The Diaconate Office has informed us of the passing of Mrs. Elaine Sydejko, age 98, on November 12, 2022 in Wisconsin. Mrs. Sydejko is the mother of Mrs. Josephine Manko, wife of Deacon Mark Manko, from St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Homosassa. A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, November 15, 2022, in Altoona, …
The Office of the Vicar for Religious informs the passing of Sr. M. John Francis Coyle, O.S.F., 100 years old, on November 7, 2022 in Tampa. Sister Coyle was stationed at St. Elizabeth Convent, Tampa. Sr. John Francis entered the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany on February 2, 1945; was received into the Congregation on August …
DIOCESAN OFFICES Take Five with Bishop Gregory Parkes Bishop Parkes will be hosting a new video segment called Take Five: Conversations on Faith and Life, premiering on Tuesday, November 29th. The segments are about five minutes in length and are designed to easily fit into people’s busy schedules. New video segments can be seen each …
DIOCESAN OFFICES from Catholic Scouting for Girls Save the Date: Girls Retreat The Catholic Scouting for Girls of the Diocese of St. Petersburg invites all the girl scouts for their yearly retreat on April 1, 2023 at Light of Christ Parish, 2176 Marilyn St., Clearwater. More information to come and in the flyer at this …
DIOCESAN OFFICES from the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops Florida Gubernatorial Candidate Comparison To help Catholics to become informed voters, the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops has developed a comparison between the positions of the two major-party candidates for Florida governor on a range of issues. The positions of Ron DeSantis (Republican) and Charlie Crist …
The Chancellor’s Office reports the passing of Mr. Thomas P. (Tom) Schroeder, former H.R. Director for the Diocese of St. Petersburg, on October 22, 2022, with his wife, Diane, by his side. Born on November 30, 1943, in Bay City, MI, he was the eldest child of Howard and Virginia (Betty) Schroeder. Mr. Schroeder retired …
The Vocations Office informs the sad news that Mrs. Diane Grant, mother of former seminarian Spencer Grant, died suddenly on Tuesday, October 18, 2022 in the presence of her family. A Funeral Mass will be held for Mrs. Grant on Thursday, November 3, 2022 at St. Timothy Catholic Church, 17512 Lakeshore Road, Lutz. Expressions of …
DIOCESAN OFFICES from the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops Florida Gubernatorial Candidate Comparison To help Catholics to become informed voters, the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops has developed a comparison between the positions of the two major-party candidates for Florida governor on a range of issues. The positions of Ron DeSantis (Republican) and Charlie Crist …
The Chancellor’s Office received word that Mrs. Winifred (Winnie) Margaret McEvoy, 93, mother of Very Reverend John McEvoy, VF, pastor of St. Anne Parish, Ruskin, passed away peacefully on October 18, 2022, in Ireland, with Father McEvoy and his brother, Mark, at her bedside. A Funeral Mass was held on Friday, October 21, 2022 at Holy …
We sadly report the passing of Mrs. Denise Roach, 65, on Monday, October 17, 2022, at Woodside Hospice, in Pinellas Park. Mrs. Roach was the Director of St. Jerome Early Childhood Center for 26 years before her retirement in 2019. Denise was predeceased by her husband, Scott Roach, and father, Thomas Connors, and is survived …
The Diaconate Office has received word of the passing of Mrs. Margaret “Peg” Simpson, 87, widow of the late Deacon Robert Simpson from St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Hudson. She passed yesterday, October 13, 2022. No service information is available at this time. It will be posted here when it becomes available. Expressions of …
DIOCESAN OFFICES St. Andrew’s Discernment Dinner Young men 16 and older please join us for a casual discernment event hosted by the Office of Vocations. Dinner and vocation stories with Bishop Parkes, Fr. Chuck, and other priests. Parents are also invited to join for a parent discussion and a meal. We will meet on October …
DIOCESAN OFFICES St. Andrew’s Discernment Dinner Young men 16 and older please join us for a casual discernment event hosted by the Office of Vocations. Dinner and vocation stories with Bishop Parkes, Fr. Chuck, and other priests. Parents are also invited to join for a parent discussion and a meal. We will meet at St. …
The Chancellor’s Office has received the sad news that Mr. Pacian Z. Kiwale, brother of Reverend Theobald Weria, A.L.C.P., Parochial Vicar of St. Cecelia Parish, Clearwater, passed away in the Lord on September 30, 2022, after struggling with illness since last year. All funeral services will take place near Mr. Kiwale’s home in Tanzania. Please …
