Epiphany Cathedral Parish stands at 310 Sarasota Street in Venice, Florida, as the Mother Church of the Diocese of Venice in Florida. From this site the parish hosts diocesan liturgies and celebrations that unite Catholics across southwest Florida, and a worshiping community of parishioners gathers several times a day to pray, learn, and serve. The parish offers daily Mass in three languages, runs a parish school that has shaped generations of local families, and oversees more than eighty active ministries spanning faith formation, outreach, and community service.
From a Theatrical Start to Cathedral Status
Epiphany began in the winter of 1935 as a mission of St. Martha's Parish in Sarasota. Monsignor Charles Elslander, who served Venice Catholics out of St. Martha's, was approached by Colonel Charles Richmond, the president of the Kentucky Military Institute, with a problem that the priest could not ignore: Catholics on the KMI faculty and in the student body faced a thirty-six-mile round trip to reach the nearest Mass. The first Mass in Venice was celebrated in the old Gulf Theatre on the northwest corner of Venice Avenue and Nassau Street, in what had been a movie house the night before. About twenty people attended that first liturgy, and ushers had to sweep popcorn boxes and soft drink bottles aside before the altar could be set up between the popcorn stand and the concession counter.
Father Roderick McEachern, a retired priest who lived on the Bar-M-Bar ranch in what is now the Sarasota Vo-Tech site, came to say Sunday Mass for the small Catholic community, which included faculty and cadets from the Kentucky Military Academy, personnel from the Venice Army Air Base, and a scattered handful of local residents. In 1947 a former military chapel from the Venice Army Air Base was moved to Tampa Avenue and Nassau Street, refurbished, and dedicated as the first Epiphany Church. The cost of the building and its outfitting came to $11,165.30. That first building served as the parish church and later as a parish center until it was razed in 1980.
By 1954 the mission had grown enough that Monsignor Elslander could no longer manage it from Sarasota, and on March 7, 1955, Epiphany was established as a separate parish. Father Michael M. Reynolds became the first pastor, appointed by Archbishop Joseph P. Hurley. Father Noah E. Brunner stepped in as interim administrator during Reynolds's illness in late 1955 and early 1956. Father George W. Cummings took over in September 1956, raised funds for a school that same year, and broke ground in December 1959 for a new church completed in 1960, the building that today functions as the Parish Center on Harbor Drive. From Epiphany came three daughter parishes over the next three decades: St. Raphael's in Englewood in 1958, San Pedro in Warm Mineral Springs in 1966, and Our Lady of Lourdes on Center Road in eastern Venice in 1986.
In 1984 Pope John Paul II created the Diocese of Venice and selected Epiphany to be its cathedral. Most Reverend John J. Nevins was installed as the first Bishop of the Diocese of Venice. The current church, built during the pastorate of Father Esteban G. Soy, was dedicated by Bishop W. Thomas Larkin on June 29, 1980. Bishop Nevins was interred in the Bishop's Mausoleum at Epiphany after his death on August 26, 2014. Today Very Rev. Msgr. Patrick Dubois serves as the fifth Rector, a position he has held since 2021, joined by parochial vicars Rev. Joseph Doherty and Rev. Alex Pince.
Worship on Sarasota Street
Epiphany Cathedral's worship life moves to a steady weekly rhythm. Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 8:30 a.m. in the Parish Center, with an extra noon Mass on Friday at 12:15 p.m. Saturday brings Mass at 8:30 a.m. and three vigil Masses at 3:00 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. in Spanish (Misa en español). On Sunday the parish gathers four times in English at 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 5:30 p.m., with the Polish Mass (Msza po Polsku) at 12:30 p.m. The 11:00 a.m. Sunday Mass is reserved for parishioners' intentions.
Reconciliation is offered Saturday afternoons from 2:00 to 2:45 p.m., on the Thursday before the First Friday after the 8:30 a.m. Mass, and on First Fridays from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Priests can also be reached through the parish office for confession by appointment. Mass Intentions may be requested online or in person at the Parish Office for a stipend of $10 per intention, with a limit of four intentions per family.
For those who cannot attend in person, the Cathedral livestreams Mass on Facebook and YouTube, and the Diocese of Venice also carries Mass through its livestream channel. The Epiphany Weekly Bulletin, available online and in print, carries the parish's announcements and prayer corner.
