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The Early Settlements
 Presently, the Parish of St. Mary Our Lady of Grace is 84 years old, but Catholics were worshiping in the St. Petersburg area much earlier. In the late 19th century, the tiny Catholic settlement became a mission of the Jesuit-operated Sacred Heart Church in downtown Tampa.
It's been 112 years since the Jesuit missionaries crossed Tampa Bay by boat to say the first recorded Mass at the Hotel San Jose on September 11, 1892, in the St. Petersburg now known as Driftwood. Father Carl Wideman was the celebrant.
During the next few years the missionaries were arriving to say Mass in the homes of Catholic families and the faithful were meeting to pray even when no priest was present. By 1895 Jesuit Father Louis LeBlanc was arriving twice a year. As the fledgling mission grew and there were not more clergy in Tampa, the Jesuits began to come more often.
An early settler was General John C. Williams, a Catholic, who owned 1700 acres of land in what is now downtown St. Petersburg (Williams Park is named for him). With Peter Demens, another pioneer, he brought the Orange Belt Railroad to St. Petersburg. (Mr. Demens named the settlement St. Petersburg after his home city in Russia. Demens Landing Park at First Avenue South and Tampa Bay bears his name.)
General Williams’ original residence was located where St. Mary Our Lady of Grace Church now stands at the southwest corner of Fourth Street and Fifth Avenue South. General Williams died in 1892 before Catholicism took root in St. Petersburg.
Beginning in 1899 Sarah Armistead, General Williams’s widow who was remarried to Captain James Armistead, allowed the two-story frame Armistead Opera House on Central Avenue between Second and Third Streets to be used for twice-yearly Masses. When northern tourists arrived, Mass was celebrated monthly during the winter of 1901 and Sunday school classes were taught in private homes.
The First St. Mary’s – A Wooden Chapel
From 1903 to 1908 missionary Father Firman Barry was in charge of the growing Catholic community. Upon Captain Armistead’s death in August of 1907, the Opera House was no longer available for services and Father Barry realized the time was ripe to build a Catholic Church in St. Petersburg. He launched a fund drive and the women joined the effort with special sales and dinners.
Meanwhile, Masses were held every two weeks in the Fair Auditorium at Second Avenue North and Second Street. This site is now the parking garage of the Florida International Museum (formerly Maas Brothers Department Store).
Father Barry bought three lots in February 1907 for $100 and planned to build a church to cost around $2,000. The frame building, 22 by 50 feet, was located on the northwest corner of Sixth Street and Fifth Avenue South. Construction began on July 1, 1908, with Father Barry doing some of the work himself.
The first Mass was celebrated in the new church on Sunday, September 20, 1908. The little chapel was named “St. Mary” but most people referred to it as “the Catholic Church.”
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The Second Church Was Made of Brick
Inscribed on the stone is "A.M. + G.D. 1912".
Translated from the Latin "Ad Majorem Gloriam Dei,"
which means "To The Greater Glory of God." |
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By 1910, the congregation had outgrown the small chapel. Attempts to enlarge it and move it to a more central location failed. Parishioners planned a bigger church to be made of brick and seat 400 people. Its site was to be a t Fourth Street and Third Avenue South. In front would stand a 96 foot bell tower surmounted by a 12 foot cross.
In July of 1911, J.W. Allen was chosen as the contractor under the supervision of Father Alfred Latiolas, a missionary from Tampa. Construction was slowed by legal problems.
Meanwhile, the little wooden church was sold and the faithful were again without a church. Sunday Masses moved to the Rex Theatre, 169 Central Avenue, in the Foster and Reynolds Building. The building was built in 1909 and survived until 1991, when it was torn down for the Bay Plaza project, St. Petersburg’s downtown re-development plan.
The cornerstone for the new church was laid on January 12, 1913, and construction proceeded rapidly. On October 26, 1913, the first Mass was held in the new church.
Parish life flourished. There were three Christmas Masses that year. Social clubs sprang up, and benefit  events helped to retire the parish debt. A Catholic Fair at the St. Petersburg City Hall, in January of 1914, raised funds to complete the interior of the church. Booths and entertainment attracted crowds. An exhibit by the young men of St. Leo College displayed samples of produce grown on the college’s farm. The ladies of the church served ethnic dinners.
The church was dedicated and the altar consecrated on January 18, 1916. In 1918 Father James Wallace was placed in charge of the mission.
A Parish, At Last
28 years after the first Mass on record was said in the Pinellas peninsula, Catholics in the area had a parish to call their own. The Jesuit Fathers from Sacred Heart Church in Tampa, who had ministered to the faithful for so long and had built the first two St. Mary churches, turned over the mission to the Diocese of St. Augustine.
On November 20, 1920, “St. Mary Catholic Church” became a parish. Father James J. O’Riordan, a secular priest, was the first Pastor – serving from 1920 to his death in 1941. Fr. O'Riordan studied for the priesthood in Ireland and also studied for four years at the North American College in Rome where he earned a degree in sacred theology. The new parish included the entire lower Pinellas peninsula. Ministering to a wide area, St. Mary’s was never a typical parish and never had a school. St. Mary Our Lady of Grace was canonically accepted in 1922.
In 1922, Fr. O'Riordan purchased ten acres of land at 12th Street and 18th Avenue North for $9,500 and built St. Paul Church in the Roman Style. In 1926, he purchased ten lots on 22nd Avenue South for $2,000.00 and built St. Joseph Church in the Florentine Style. Both churches were constructed from the monies of St. Mary -- the "Mother Church." In 1925, St. Paul’s became a parish followed by St. Joseph’s in 1927.