Sister Frances Barfield, formerly known as Sister David Therese, died on Monday, September 19, 2022, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan. She was 90 years of age and in the 73rd year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation. Sister Frances was born in Pensacola, Florida, to David C. and Theresa …
DIOCESAN OFFICES Did You Know? Assistance Ministry Helps Abuse Victims Did you know that outreach to victims of sexual abuse is one of the ministries offered by the Diocese of St. Petersburg? The diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator provides assistance towards healing by means of therapy, spiritual direction, and mutual support groups. If now, or at …
The Chancellor’s Office was informed of the peaceful passing of Mrs. Gloria DiVito, 95, mother of diocesan attorney Joseph DiVito, on Saturday, September 24, 2022. Mrs. Divito was preceded in death by her son, Phillip; husband, John; and daughter, Helen. She is survived by sons; Joseph (Theresa), Nicholas (Lynda), Paul (Vicky), and Allyn (Tracy), grandchildren; Brian …
The Diaconate Office received word of the passing of Deacon Frank Longo, 92, in retired status from St. Vincent DePaul Parish, Holiday, on September 1, 2022. He is preceded in death by his wife Lucy. Deacon Frank was recently spending most of his time with his family in New York; all services took place there …
Sister Joseph Eilese Hukle died Friday, 9/9/2022, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian. She was 90 years of age and in the 71st year of her religious profession. Sister Hukle formerly worked at Holy Family Catholic School and at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle Catholic School. She also served as Director of …
DIOCESAN OFFICES Did You Know? Assistance Ministry Helps Abuse Victims Did you know that outreach to victims of sexual abuse is one of the ministries offered by the Diocese of St. Petersburg? The diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator provides assistance towards healing by means of therapy, spiritual direction, and mutual support groups. If now, or at …
The Office of the Chancellor for Canonical Affairs informs the passing of Mrs. Yolanda Mangiaracina, mother of Rev. George Mangiaracina, OCD, on August 26, 2022. For the past two years, Father Mangiaracina has provided assistance to the parish communities of St. Jerome, St. Patrick, and St. Justin, Martyr, while caring for his mother. Mrs. Mangiaracina’s Funeral Mass …
DIOCESAN OFFICES Office of Life, Justice & Advocacy 40 Days for Life ~ Join us from September 28 through November 6, 2022! 40 Days for Life will have vigils throughout the country, including our 40 Days for Life locations in Tampa, Clearwater and St. Petersburg. Visit https://www.40daysforlife.com/en/ to learn more and to sign up. Clearwater, Women’s OBGYN …
Most Reverend Gregory Parkes, Bishop of St. Petersburg, announces the following clergy appointments: Monsignor Michael G. Muhr from Parochial Administrator pro tempore of St. Lawrence Parish, Tampa and Director of Ministry to Priests for the Diocese of St. Petersburg to Pastor of St. Lawrence Parish, Tampa, effective September 7, 2022. Reverend Ralph F. …
DIOCESAN OFFICES National Eucharistic Revival All Are Invited to a Virtual Conference September 22-24, 2022 The national revival team is hosting a free virtual conference with a focus on living as Eucharistic People. There are four individual tracks to choose from Enculturated Reverence, Integral Eucharistic Formation, Eucharistic Worship for the Life of the World and …
Word reached the Pastoral Center that Deacon Melvin Dunphy, 91, from St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, New Port Richey, passed away in the Lord early Tuesday, September 6, 2022, at his residence in New Port Richey. “Deacon Mel,” as he is known, was born and raised in Vermont. He began his career in education as an …
Word reached the Pastoral Center that Mr. Mark Dufva died on September 6, 2022, after a short but highly debilitating illness. Mark was the Executive Director of Catholic Charities from 2014-2018. He had a great passion for helping others and serving God through everything he did, especially through our work at Catholic Charities. A Funeral …
We sadly inform the passing of Mrs. Theresa (Terri) Gerstner, 75, on August 21, 2022. Terri was the Office Manager of St. Brendan Parish, Clearwater. She had been struggling with health issues for the last couple of months, but her condition quickly turned worse the week of her passing. Funeral Mass will be on Friday, …
