first Clarksville Picnic was held in 1878. Although the picnic has changed with the times, it is still a highlight of both parish and community life each summer and has always been the major single source of revenue for the parish. The picnic exemplifies the spirit of parishioners who work together in a myriad of ways to make the day a success.
It was also the hard work and generosity of early parishioners under the leadership of their pastor, Fr. Paul Griffith, which made possible the building of what is now known as the Chapel. By 1887, the small rural congregation had outgrown the church on Dayton Road and the new church was completed in Clarksville in 1889 and dedicated in 1890 by Cardinal Gibbons. This small gothic church is presently used for weddings, funerals, Eucharistic Adoration on weekends and Monday evening Novena to The Blessed Mother.
The rectory, adjacent to the chapel, was also built and completed by 1890. Unbelievably, the total cost of both structures was $11,000. Fr. Griffith, the first pastor to reside in the rectory, was followed successively by Fr. Joseph Walter, Fr. John Gaynor, Fr. Snyder S. Hurlburt, Fr. Edward Reilley and Fr. Carl Liljencrants.
The next two decades were particularly fruitful for St. Louis and Clarksville. Fr. William Howard Bishop served as pastor from 1917-1937. Early in his tenure, the long awaited parochial school for rural Howard County became a reality when St. Louis School opened in October 1923. In order to raise funds for the new school, Fr. Bishop formed the League of St. Louis. Upon the school’s completion, the League of St. Louis became the League of the Little Flower and had as its aim financial aid to rural parochial schools throughout the state of Maryland. It remains active today in the Baltimore Archdiocese but now focuses on financial support for inner city schools.
The Sisters of Divine Providence of Kentucky taught in St. Louis School from its opening in 1923 with 41 students in 7 grades. Fifty-three years later, due to a shortage of sisters, it was necessary for the Sisters of Divine Providence to withdraw from St. Louis School.
In 1976, the school was blessed with the arrival of two Sisters of the Holy Union: Sr. Paul Agnes, who came as principal and Sr. Paula who came as an 8th grade teacher. A year later in 1977, Sr. Mary Catherine Duerr SUSC became the principal and remained until the spring of 1996. During that time the school enrollment grew from 245 students to more than 400. Mrs. Terry Weiss, who had formerly been the assistant principal at Resurrection School in Ellicott City, joined the faculty as the new principal in the fall of 1996. The school is staffed by many dedicated lay teachers and a Sister of Notre Dame. Currently, there are 518 students in grades Pre-K-8. After school care is offered for students in the school.
With Fr. Bishop’s departure in 1937 to found the Home Missioners of America (Glenmary Fathers), Fr. Joseph Leary became pastor. He was joined in 1940 by Fr. Michael Egan who was appointed pastor in 1943. St. Louis celebrated its centenary in 1955 under Fr. Egan who remained until 1958 when he was transferred to St. Brigid’s, Baltimore.
In the years following the centennial celebration there have been many changes and much growth in our parish. Fr. Myles McGowan, who was assigned the pastorate in 1958 and assisted by Fr. Donald Croghan beginning in 1963, led the parish in the transition from a predominately rural to an increasingly suburban parish. Fr. Anthony Sauerwein came to St. Louis as pastor in 1967. When Fr. Croghan was assigned as pastor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Thurmont in 1973, Fr. Robert Duerr took on the duties of associate pastor and also remained principal of Mt. de Sales Academy. In 1977 Fr. James O’Neill came to be our associate pastor but Fr. Duerr continued to share his priesthood and his faith with us coming from Catonsville each weekend to celebrate Mass. Our good friends, the Franciscan Fathers have also assisted us each weekend over a period of many years. It was also in 1977 that Michael Carrion, a parishioner for many years, was ordained to the priesthood. A number of young women from the parish had entered religious life but this was our first parish-grown priest. From 1979 to 1981 Fr. John Carter served as associate pastor. In September of 1982 we rejoiced as our pastor, Fr. Sauerwein, was made a monsignor. In November we celebrated the ordination of yet another parishioner, also a Carrion, Fr. Patrick Carrion. In 1986 we welcomed Fr. Tom Gills as a second associate pastor who would help shoulder the many responsibilities of our ever growing parish. In the Spring of 1987 we said goodbye to Fr. John Mike and were happy to welcome Fr. Jim Barker as our new associate pastor in the summer of 1987. When, in 1990, Fr. Tom moved on to be associate pastor of St. Mary’s in Hagerstown, Fr. Jeff Dauses, newly ordained that year, came to St. Louis as his first assignment to be associate pastor. In June of 1991, Fr. Jim Barker was appointed Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Baltimore and we wished him well as he left St. Louis. Fr. Richard Lobert joined us as associate pastor in January 1993. Also in
1993, we rejoiced at the ordination to the priesthood of yet another parishioner, Fr. Kevin Farmer. February of 1994 saw the departure of Fr. Richard Lobert to Prince of Peace parish where he had been named administrator. After almost 29 years as pastor of St. Louis, Msgr. Sauerwein retired in January 1996. Fr. Joseph Luca became our new pastor and was warmly welcomed by the parish as we began a new era. Fr. Luca had most recently been the archdiocesan director of Renew. Shortly after assuming the position of pastor at St. Louis, he was honored by the Holy Father with the title of Monsignor and we shared in his joy. Following his ordination in May 1996, Fr. Andrew Aaron joined the St. Louis Parish Staff as an associate pastor. In the summer of 1997, Fr. Aaron was assigned to Our Lady of Hope parish as Associate Pastor and during that same summer, Fr. Jeff Dauses was assigned to St. Margaret’s Parish in Bel Air. Fr. Richard Bozzelli became our new Associate Pastor. Fr. Gregory Ferri, ordained in June of 1998, was welcomed that July as an Associate Pastor. January of 2000 saw the departure of Fr. Bozzelli when he became pastor of Corpus Christi Parish in Baltimore. In June 2000, Fr. Erik Arnold joined us as an Associate Pastor. Fr. Gregory Ferri departed St. Louis in June 2002 to become Associate Pastor at St. Jane Frances de Chantal in Pasadena and we welcomed newly ordained Fr. Martin Burnham as an Associate Pastor in June 2002. In May 2003, another native son of St. Louis, Matt Buening, was ordained to the priesthood. Upon Fr. Erik Arnold’s departure to assume the position of Associate Pastor at the Church of the Crucifixion in Glen Burnie, MD in June 2004, Fr. Arkadiusz (known as Fr. Arek) Ochalek, became our new Associate Pastor. Fr. Martin Burnham departed in November 2005, to assume the position of Associate Pastor at St. Margaret’s in BelAir, MD."
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