Monsignor Patrick Donohoe was St. Mary’s second pastor from 1941 until 1968.
On August 8, 1968, Father James Gloeckler was installed as the third pastor. He served for four years and under his direction the Parish Center and rectory were constructed.
The Diocese of St. Petersburg was founded in 1968 with Bishop Charles B. McLaughlin appointed as its first bishop. St. Mary’s was transferred from the Diocese of St. Augustine to the new diocese. The pastor – Father Gloeckler changed the name of the parish to “St. Mary Our Lady of Grace.”
Father Gloeckler was assigned to the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle in 1972 and Monsignor John P. McNulty replaced him as pastor of St. Mary Our Lady of Grace. Until 1986 he led his flock in innovative programs for the elderly and the needy as well as the pro-life movement. These services answered the needs and want of people desperate for kindness and material wealth. They earned St. Mary Our Lady of Grace a reputation as a provider of social services.
Monsignor McNulty was assigned to diocesan work as Vicar for Service Ministries in 1986 and his assistant, Father John Colgan, then became St. Mary’s pastor for 2 years.
In 1988 the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis of Penance became the new parish priests with Father Bernadine Smith as pastor. Father Bernadine was known for his compassion for others and his great spirit. He served the parish well and led a major renovation of the church structure in 1995 for its 75th Diamond Jubilee. Father Bernadine continued as pastor until his death in November 2002. In January 2003, Father Luke Robertson, T.O.R. was appointed by the Provincial. He was officially installed as Pastor on February 1, 2004
and continued through April 18, 2005 (Father was called to another assignment
from the Province). June 22, 2005 Father Cletus Watson, T.O.R. became
pastor at St. Mary Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church. There are also 2 Parochial Vicars presently in residence – Father Brian Miller, T.O.R.; and Father Raymond Nedimyer, T.O.R.
The Landmark Church
The present St. Mary Our Lady of Grace Church was built in 1929 at a cost of $129,000. It stands majestically at the southwest corner of 4th Street South and 5th Avenue South on land purchased, in 1928, from the owners of the former estate of General Williams. The prperty dimensions are 200 feet by 210 feet. While construction for this third structure was underway, Mass was held in theatres and in private homes.
After seeing San Stefano Rotundo in Rome, Father O’Riordan envisioned building a round church in which the altar would be the central spiritual and architectural focus. He studied this idea with architect Henry Taylor but it was decided to build St. Mary’s in an octagonal shape.
Mr. Taylor had designed the Jungle Prada Shopping Center, the Jungle Country Club Hotel (now Admiral Farragut Academy), and the Vinoy Park Hotel. In 1924 he had designed a rectory for St. Mary Our Lady of Grace on Third Avenue South and later St. Paul’s School and Church.
St. Mary’s building, Byzantine in style with Romanesque features, has a brick exterior.
A.P.Hennessy and Sons was the contractor.
Built during the hard times of the Great Depression, the elaborate structure of St. Mary Our Lady of Grace is an amazing symbol of the people’s faith. It is a traditional church – reminiscent of those in the northern states and is unlike churches built later with modern designs. It seats 1,000 people.
The church’s foundation is rock solid, and her two-foot thick walls are made of solid brick. Underneath the decorative wood, the roof trusses are solid steel.
The magnificent Italian and German stained glass windows include a large rose window over the entrance to the church. The Florida sunshine streams through the colorful windows to form glowing patterns throughout the church. The building has seven balconies, numerous grand archways, and marble floors.
Bishop Patrick Barry laid the Cornerstone on January 26, 1930. Major renovations have taken place in 1955, 1968, and 1995.
1995 – The Architectural Jewel Restored
To mark its Jubilee Celebration, the parish embarked on a 2 year $300,000 capital campaign in 1995 to restore and renovate the beautiful, historic church. Father Bernadine Smith noted “Major renovations were last made in 1968 – more than 25 years ago. St. Petersburg’s architectural jewel, St. Mary Our Lady of Grace, fell on hard times. Deterioration threatened the great historic edifice.” He chose the Jubilee as the appropriate time to do something about it.
“Treasure the Tradition” was the campaign theme and the Memorare became the official prayer to be recited after the Masses during the jubilee year.
Chairman of the fund drive, Bob Schmitz, appealed, “Can we in all conscience refuse to accept the challenge and responsibility of restoring the beauty and majesty of St. Mary Our Lady of Grace, truly a jewel, and the historic “Mother Church” of St. Petersburg? Our heritage will pass on to others, but we will have preserved this magnificent edifice and we will not be forgotten for what we have done.”
Generous gifts arrived from all over the city, from friends, former parishioners, and even from people whose parents were married here. “Ours is really an anchor church for the whole city, “Mr. Schmitz said, “and residents whose lives have been touched by St. Mary have responded to our appeal.”
The face lifting involved removing the pews for work on the perimeters, strengthening the walls, and plastering and painting in ivory and tan colors. The pews were refurbished with the kneelers repadded, floors were shined, and the confessionals redesigned. The front center pews were shortened to make more space for weddings and funerals. Finally a new organ and sound system were installed.
The appearance was not changed and the church was restored to its former elegance and brightness. Masses were held in the Parish Center during this time.
Though not presently a large parish, St. Mary Our Lady of Grace remains a striking and shining beacon of the Catholic Church in St. Petersburg. What will the future bring? This we cannot know, but this parish will endure. All it needs is YOU!
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