Caring for Our Community
Transforming Lives Through Faith, Service, and Compassion
Every day, the Diocese of Saint Petersburg serves people in need across our five counties, regardless of their religious affiliation. In fact, 75% of people served by Catholic Charities are not Catholic.
Through parish outreach programs, such as the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and partnerships with community organizations, we accompany those who are poor, suffering, or in crisis. Twelve parishes have “twinning” relationships with churches in third world countries, such as the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Cuba, offering both financial and human support.
Through our charitable efforts, we have positively impacted the lives of many families and individuals. Together, we are Courageously Living the Gospel through service and compassion, positively impacting life in Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, and the surrounding Gulf Coast communities.
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Senior Housing Units
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Homeless Served
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Students Educated
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Babies Saved
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Financially Assisted
Caring for Migrants
In 1992, Bishop John Favalora blessed a new 3,500-square-foot worship center for Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission, a mission church founded in 1988 to serve migrant families in Wimauma.
Throughout the 1990s, the Diocese strengthened its migrant ministry effort to meet the needs of migrants in the region. Under the leadership of Bishop Favalora, the Diocese recruited and assigned Spanish-speaking clergy to communities with the highest concentration of migrant families. Four rural churches, St. Clement (Plant City), St. Rita (Dade City), St. Anne (Ruskin) and Our Lady of Guadalupe (Wimauma), became centers of faith, outreach, and support. These parishes offered Mass and Bible studies in Spanish, along with social programs, community gatherings, and referral services.
On October 15, 2003, the Diocese celebrated another milestone in its outreach to migrant communities with the completion of San Jose Mission in Dover/Plant City. More than 300 people gathered to mark the success of a decade-long effort to provide safe, affordable, and dignified housing for farmworker families serving the area’s strawberry fields.
The San Jose Mission includes 122 apartments serving nearly 600 residents and offers a wide range of support services for families. Through partnerships with community organizations and Hillsborough County, residents have access to English classes, clothing assistance, healthcare resources, and educational opportunities. In 2019, the mission expanded its outreach further with the opening of a new multipurpose center that includes a food pantry and food bank.
Caring for the Elderly
The Diocese of Saint Petersburg’s commitment to affordable housing began with a mission to serve elderly residents most in need of safe, dignified, and affordable homes. Many were widows living in poor conditions during retirement and struggling to access quality housing.
Through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Diocese launched its first affordable senior housing community in 1983. King’s Manor, located at Christ the King Catholic Church, became the first affordable housing property for seniors within the five counties of the Diocese of Saint Petersburg.
What began as 99 housing units at one location has grown into a network of more than 1,000 affordable housing units across 14 senior housing properties in Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Pasco counties—providing stability, dignity, and community for thousands of elderly residents over the years.
Caring for the Homeless
In 2007, the Diocese respond to the urgent need to assist the homeless population by opening Pinellas Hope on 10 acres of land under the leadership of Bishop Robert Lynch. What began as a temporary housing site quickly grew into a comprehensive outreach that provides food, shelter, safety, and pathways to build a dignified life for those most in need.
Known by Bishop Lynch as “the miracle on 49th Street,” Pinellas Hope brought together local government leaders, Catholic Charities, and faith communities to serve the homeless. Since opening, the ministry has served more than 10,000 men and women, provided over 1.5 million meals, and expanded to include 156 efficiency units for individuals transitioning into permanent housing, including veterans.
The Diocese and Catholic Charities continued expanding homeless outreach efforts across the region. The Pasco Women’s Shelter, a temporary homeless shelter for women and children, opened in 2013. Pinellas Hope, added 20 new Hope Cottages™ in 2019, increasing shelter capacity to approximately 240 people. And in 2020 it added the BayCare Medical Respite Program , which provides temporary housing, medications, and healthcare services.
In 2021, Tampa Hope opened through a partnership between Catholic Charities and the City of Tampa, providing shelter for up to 300 people. That same year, Bishop Parkes blessed the new Pasco Family Shelter in Port Richey, which offers emergency housing and supportive services for homeless families.
