To be Christians means to be missionaries, to be apostles. It is not enough to discover Christ you must bring him to others!  ~ Saint John Paul II, Fourth World Youth Day.

Fr. Paul Christopher Sparklin was born on January 18, 1964. He is the youngest son of Donald H. Sparklin, Sr., and Anne C. (Allen), with three older brothers, Donald Jr., Timothy, and John, and a younger sister, Julia-Marie.

As a resident of Woodlawn, MD, Fr. Paul attended grade school and received his early sacraments at his home parish, The Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. This parish was the place where Fr. Paul’s vocation to priesthood began as he served Mass and later, when he worked as a phone sitter in the rectory and as a sacristan. He graduated from O.L.P.H in 1978.

From there, Fr. Paul attended Cardinal Gibbons High School (1978-1982). During that time, he was accepted into the vocation program for the Archdiocese of Baltimore and continued his affiliation during his years at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where he graduated in 1986 with a B.A. in Philosophy. He was formally accepted into the College Candidate Program which allowed him to attend St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, MD for formation and graduated with a Master of Divinity in 1990.

Archbishop William H. Keeler ordained Fr. Paul on May 11, 1991. His first assignment as Associate Pastor was at the Church ofthe Nativity in Timonium, MD (1991-1995). From there, he served at St. Joseph, Fullerton, MD (1995-2000), Church of the Immaculate Conception, Towson, MD, (2000-2004), and as Catholic Chaplaincy at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore (2004-2012). Fr. Paul’s ministry to St Elizabeth Ann Seton, in Crofton, MD began on July 1, 2012, when Archbishop William E. Lori appointed him as Administrator. He was formally installed as Pastor on December 8, 2013 by Bishop Mitchell Rozanski. Effective July 1, 2022, Archbishop William E. Lori appointed Fr. Paul Sparklin as pastor to St. Michael Church, Poplar Springs-Mount Airy, MD.

In his spare time, Fr. Paul likes to go to the gym, read, cook, listen to a wide variety of music and watch movies. He is a devoted Baltimore Ravens and Orioles baseball fan. Until three years ago, he was a proud doggy-daddy of a pug named Nero.