32 East Potomac Street
Williamsport, MD 21795
Phone - 301.223.7959 Fax 301.797.2490
Office Hours
Tuesday 9am to 1pm
Saint Augustine Church in Williamsport has seen a long and colorful history marked by dedicated priests and parishioners who have served and supported her throughout the years.
Late in 1786 when Elizabethtown, later renamed Hagerstown, was being established, the Rev. Father James Frenbach arrived to establish the first Catholic Mission. He had been sent from an early settlement near Hanover, PA, and served the mission for about 30 years, devoting himself to his work. Although there are few surviving records concerning Father Frenbach, we do know that in August of 1787, Jonathan Hager, the founder of Hagerstown, who was well-known for his generosity and kindness, donated to Father Frenbach a lot or lots on N. Walnut Street to use as a burying ground and a lot on the corner of what is now Washington and Walnut Streets, where a log house was erected to serve the few Catholics scattered around the area. At this time other missions were established and services were held in private homes and cabins in Williamsport. Father Frenbach and his successors visited these small missions on foot and on horseback. The Williamsport Mission eventually became Saint Augustine's.
It was not until Father Henry Myers of Hagerstown formally established Saint Augustine's when he purchased for $1,000, the old Williamsport-Methodist-Episcopal Church. In 1856, Saint Augustine’s Church was dedicated. Saint Augustine's was a separate parish; however, due to the small size of its congregation, a resident priest could not be supported and once again, it became a mission parish of St. Mary's Church in Hagerstown. Archbishop Keough decided that Saint Augustine's could support a resident pastor in 1953. Archbishop Keough named Father Linus Robinson the pastor. He was followed by Father Hardesty, Father Yeakle, Father Cody (temporary administrator). Msgr. Smith, Father Carter, Father Lesnick (temporary administrator), Father Hook, and currently Father John Jicha.