Restoring Dignity
“Homelessness is not easy, but when you have staff that welcome you with open arms, give you hope, cheer you on -there is hope. The moment we were brought to Tampa Hope, we were welcomed…we were not judged; we were accepted immediately.”
– Maria, Tampa Hope resident
10,000+ served at Pinellas Hope
Caring for Low-Income Families
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Saint Petersburg operates 10 affordable housing properties to serve low-income families on the verge of homelessness. These vulnerable men and women are able to remain off the streets because we are able to provide affordable housing and/or financial assistance for rent. In 2019, added two new affordable housing properties: Bella Vista in Hillsborough County and St. Teresa in Hernando County. In 2020, Bethany Family Apartments, which opened in 2005, converted from housing available exclusively to families with a member who is disabled to affordable housing for the general public. On June 22, 2022, Catholic Charities opened Las Villas Apartments in Ruskin. Catholic Charities, along with Hillsborough County converted a former motel in Ruskin to create the affordable housing apartments.
Caring for People Living with HIV/AIDS
In the 1980s and 1990s, AIDS was an epidemic. The Diocese worked with the Federal Government, and Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties to establish housing for individuals with HIV/AIDS as well as mothers and children with HIV/AIDS.
The Christopher House, which started in 1995, was the first house for people living with HIV/AIDS opened by the Diocese of Saint Petersburg. Mercy House, which opened in 1996, serves mothers and their children impacted by HIV/AIDS.
Caring for People in Crisis
In 2006, Catholic Charities started the Pathways Direct Aid program that provides direct financial assistance to people facing a crisis, such as a loss of employment or illness. Since that time, more than 2,000 people have received financial assistance for rent, medical bills, electricity, etc. totaling more than $1.6 million dollars. When you include the financial assistance provided by St. Vincent de Paul Society in our parishes, the amount of direct aid provided to people in need since 1968 has exceeded $50 million dollars.
Caring for Refugees
The Diocese has been assisting refugees since its early years. Catholic Charities and local parishes assisted with resettling Vietnamese refugees starting in the mid-1970s. Catholic families and parishes were asked to sponsor families and orphans were adopted through Catholic Charities. Catholic Charities has helped to welcome into our community more than 16,000 refugees. These refugees, who left their countries with no belongings, have received temporary housing, job assistance, language classes and other assimilation services. The refugees have arrived here from countries that have faced ongoing tragedies, such as Bosnia, Cuba and Syria. While Catholic Charities no longer has a Refugee Resettlement Program, in 2021, Catholic Charities partnered with Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services to provide five apartments for Afghan refugees who fled persecution following the withdrawal of U.S. Troops.
Sparking Faith
“Good Samaritan Project was kind of my turning point. I was formerly an atheist, and becoming Catholic was a slow progression, but also a ramping up, and Good Samaritan Project was basically my big sign. Through service, I encountered a Church that welcomed me, and a God who was already seeking me.”
– Kaito, Good Samaritan Project participant
300+ students serve each year
Educating Young People
The Diocese of Saint Petersburg has a vital role in the development of students on the Gulf Coast of Florida through its network of Catholic Schools and Early Childhood Centers. Our collective mission is to provide a faith-filled community where students are challenged to Courageously Live the Gospel and grow spiritually, academically, and socially.
Out of the 175 dioceses in the United States, our system of Catholic schools is the 46th largest, providing education to nearly 13,000 students in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus counties. The 11 early childhood centers, 27 elementary schools, 2 special-needs schools, and 7 high schools employ 1,300 Catholic educators and professional staff members. Our students’ average standardized test scores are consistently in the top 25% in the nation and our high school students contribute 86,000 hours of service annually to local communities and nonprofit organizations. Most importantly, prayer and the sacraments are a regular part of daily life in every one of our Catholic Schools.
Since 1968, we have had more than 35,000 students graduate from Catholic high schools in the five counties of the Diocese of Saint Petersburg.