The Adoration Chapel and Prayer Life
The Adoration Chapel on the campus provides a quiet place for prayer throughout the week, and the parish gathers regularly for devotion. The Rosary is recited before and after Mass, including at 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. on weekdays and at 7:00 a.m. on Sundays, with the Spanish-language group meeting Saturday evenings at 5:30 p.m. The Divine Mercy Prayer Group meets Fridays at 3:00 p.m. in the Cathedral Chapel and celebrates the Divine Mercy Novena each year from Good Friday through Divine Mercy Sunday. The Rosary for Life Prayer Group gathers in the Cathedral Chapel each Friday at 3:15 p.m., following the Divine Mercy Chaplet. The Marian Movement of Priests' Cenacle prays for priests and their union with the Pope and the Church, and the Spirit of Love Prayer Group supports ongoing prayer and fellowship.
The Seven Sacraments
Epiphany Cathedral prepares parishioners for each of the seven Catholic sacraments. Baptism is offered to anyone not yet baptized, with no age restriction. For children from newborn through age seven, the parish provides a straightforward baptism process that includes a copy of the child's birth certificate, the names of godparents, and the completion of an online baptism course. Godparents who are registered at Epiphany fill out a sponsor form; those registered elsewhere must provide a letter of good standing from their pastor, signed and sealed by their parish. Children above the age of seven prepare for Baptism through OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) or OCIC classes.
Children in the parish school and in Faith Formation classes prepare over two years for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist. First Reconciliation is celebrated each January, with families encouraged to attend the accompanying First Communion Retreat (Jesus Day). First Communion is celebrated each May. Confirmation for youth begins in grade nine and concludes with the sacrament typically received in grade ten, using the Life Teen Sanctuary program. Adult Confirmation is offered through OCIA at the Easter Vigil or through classes held after Easter with the sacrament conferred by the bishop on Pentecost Sunday. The Anointing of the Sick is available by calling the parish office; priests are able to anoint the sick in Venice, FL. Couples preparing for marriage begin with the parish office, and the parish's clergy celebrate weddings for parishioners. Those discerning Holy Orders are invited to speak with the parish office to be connected with the Director of Vocations.
Faith Formation Across Every Age
The parish's Faith Formation ministry supports Catholics from kindergarten through adulthood. Children in kindergarten through eighth grade who do not attend Epiphany Cathedral School gather for religious instruction on Sunday mornings from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. in the school building, following the Augustine Institute's Word of Life Curriculum. The two-year sacramental preparation covers Catholic doctrine and teaching at age-appropriate levels: God the Father, the Trinity, Jesus and the Church, the work of the Holy Spirit, prayer, liturgy, sacraments, Scripture, the stories of Mary and the saints, Christian morality, stewardship, the Commandments, and the Beatitudes.
Adult Faith Formation centers on the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults, the parish's formal welcome for adults and children above grade two who are unbaptized, baptized in another Christian denomination and seeking full communion, or baptized Catholics who have not yet received Confirmation and Eucharist. The Adult Faith Formation Committee also organizes a regular program of speakers and monthly clergy-led presentations running from fall through May. Bible Study, Cursillo, Emmaus Men, and Emmaus Women offer ongoing formation; the latter gathers each February or March at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center in Venice for a weekend retreat followed by prayer meetings. Grandparents and the St. Monica Ministry equips families to pass the faith to grandchildren; the Legion of Mary, the Secular Franciscan Order (OFS), the Seven Sisters Apostolate, and the Mothers Ministry each offer their own traditions of prayer and service.
The Cathedral School
Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School opened its doors in 1959 with sixty-six students in grades one through four and two instructors. The school was originally a one-story building; a second floor was added in 1966 to house an auditorium, science room, music room, library, classrooms, and conference rooms. Benedictine Sisters staffed it until 1968, when Sisters of St. Francis from Syracuse, New York, arrived, with later service by School Sisters of Notre Dame and Sisters of Charity of the BVM. In 1984 the school was renamed Epiphany Cathedral School when the parish became the Cathedral of the new diocese. In 1999 the chapel of Santa Maria was built in the school courtyard in southwest Spanish architecture, financed by a long-time parish benefactor, and serves as the chapel for the school's weekly Mass and the Diocese of Venice's TV Mass for shut-ins.