DIOCESAN OFFICES Office of Marriage and Family Life September is Suicide Prevention Month Nearly 2% of all deaths are from suicide. This has resulted in the tragic loss of many lives among our faithful and in our communities. It has also resulted in devastating grief for the loved ones mourning those losses. For helpful resources …
The Chancellor’s Office received the news that Mrs. Cecilia Pujol, 69, grandmother of Ms. Jasmine Pujol, Secretary of the Office of Vocations, passed away on Saturday, August 6, 2022. Funeral services took place at St. Theresa Parish in Spring Hill. Please keep Jasmine and her family in your prayers during this difficult time. Expressions of …
The Diaconate Office has received word of the passing of Mrs. DeLois Brown, 89, widow of the Late Deacon Joseph Brown from St. Stephen Parish in Riverview. She passed on Monday August 8, 2022. The Funeral Mass took place on August 17, 2022, at St. Stephen Parish. Expressions of Sympathy may be sent to the …
The Chancellor’s Office informs the passing of Mr. Philip (Phil) Greco, 74, of Seffner, husband of Mrs. Kathy Greco, long-time secretary at Corpus Christi Catholic School, on August 10, 2022. Funeral arrangements took place at Corpus Christi Parish, Temple Terrace on August 15, 2022 followed by interment at Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell. Expressions of sympathy …
The Chancellor’s Office informs the passing of Mrs. Mary Jane Moody, 98, who passed away in June 24, 2022 and whose funeral took place on August 13, 2022. She was a long-time employee of St. Patrick’s, Largo. Please see obituary at this link: https://shorturl.at/tKSV6. ++++ May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed …
The Chancellor’s Office has been notified of the death of Mr. Vincente Tejada, 63, brother of Reverend Jose (Jojo) Tejada, Parochial Vicar of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Parish, Spring Hill, on Friday, August 5, 2022. Mr. Tejada died while in the hospital after a long illness, near his hometown of Virac, Catanduanes, Philippines. All funeral …
DIOCESAN OFFICES From the Life, Justice and Advocacy OfficeStatewide Culture of Life Conference October 14-15, 2022Bethany Retreat Center, 18150 Bethany Center, LutzYou are invited to attend the 2022 Florida Culture of Life Conference hosted by the Diocese of St. Petersburg and the Florida Catholic Conference. The conference will provide an in-depth look at how Christ …
Word reached our office that Mr. Leo Brown, brother of Ms. Dale Brown, Director of the Lay Pastoral Ministry Institute/SEPI, passed away on Saturday, August 6, 2022. No other information is available at this time. We will post more information here at it becomes available. Expressions of sympathy can be sent to Ms. Dale Brown, …
The Office of the Vicar for Religious informs that Sister Jeanne Williams, O.S.F., passed away on Saturday, August 6, 2022. Sister Williams, a native from Providence, Rhode Island, has been active in our Diocese for many years, serving at St. Anthony Hospital and the Franciscan Center. Complete obituary at this link. Please keep Sister Williams …
DIOCESAN OFFICES Did You Know? Safety Rules Bear Repeating Research reminds us that teaching children how to resist the overtures of a potential molester requires repetition and reinforcement. Children and young people need to know the rules, and they need to hear them over and over and over again so that the rules become part of a thought …
The Chancellor’s Office was recently informed that Mrs. Barbara Elizabeth (Coleman) Malley, 79, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, while under Hospice care in St. Petersburg. She is the mother of Reverend Kenneth Malley, priest of the Diocese of St. Petersburg and Spiritual Director for the Pontifical North American College, Rome. Mrs. Malley …
The Chancellor’s Office learned that Frank Michael Oliver, 82, husband of Mary Sue Oliver, Notary for our diocesan Tribunal Office, passed away suddenly on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. The funeral arrangements for Mr. Oliver are as follows: Visitation will be held on Friday, August 5, 2022, 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., at Serenity Funeral Home, 13401 Indian …
The Diaconate Office has received word of the passing of Deacon Cesar Fernando “Fred” Quinones, 78, who was in retired status from Light of Christ Parish in Clearwater, passed away on July 17, 2022. The Mass of Christian Burial for Deacon Quinones will take place at Light of Christ Parish, 2176 Marilyn Street, Clearwater, FL …
The Chancellor’s Office received the news that Ms. Rebecca Pound passed away on Sunday, July 24, 2022. Ms. Pound was the former Adult Faith Formation Director at Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Inverness. She had been in a nursing home for several years. She is survived by her granddaughter Angela McHugh, 5 sons, 4 daughters, 12 …
