St Catherine of Siena Catholic Church

"If you are what you should be, you will set your whole world on fire" St. Catherine of Siena

From her earliest childhood Catherine of Siena (one of 21 children and born a twin) began to see visions of Christ and to practice extreme austerities.  At the age of seven she consecrated her virginity to Christ, and in her sixteenth year took the habit of a lay woman of the Dominican Tertiaries.

She soon became well known for her gentle ability to tend to the ill, especially those afflicted with the most repulsive diseases, all the while laboring to convert sinners.  In 1375 Catherine received the Stigmata, although at her prayerful request, the marks did not outwardly appear on her body during her lifetime.

Much of Catherine's short time on earth was also dedicated to supporting needed reforms of the Church, and she became a major influence in the politics that culminated in the historic move of the Papacy from France back to Rome.  The writings of Catherine rank among the classics of Italian literature.  Her thoughts brought readers to mystical heights of contemplation and a rarefied atmosphere of sanctity.

After prodigious years of inspirational dedication and service to Christ, Catherine passed away in 1380 at the age of thirty-three, to be canonized by Pius II in 1461.

To read more on St Catherine, go to the following websites:
Catholic Online (or) Catholic Encyclopedia

We wish to emphasize the importance of each family or single adult being registered in our parish through the office.  Registration in the parish provides us with the information that is not only used to plan current activities, but also assists us in a more intelligent and accurate assessment of our future growth and needs.

Registration in the parish enables us to respond quickly and attentively to sick calls and all matters pertaining to Baptism, First Communions, Confirmation, Marriages, Funerals and tax reporting.  Registration in the parish is your affirmation that you are proud to be a member of our faith community and that you are not only willing to receive the spiritual benefits the Church offers, but also that you are willing to respond generously with your time, talent and treasure to the needs of the parish community.

Parish Registration Options

1.  Come into the parish office for registration form.

2.  Complete and Print the registration form from our website and mail it to the parish office or drop it in the collection basket during Mass.

3.  Registration forms are also available at church entrances.

Bishop Thomas Larkin, former bishop of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, made the decision to create a new parish to serve Roman Catholics in the expanding center of Pinellas Country. The new parish's name was to be St. Catherine of Siena, to honor a beloved visionary who lived and worked for our Lord in 14th century Italy. Before the parish name was chosen, the community was identified as the East Largo Mission.  The diocese then gave the project a giant step forward allocating $168,000 to purchase a nine-acre building site on Belcher road, plus loans for the construction of a rectory building and the purchase of a house in the Brookside subdivision to be used as a convent.

In 1976, nearly five hundred years after St. Catherine's passing, Msgr. John Scully, the founding pastor of our parish, took up the mantle of her monumental devotions and set a lofty bar for the spiritual objectives of the new church.

Under Msgr. Scully's direction, a major organizational meeting for a building campaign was held in November of 1976 in the social hall of Synagogue B'nai Israel, north of our present parish.  The ambitious committee set a goal of raising (from about 700 families and friends) over $ 327,000 to construct a combination Church and Parish Hall. Over a two-year period faithful parishioners pledged a whooping $475,000 to cover construction costs and loans, a total $775,000 to bring the project to reality. In the meantime a full schedule of Masses was celebrated in a rental location. The first Mass was celebrated in the new sanctuary on November 5, 1978.

The architecture of the new St. Catherine's featured a dramatic vaulted ceiling with natural cedar beams.  Dominating the altar is a massive mosaic of the risen Christ, custom created by artisans in Italy.  Other wooden mosaics depict the "five joyful mysteries." A statue honoring St. Catherine stands at the entrance of the church, reminding our parishioners of the heritage supporting our daily devotions. Over the years St. Catherine's has been blessed with the dedicated service of a group of priests and the Sisters of St. Joseph.   Msgr. Scully moved on in 1981 and Most Rev. J. Keith Symons was appointed pastor.  In 1983 the splendid tenure of Father Michael Finnegan began.  Father Michael served faithfully until his untimely death in August of 2005.  In January, 2006, the parish was blessed with the appointment of Father Kenneth J. Malley as pastor who served us until June of 2011. Our current Pastor Rev. Msgr. Morris continues to build on the work of his predecessors.  

The inspired gifts and dedication of St. Catherine's founding members has left a wonderful legacy.  A parish hall and campus that has served our devotional needs for many decades. However, from a few hundred families, we now serve over 4,000 individuals (with 1,825 families that are active and registered).  Plus, during the winter time our population swells in the parish and in our parking lots. The needs for space and new facilities have grown in tandem with our church's population.  Construction is now underway to create a permanent church building and added facilities for the many auxiliary activities so vital to our devotions.   As these mature (through prayer and divine guidance) we will keep our faithful parishioners informed.

The Lord has blessed our parish in so many ways. May our efforts in the years to come continue to teach and uphold the spiritual dedication and reverence to the human experience expressed in the life of St. Catherine of Siena.

Highlights:

The official groundbreaking of the original church took place on November 23, 1977.  Early plans designated a future, permanent church, to be built in the location we are currently using for construction.The Sisters of St. Joseph began service to our parish in 1977.The first mass was offered in the new building on September 16, 1978.The Office/Rectory and additional classrooms were dedicated on October 14, 1982.The groundbreaking for the new church building was April 27, 2008.