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History of the Church

of St. Kieran, Miami.

The formal document erecting the parish of St. Kieran was issued by Bishop Coleman Carroll on October 31, 1967, to the pastor, Fr. Martin Cassidy. It delineated the boundaries of the new parish which was carved out of the Gesu Church and Saints Peter and Paul Church territories. It lies L-shaped along Biscayne Bay from SW 22nd Ave to the Miami River and extends inland to Coral Way.

Masses were first celebrated in the chapel of the Assumption Academy with hopes of establishing a new parish there. This was not to be. The Assumption Chapel was to become St. Jude Melkite Church. After the sale of the Academy Chapel to the Melkites, Masses were held in the La Salle High School Cafeteria.

The dedication of the Church of St. Kieran by the Most Reverend Edward A. McCarthy, Archbishop of Miami, took place on December 8,1979 when Fr. Daniel Barrett was pastor. At the dedication, Father Barrett remarked: “For twelve years you worked and prayed and preserved to make this day possible. The building of the present church was preceded by 12 years of growing pains which included a separation from the mother churches, various transplanting, the move to the present site and the building of the church”. Archbishop McCarthy in his letter for the dedication remarked “After some difficulty and frustrations your perseverance has paid off. Now you have a beautiful, spacious church in which to praise God”.

The former pastors include Fr. Martin Cassidy, Bishop John Fitzpatrick, Fr. Donald Connally, Fr. Antonio Navarrete, Bishop Rene Gracida, Fr. Francis Lechiara, Fr. Daniel Barrett, Fr. Vincent Duffy, Bishop Emilio Allue, Fr. Javier Aracil, Fr. James Curran and Fr. Donald Zarkoski.  The parish has been a source of bishops for the church and the list of former pastors includes three pastors who were elevated to the episcopacy Bishop John Fitzpatrick, Bishop Rene Gracida, and Bishop Emilio Allue, SDB.

The Salesian Fathers came to the parish in 1984 at the invitation of Archbishop Edward McCarthy. The first Salesian pastor was Fr. Vincent Duffy. He was succeeded by Bishop Allue, Fr. Aracil, Fr. Curran and Fr. Zarkoski. The present rectory was once the convent for the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Agustine who staffed Immaculata High School. When the church was built, the convent was converted to a rectory for priests assigned to the church and to pastoral care at Mercy Hospital and at La Salle High School. The former rectory was 2355 South Miami Avenue which is now the home of a parishioner.

The parish has an active CCD program staffed by volunteers under a CCD Director. At its highest point it grew to 20 volunteer catechists on staff for 150 students. There was also a youth club under the direction of one of the parishioners which meets on Friday evenings in the parish hall and members of the group organized games on Saturdays for the children at the mission.

Several organizations are active in the parish. Emmaus Retreat, Respect Life, Legion of Mary, Cenaculo de Maria, Cursillos and the Schoenstatt Movement among others. There are about 800 enrolled in the parish register and Sunday Mass attendance average about 900. Parishioners support numerous ministries within the parish as well as those that reach out to the larger community.

In its location, the church is surrounded by Mercy Hospital, Immaculata-La Salle High School, Ermita De La Caridad, the Knights of Columbus with US 1 Dixie Highway cutting right through the center of the parish boundary. Situated as it is, the church lies on the south side of the highway and most people live on the north side. It is sometimes difficult for them to get here. Many people who live in the Brickell apartment area of the parish are unaware of St. Kieran Parish and attend St. Jude Melkite Church.

The parish celebrated its thirty-year anniversary on November 9, 1997 with a Solemn Mass and a festive dinner at the Rusty Pelican. Several of the former pastors attended along with old time parishioners with joined together with the newcomers as the parish recalled its journey through the years as a community of faith.

The name St. Kieran for the parish traces back to different sources. Officially Fr. Cassidy, the first pastor, claims that he named the new parish after the seminary from which he graduated in Ireland. Sister Kieran O’Keeffe who cared for Bishop Coleman Carroll at Mercy hospital when the parish was being founded claims that the bishop told her the church would be named Kieran after her.

Both claims are valid. There is a stained-glass window in the church commemorating St. Kieran, the monk and founder of the monastery of Clonmacnoise, one of the most celebrated of Ireland’s holy place which became one of the great schools of Europe. Under his patronage the parish strives to be a center of worship, of learning and evangelization.

Throughout its history, the parish has been staffed by priests of the archdiocese as well as by Salesian priests from 1984 until 2005, when the Salesian priests withdrew and priests of the archdiocese were again assigned as pastors. Currently, the pastor of St. Kieran is Schoenstatt Father Jesus Ferras.

Since May 29, our parish church building has been undergoing a major renovation project, bringing to life a vision long awaited by our community. The work includes significant improvements to both the exterior and interior of the church. Exterior enhancements feature a welcoming entrance plaza with a vehicle access driveway, a new parking lot and new drainage systems. Interior renovations include upgraded electrical and mechanical systems, new lighting, the reorientation of the altar, a new altarpiece for Eucharistic Adoration, fresh interior and exterior painting, new flooring, and new pews. These improvements will provide a more beautiful, safe, and welcoming place for worship, prayer, and fellowship for generations to come. In this way our parish community prepares to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the parish.

St. Kieran’s feast day falls on September 9. Due to the season’s inclement weather here in South Florida, we gather every year as Parish Family of St. Kieran’s on a Sunday in mid-October to celebrate together in honor of our beloved patron saint. Immediately following Solemn Mass at 11:00 a.m., we hold our Parish Festival with lots of food and fun for the entire family.