Word reached the Chancellor’s Office that Mr. Joseph Grimaudo, age 90, passed away on July 21, 2022. Mr. Grimaudo was the father of Annette Tremante, who is the Director of Faith Formation at Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Inverness.He arrived in Florida in the early 80’s and was a banker and a business owner. He …
We received word that Sister Grace Dougherty, baptized Mary Elizabeth, died on Friday, June 10, 2022, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan. She was 84 years of age and in the 65th year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation. Sister Grace ministered over 14 years in elementary education in Detroit, …
DIOCESAN OFFICES An Invitation from the Lay Pastoral Ministry Institute (LPMI) The LPMI program, in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church; equips Catholics with knowledge and skills to carry out ministry competently, collaboratively, and professionally. Through an integrated process of education and ongoing faith formation, we provide an opportunity for Catholics across the …
PARISHES AND ORGANIZATIONS Friends of the Seminary GalaOctober 21, 2022Please mark your calendars to participate in our Friends of the Seminary Gala, in person or via our on-line experience! You will find information at www.svdp.edu/friends2022 and this page will continue to update as we get closer to the event. This event is our largest fundraiser …
The Chancellor’s Office received the devastating news that Reverend Carl Joseph Melchior, Jr., 59, Master of Ceremonies for Bishop Parkes and Chaplain of St. Petersburg Catholic High School, died suddenly on Thursday, June 30, 2022 of cardiac arrest after boarding a flight in Philadelphia, preparing to fly to Greece for a pilgrimage. The youngest of three …
Our office has received word of the passing of Deacon Augustin “Augie” Ortiz, 87, from Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Land O’Lakes. He passed on Wednesday, July 6, 2022. The services for Deacon Augie Ortiz will take place at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, 2348 Collier Parkway, Land O’Lakes, FL 34639: Visitation …
The Chancellor’s Office received word that Mrs. Maria Julia Rodriguez, 95, mother of Father Francisco Hernandez, Parochial Vicar of Most Holy Redeemer Parish, Tampa, passed away on Sunday, June 26, 2022, from respiratory complications due to COVID-19. At the time of her death, Mrs. Rodriguez lived in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. Please keep …
The Chancellor’s Office receive the news that Mr. Martin McAteer, nephew of Reverend James McAteer, I.C., passed away on June 25, 2022 in Ireland. Father McAteer will travel to Ireland for the Funeral Services. Please keep him and all their family in your prayers. Expressions of sympathy can be mail to Rev. James McAteer, I.C., …
The Chancellor’s Office was informed of the death of Monsignor Richard Cahill, 92, a retired priest of the Diocese of Buffalo, early Saturday morning, June 4, 2022, following a recent hospitalization at Morton Plant Hospital, Clearwater. He was ordained in 1958. After his retirement, Monsignor Cahill, affectionately known as “Father Dick,” moved to the Diocese …
Clergy Appointment Most Reverend Gregory Parkes, Bishop of St. Petersburg, announces the following clergy appointment, effective June 13, 2022: APPOINTMENT Rev. Msgr. Michael G. Muhr to Parochial Administrator pro tempore of St. Lawrence Parish, Tampa, continuing all other assignments.
The Chancellor’s Office has been informed that Reverend Michael Patrick “Brendan” Lawlor, 92, a retired priest of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, passed away in the Lord on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, in Tulla Parish, County Claire, Ireland, following a recent decline in health. Father Lawlor was born to Stephen and Mai (Foley) Lawlor in …
DIOCESAN OFFICES From the Communications Office Let Us Adore JesusYou are invited to join Catholics from across the Diocese of St. Petersburg for a Holy Hour to observe the launch of the National Eucharistic Revival on Sunday, June 19, 2022, the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, at 3:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Jude the …
Most Reverend Gregory Parkes, Bishop of St. Petersburg, announces the following clergy changes, effective July 1, 2022, unless otherwise indicated: APPOINTMENTS Very Reverend James B. Johnson to Pastor of St. John Paul II Catholic School, Lecanto. Relieved from Vicar Forane of the Northern Deanery, continuing all other assignments. Reverend Sojan J. Punakkattu to Vicar Forane of the Northern Deanery, …