Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church

What Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church does

Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Solomons, Maryland, operating under the Archdiocese of Washington and serving over 1,200 households in Southern Maryland. Founded in 1888 (originally as St. Mary's) and renamed in 1904, the parish operates two worship facilities — the Parish Church (built 2010) and the Historic Chapel (1927-1928) — and an affiliated Catholic school (OLSS School, founded 1933) providing K-8 education. The parish delivers the seven Catholic sacraments, daily and weekend Mass, faith formation through Parish Youth Catechesis, adult initiation via OCIA, and a broad portfolio of ministries including Stephen Ministry, prayer groups, the Belize Mission partnership, Knights of Columbus Council 9258, and young adult groups.

The parish's technology stack is built on standard religious-organization SaaS: an eCatholic website, ParishSoft Giving for electronic donations, Faithdirect for capital campaign giving, Flocknote for email/SMS communications, Ministry Scheduler Pro for liturgical volunteer scheduling, and FORMED for faith-formation content. Digital content extensions include the 'Hear to Heaven' and 'The Deeper Dive' podcasts distributed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The parish maintains a Facebook page and Instagram account for community engagement.

The parish operates as a nonprofit religious organization under canonical authority, with revenue sourced primarily from weekly offertory (cash, envelopes, and ParishSoft recurring giving), Mass intention offerings ($10 per request, no one turned away), an annual Father Alexander Gala fundraiser, and capital campaigns (most recently raising over $800,000 for a Preschool Building Project that broke ground in June 2026). Governance is led by Pastor Fr. Robert Kilner, Parochial Vicar Fr. Thong Nguyen, Deacon Andy Geisz, and a Parish Council and Finance Council composed of volunteer parishioners, supported by a small staff of nine including a secretary, bookkeeper, communications lead, faith formation director, facilities manager, and school principal.

Name

Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church

Legal name

Our Lady Star of the Sea Roman Catholic Church

Website

https://olss.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1888

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Solomons, Maryland serving over 1,200 households in Southern Maryland, providing weekly Mass, sacraments, K-8 Catholic education, religious formation, and community ministries under the Archdiocese of Washington.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Catholic Parish Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

Keywords

• Catholic parish services
• Religious education programs
• Sacramental ministry services
• Faith formation programs
• Catholic school education

Headquarters

HQ city

Solomons

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Weekly Offertory/Stewardship: Regular weekly donations from parishioners during Mass collection; can be given via cash/check at Mass, weekly offertory envelopes, or ParishSoft Giving online platform
2. ParishSoft Online Giving: Digital recurring gift platform allowing parishioners to continue supporting the parish weekly with recurring bank account or credit card contributions
3. Mass Intentions: Suggested offering of $10 per Mass intention request; no one turned away for inability to give; each household may request up to 20 Mass intentions per calendar year
4. Annual Father Alexander Gala: Annual parish fundraiser event with food, dancing, and friendship honoring Fr. Maurice Alexander; proceeds benefit parish projects (e.g., Preschool Project)
5. Preschool Building Capital Campaign: Capital campaign raising funds ($800,000+ goal exceeded) for new preschool building construction through Faithdirect giving platform

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Our Lady Star of the Sea is a Roman Catholic parish that delivers weekly and daily Mass, the seven sacraments, religious education for children and adults, and pastoral care to more than 1,200 households in Solomons and Calvert County, Maryland. Its offerings include the Parish Youth Catechesis program (K-8), OLSS School, OCIA adult initiation, Stephen Ministry counseling, the Hear to Heaven podcast, and community/mission outreach including a Belize partnership. Funding comes from weekly offertory donations, online giving through ParishSoft, Mass intention offerings, and capital campaigns.