Helping Families Seeking to Adopt
Adoption Services has served the adoption triad: birth parents, children, and adoptive families since 1964 through a coordinated set of services designed to identify infants and young children who are at risk of abuse, neglect, or abandonment by virtue of their parents not being ready, willing, or capable of parenting them, to find suitable, permanent homes for those children, and to provide supportive services to triad members such as search services for those who mutually desire to reunify with birth parents or adoptees. Currently Adoption Services, Diocese of Saint Petersburg serves 4 dioceses across 25 counties.
Caring for Women and Families in Need
The Foundations of Life Pregnancy Center Programs have served the Diocese since 1993 and are dedicated to addressing the needs of individuals facing the challenges of pregnancy and parenting and making positive life choices. The program reflects the Church’s love for the lives of the unborn as well as for the health, welfare and development of parents and their babies. Foundations of Life, formerly Pregnancy Plus Medical, has grown from one center to 5 centers and currently provides help and hope to over 2,400 clients with almost 7,000 visits each year. Over 10,000 babies have been saved.
Project Rachel, post Abortion Healing program, is dedicated to promoting the healing of the wound of abortion in individuals.
Providing Spiritual Care
“This assisted living facility feels like a home, not an institution. The space is designed with the residents in mind, with attention to their needs as they age, so they will continue to be loved and cared for.”
– Monsignor Mike Muhr, priest
45+ retired priests cared for
Providing Medical Care
Since 2000, Catholic Charities has provided medical care to people without insurance, many considered the working poor. We operate a medical bus that travels to high-need areas and offer medical care. Catholic Charities also operates three free medical clinics, located in Dade City, Wimauma and Dover. Since 2000, we have served more than 17,000 individuals in need of life-saving care. (info from 2018)
Additionally, there are six Catholic hospitals overseen by the Bishop of our Diocese that were started by the Allegany Franciscans: St. Anthony’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, St. Joseph’s Hospital- South, and St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. In the Diocese of St. Petersburg, there are also seven Health Care and Medical Centers and 10 homes for the chronically ill. Over 400,000 people are served each year at these centers for health and healing.
Sharing Inspirational Radio
In 1986, Bishop W. Thomas Larkin established WBVM 90.5, a radio station that serves the community with the largest signal allowed by the FCC: 100,000 watts. The station, now known as Spirit FM 90.5, provides hopeful and positive music, inspiring messages, weather alerts, community and event information to people of all faiths. Spirit FM currently reaches approximately 87,000 people each week.
Promoting Racial Harmony
The Diocesan Racial Justice Committee sponsored an 8-week online module on Faith and Racial Healing from February-April, 2020. The committee later organized a Holy Hour of prayer led by Bishop Gregory Parkes at the Cathedral of St Jude the Apostle on Sunday, June 7, 2020, to pray for peace, healing and change following the brutal death of George Floyd and the nationwide protests that erupted. Also in 2020, the Racial Justice Committee of the Diocese of St. Petersburg hosted two “Conversations about Race” and a webinar titled, “Why Do They March?” Also, numerous resources have been compiled to help Catholics open wide their hearts to achieve racial harmony.
In September of 2018, the Diocese of St. Petersburg held a listening session and a day-long workshop and a series of civil dialogues to encourage the faithful to share how racism is impacting their lives in the Church and the community. According to a Tampa Bay Times editorial, “Bishop Gregory L. Parkes is well serving his pastoral mission by trying to foster a greater degree of understanding, respect and dignity across the Bay Area.”
In the late 1990s, the community of St. Joseph Parish in St. Petersburg helped to form CUCA – Congregations United for Community Action. The group marched against illicit drug use and governmental neglect while marching in favor of racial and religious reconciliation. Father Bill Mason, pastor of St. Joseph at the time, was one of the earliest co-leaders of CUCA.
Fostering Priestly Service
For many of the early years, the Catholic Church in Florida relied on missionary priests from the Northeast, Ireland and Spain to administer the Sacraments and minister to people of all ages in need. Since its founding, 132 priests have been ordained to serve the people of God in the Diocese of Saint Petersburg and there has been an intentional effort to foster the development of local vocations (number as of 1/2021).
