In an evening prayer service at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle on June 20, 2023 at 7:00 p.m., Bishop Emeritus Robert N. Lynch presented eight individuals with a Certificate in Lay Leadership Ministry. Bishop Lynch, substituting for Bishop Gregory Parkes, formally commissioned these students to serve in ministry leadership in parishes throughout the …
19th Annual National Black Catholic Men’s Conference 2022- Indianapolis, Indiana October 13th-16th, 2022 Theme: “We Were Made for More Joshua 1:9” REGISTRATION FEE: Adult $150.00 Adult Early Bird (Deadline September 1, 2022) $100.00 Youth and High School $65.00 The conference registration fee includes lunch on Saturday Room Reservations contact: Spring Hill Suites by Marriott Room …
The National Black Catholic Congress announces the date and theme for Congress XIII. Write the Vision: A Prophetic Call to Thrive After much prayerful consideration, the theme for Congress XIII is “Write the Vision: A Prophetic Call to Thrive.” The theme is based on Habakkuk 2:2-4, “Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write down the …
An integral part of our diocesan vision to courageously live the Gospel is to equip our people as Missionary Disciples inspired to invite and accompany others in their journey to Christ. The question is, in times when we are encouraged to maintain distance, how do you accomplish this? The Office of Evangelization & Missionary Discipleship …
In spite of many obstacles caused by COVID-19, there are hundreds of individuals in the Diocese of St Petersburg who have been moved by the Holy Spirit to say “Yes” to becoming Catholic this year. Everyone has a unique faith story, including Adam Finley. The 21-year-old was baptized, confirmed and received first Holy Communion on …
Continue reading “Young Adult Becomes Catholic Before Leaving for Military Service”
Caption: Jessica signs the Book of the Elect during the Rite of Election in Nativity’s Chapel on the First Sunday of Lent signifying her readiness to be fully initiated into the Body of Christ this Easter Vigil. Up until a year and a half ago, Jessica Spencer says the last place she thought she would …
Continue reading “Invitation Leads to Life-Changing Experience”
Caption: Joshua, 30, signs the Book of the Elect during the Rite of Election on the 1st Sunday of Lent. With him David Devore, RCIA Coordinator, St, Mark the Evangelist Parish. Joshua Jeffries says he remembers the exact moment he encountered Christ on a chapel floor in Kentucky while participating in a program meant to …
Sharvil Verma was born in India to a Hindu family and as a child he started to have doubts about his faith and about the existence of God. From the age of 10 until he was 22, Verma said he became aggressive towards God and sought to prove He was not there. “I didn’t feel …
Continue reading “Becoming Catholic: A USF Student’s Conversion Story”
Marking the fifth anniversary of the Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love), Pope Francis has asked the Church to celebrate the family. The “Year of Amoris Laetitia Family” is meant to be an opportunity for reflection on the important role of families, which has been highlighted during the COVID pandemic. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ …
In recognition of Pope Francis declaring 2021 as the Year of St. Joseph, teens from St. Jerome Parish in Largo are preparing for consecration to St. Joseph. But just as St. Joseph was part of the Holy Family, this consecration is also focused on the family, with parents and children reading, praying, and discussing together. …
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Cheryl Jane Miller is an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion at St. Matthew Parish in Largo. She brings communion to the local nursing homes and she is a Bible study small group leader with SEASONS (Sisters Encouraging And Sharing ON Scriptures). But she wasn’t always so active in ministry and for many years she let …
Lent is a season of penitential renewal through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Perhaps your family will take time this year to talk about what you can do individually or as a family in the areas of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Find resources to do so below. Adapted Faith Formation lessons for Lent – These faith …
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The theme for the 2021 Annual Pastoral Appeal is “Hope in the Lord”, inspired by Isaiah 40:31 – “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Through hope, we find strength, …
Isabella Jacus is entering her senior year at Saint Leo University. In addition to carrying a full course load as a double major in biology and religion, she is also working 12 hours a week as a science tutor and has leadership roles in the Pre-Med Club, the National Leadership Honor Society and the Biology …
“This is one of my favorite weeks of the year.” That’s what one of the students, Mikayla Croissant, said after experiencing a week long local mission trip that 20 students from St. Timothy Youth Ministry attend in June 2020. We joined other students from all over the Diocese in a program called the Good Samaritan …
A new group in St. Petersburg is providing opportunities for local young adults to stay connected to the Church and each other. In the past few months, they have hosted an All Saint’s Day bonfire, an Advent Young Adult Mission, Meals After Mass, and other monthly events where young people gather in fellowship and prayer. …
Continue reading “New Young Adult Ministry in St. Petersburg Mixes Faith and Friendship”
Would you like to meet new friends and grow in your faith at the same time? Then this is the retreat for YOU! This retreat is hosted by Apostles of the Eucharist young adult group. This will be the fourth annual retreat offered to young adults all over the diocese. The basic details are below …
Summer of Service – Over 300 Catholic Teens Make a Difference More than 300 teens representing 19 schools and parishes in Tampa Bay chose to spend part of their summer vacation serving others as part of the Good Samaritan Project organized by the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office. The students volunteered June …
Youth and young adults from the Tampa Bay area are about to experience a life-changing event: World Youth Day in Panama, January 22-27. This encounter with the pope, Jesus and thousands of other Catholics is a time of deep and spiritual renewal. More than 200,000 participants from 155 countries are expected at this year’s World …
Continue reading “Local Pilgrims to See the Pope in Panama for World Youth Day”
A major focus of our mutually-shared vision is to accompany youth and young adults to help them be courageous in their faith. Ryan Phelan, the Diocesan Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry is tasked with helping parishes understand this process of accompaniment that is highlighted in the Vision. Pope Francis has often spoken about …
Thousands of people from across the United States who work with young people gathered for the National Conference on Catholic Youth Ministry (NCCYM) from December 6 – 8 at the Tampa Convention Center. The conference was planned in part by the Diocese of St. Petersburg Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, headed by Ryan …
Continue reading “National Conference in Tampa Fires Up Youth Ministers”
The Diocese of St. Petersburg is hosting the National Conference on Catholic Youth Ministry for the first time ever. The conference is organized by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry and is held every two years to form, inspire and strengthen youth ministers and all who seek to accompany young people as they encounter …
World Youth Day (WYD) is a gathering of young people from around the world to celebrate the love of Christ for humanity. WYD is a powerful opportunity to gather with over 1 million young people from around the world who share your love of Christ and want to celebrate His mercy and love. You will …
Continue reading “Recap of World Youth Day in Panama, January 22nd-27th, 2019”
Teens from around Tampa Bay are choosing to spend part of their summer vacation serving others as part of the Good Samaritan Project organized by the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg, Office of Youth Ministry. “The Good Samaritan Project is a way for me to strengthen my faith in God and to serve others and …
Continue reading “Good Samaritan Teens are Making a Difference During Summer Break”
Teens from around Tampa Bay have chosen to spend part of their summer vacation serving others as part of the Good Samaritan Project (GSP), a week-long service retreat located in our diocese. During GSP, middle and high school teens from around the Diocese work, pray, and have fun together for the betterment of the community and …
Continue reading “Teens Make a Difference During Week One of the Good Samaritan Project”