Product overview

Our Lady Star of the Sea is a Roman Catholic parish in Solomons, Maryland, serving over 1,200 households. The parish offers worship services at two facilities—the main Parish Church (built 2010) and the Historic Church (1927-1928)—along with sacramental ministries (Baptism, OCIA, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, Funerals). Education programs include a Catholic school, Parish Youth Catechesis for K-8, and adult formation. Digital offerings include the Hear to Heaven podcast. The parish uses ParishSoft Giving for electronic tithing and maintains partnerships with FORMED for faith content, Flocknote for communications, and Ministry Scheduler Pro for liturgical ministry coordination.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Weekly and Daily Catholic Mass Scheduled Catholic Masses open to all, including weekend Masses in the Parish Church (2010) and daily Mass in the Historic Chapel (1927-1928), plus First Friday devotions and First Saturday Rosary Walk.
• Seven Catholic Sacraments Sacramental ministry including Baptism, First Reconciliation & Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, Funerals, and Holy Orders referrals, with scheduled confession times.
• Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) Year-long formation process for unbaptized adults, baptized non-Catholics, and baptized Catholics seeking First Communion and/or Confirmation, culminating in reception of the sacraments at the Easter Vigil.
• Parish Youth Catechesis (PYC) Religious Education Sunday-morning catechesis for students in Kindergarten through 8th grade, including sacramental preparation for Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation. Classes are held in the Historic Chapel and OLSS School.
• Our Lady Star of the Sea School (OLSS School) Parish-affiliated Catholic PreK-8 school on the OLSS campus, providing faith-integrated education and sacramental preparation in coordination with the parish.
• Stephen Ministry One-to-one lay pastoral care and confidential Christian caregiving for parishioners experiencing grief, illness, divorce, job loss, or other life crises.
• Belize Mission Trip Program International mission partnership supporting St. Peter Claver Parish and Little Flower Catholic School in Punta Gorda, Belize, through annual mission trips, teacher training, supplies, and construction projects.
• Hear to Heaven Podcast Podcast hosted by Fr. Bob Kilner featuring homilies, meditations, and lessons; available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
• The Deeper Dive Podcast Daily podcast on daily Mass readings, the lives of the Saints, and Catholic Church teaching, with Fr. Bob Kilner as a frequent contributor; available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
• OLSS Parish Cemetery and Columbarium Catholic cemetery on Sedwick Avenue offering traditional burial and new columbarium interment spaces, managed in coordination with the Southern Maryland Catholic Cemeteries Office.
• Preschool Building Project New preschool building under construction on the OLSS campus, funded by a capital campaign that exceeded an $800,000 goal, designed to double classroom space and student capacity for the parish's early-childhood Catholic education program.
• Annual Father Alexander Gala Annual parish fundraising event with food, dancing, and fellowship that honors the legacy of Fr. Maurice Alexander and raises funds for parish projects such as the Preschool Project.
• Mass Intention Requests Parishioners can request that specific Masses be offered for particular intentions (living, deceased, or special needs), with a suggested $10 stipend per intention.
• ParishSoft Online Giving Digital recurring and one-time giving platform for parishioner stewardship, supporting weekly offertory, special collections, and ongoing parish operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,200 households served
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• St. Peter Claver Catholic Church (Punta Gorda, Belize)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019International mission partnership; OLSS Belize Ministry team provides support through mission trips, teacher training, educational materials, and spiritual support; fostering reciprocal relationship between parishes
• Little Flower Catholic School (Punta Gorda, Belize)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019International mission partnership; OLSS provides donations of children's clothes, books, curriculum materials, projectors, iPads; supports teacher training; funded playground construction; mission team volunteers work on school improvement projects
• SMILEminorOthersPartner organization listed on OLSS Partner Organizations page; specific partnership details not specified
• SMCR (Southern Maryland Community Resources)minorOthersPartner organization; originally formed from special needs ministry at St. Aloysius Parish; provides social and recreational opportunities to people of differing abilities across tri-county area
• Sleep In Heavenly PeaceminorOthersBed-building nonprofit chapter serving St. Mary's County; partner organization listed on OLSS page
• Birthright of Prince FrederickminorOthersPregnancy resource center serving Calvert County area; partner organization listed on OLSS page
• Care Net of Southern MarylandminorOthersPregnancy support organization serving Southern Maryland; partner organization listed on OLSS page
• Habitat for Humanity PatuxentminorOthersHabitat for Humanity chapter serving Patuxent area; partner organization listed on OLSS page
• Project EchominorOthersPartner organization listed on OLSS Partner Organizations page; specific partnership details not specified
• Safe Nights of CalvertminorOthersSafe nights program at St. John Vianney Church serving Calvert County; partner organization listed on OLSS page
• Southern Maryland Catholic Cemeteries OfficeminorOthersHandles internments in OLSS parish cemetery; office can be reached at 301-475-5005; manages new columbarium spaces
• Sisters of Divine Providence (Kentucky)minorOthersHistorical partnership - nuns from Sisters of Divine Providence in Kentucky taught at OLSS School when it opened in 1933; originally recruited by Fr. Maurice Alexander
• Our Lady Star of the Sea SchoolcoreOthersSeparate Catholic school (olsss.org) operated in conjunction with the parish; shares campus; school principal serves on Finance Council; religious education classes held in school building; parish supports school through various programs

