St. Mary Refuge of Sinners, Cambridge, MD

Mass was said here until the 1880s. In 1885, a chapel was erected on Gay Street. In 1894, the brick church, Saint Mary Refuge of Sinners was completed. Soon after the rectory was built next door. Originally a mission of Easton, St. Mary Refuge of Sinners became its own parish in 1903.

In 1963, the parish split and Our Lady of Good Counsel became its own parish. As Dorchester County experienced growth in the 1950s and 1960s, the church's location had become so congested with traffic that parishioners were unable to find places to park for Sunday Mass. So, in 1974, the new church, church hall, and rectory were built at the present site.

After a leaking roof caused damage to the church, a two year, $375,000 repair and renovation project was undertaken leading to the June 1, 1996 reopening and consecration of the new altar by the Most Reverend Michael A. Saltarelli, eighth Bishop of Wilmington. The project included new heating and air conditioning systems for the parish hall, a new sound system, and repaving the church parking lots.

The parish has welcomed a growing Hispanic population as well as the migrant workers who flock to the area during the Summer months.

In 2017, Saint Mary Refuge of Sinners and its mission church, Saint Mary Star of the Sea in Golden Hill, were linked with Our Lady of Good Counsel in Secretary, and the two parishes are served by one pastor.