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church (Bethesda, MD): Larger Archdiocese of Washington parish with school, faith formation, and broad ministry program. Compares to OLSS on mission offerings (school, OCIA, prayer groups, online giving) but operates at meaningfully greater scale.
• Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church (Lexington Park, MD): Roman Catholic parish in St. Mary's County, Southern Maryland, operating under the Archdiocese of Washington. Comparable faith-formation, school, and sacramental ministry footprint in the same regional Catholic market as OLSS.
• Our Lady of the Chesapeake (Annapolis, MD area): Catholic parish in the greater Chesapeake region of Maryland with a school and family-focused ministries. Comparable in mission mix (worship, school, sacraments, faith formation) and Archdiocesan-style governance.
• St. Aloysius Catholic Church (Leonardtown, MD): Roman Catholic parish in neighboring St. Mary's County, Southern Maryland, also under the Archdiocese of Washington. Directly comparable: weekend Masses, K-8 school, faith formation, and similar community programs; Deacon Andy Geisz previously served there before joining OLSS.
• St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church (Leonardtown, MD): Catholic parish in Southern Maryland offering traditional worship, sacraments, and parish school programs under the same Archdiocese of Washington as OLSS. Comparable in scale, ministries, and congregational composition.
• St. Peter Claver Catholic Church (Punta Gorda, Belize): International partner parish of OLSS since 2019; sister parish relationship involving mission trips, teacher training, and educational materials. Compares as a Catholic parish with a school (Little Flower) in a smaller community setting.
• St. Jane Frances de Chantal Catholic Church (Bethesda, MD): Established Archdiocese of Washington Catholic parish with school, religious education, and family ministries. Directly comparable parish operating model; serves as a benchmark for scaled-up OLSS-style ministry programming.
• St. Patrick Catholic Church (Rockville, MD): Archdiocese of Washington parish with a parish school, faith formation for children and adults, and active stewardship programs. Comparable Catholic parish structure and revenue model to OLSS.
• St. John Vianney Catholic Church (Prince Frederick, MD): Catholic parish serving Calvert County under the Archdiocese of Washington, directly comparable to OLSS in geography, congregation size, and ministry offerings. Hosts the Safe Nights of Calvert program that OLSS partners with.

Others

• Habitat for Humanity Calvert County / Patuxent chapter: Listed as one of OLSS's community partner organizations. Not a parish peer but a representative example of the broader Southern Maryland faith-aligned nonprofit ecosystem OLSS participates in via community partnerships and volunteer engagement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/olssofficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/olss.parish
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/our-lady-star-of-the-sea-catholic-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church