Today the school serves students from Pre-K 3 through eighth grade, with specialist teachers in Music, Spanish, Technology, Library, Art, and Physical Education, and a range of athletic, artistic, and academic competitive teams. The school earned the Blue Ribbon of Excellence Award in 2007. Roberto Pugliares serves as principal, with Christina Tylka as assistant principal, Andrea Mitchell as secretary, Dawn Masucci as accountant, and Troy Mackey as technology coordinator.
Over Eighty Ministries at the Cathedral
Epiphany Cathedral Parish organizes more than eighty active ministries across worship, formation, fellowship, and service. Liturgical ministries include Altar Servers (open to any young person who has received First Eucharist), Altar Stewards, the Epiphany Cathedral Choir, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Lectors, the Teen Mass Worship Team, Teen Readers, Sacristans, Sound and Screen Projectionists, and Ushers and Greeters.
The Middle and High School Youth program is built around two weekly gatherings: middle school on Sunday afternoons from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. before Mass, and high school on Sunday evenings at 6:30 p.m. after the 5:30 p.m. Mass. Both groups meet in the youth room on the corner of Tarpon and Harbor for Bible study, praise and worship, and service projects, with retreats, camps, and youth rallies throughout the year. The Young Adults Ministry extends the parish's reach to those in their twenties and thirties.
Personal and spiritual growth groups include That Man Is You!, Soul Core, and the Fasting Brothers for men, and the CCW (Council of Catholic Women) for women. The Holy Grounds Cafe & Books offers a parish library and gathering spot between services, while the Gift Shop offers religious items, books, and gifts. The Epiphany Garden Ministry tends the grounds, the Epiphany Memorial Garden serves as a place of prayer and remembrance, and the Bereavement Support Group accompanies those who have lost a loved one. Knights of Columbus Council #7052 organizes parish service projects and joins the Family Promise network as a Support Congregation.
Food, Shelter, and Recovery
The parish takes its outreach into Venice and beyond through several affiliated ministries. The South County Food Pantry provides groceries to neighbors facing food insecurity. St. Vincent de Paul offers direct assistance to families in need. Family Promise of South Sarasota County works with Epiphany as a Support Congregation to provide overnight shelter and meals for families with children experiencing temporary homelessness. The Venice Area Pregnancy Care Center, a nonprofit founded in 1985, offers a monthly supply of diapers and wipes, baby clothing from newborn through size six, new cribs and car seats, and other infant equipment for families in south Sarasota County. Our Mother's House supports mothers and their children in transition.
Two recovery fellowships meet on the campus. Al-Anon Family Groups gathers on Mondays year-round from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Magi Hall for those affected by someone else's drinking. Alcoholics Anonymous Step by Step meets on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m., and a Spanish-language AA group meets on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. The Veterans Ministry serves those who have served in the armed forces, and the Living & Thriving with Cancer support group accompanies those facing cancer. The Respect Life Ministry and the Respect Life Prayer Vigil Group focus on life issues from conception to natural death, with the prayer vigil gathering outside the local Planned Parenthood each Friday from 9:00 a.m. to noon in Sarasota.
Honoring the Past, Building a Future in Faith
Epiphany Cathedral's campus now spans an entire block in downtown Venice. The Cathedral itself, dedicated in 1980, anchors the site, with the Parish Center (the 1960 church) serving as a social hall and gathering space. The Adoration Chapel, the school building with its courtyard chapel of Santa Maria, Marian Hall, the Soy Building, and Magi Hall each play their part in parish life. The parish also purchased the Venice-Nokomis Women's Club at the corner of Tampa Avenue and Harbor Drive North in December 2011, completing the southwest corner of the block.
The Cathedral continues to invest in its physical home. The current campaign - Honoring our Past, Building a Future in Faith - addresses essential structural needs and reimagines the original parish church as a true diocesan Cathedral designed to serve the community for generations to come. Planned and Legacy Giving, Memorial Bricks, and Naming Opportunities are part of the parish's stewardship appeal, alongside the Capital Campaign and the annual Catholic Faith Appeal that supports the wider Diocese of Venice.
Parish office hours run Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The parish can be reached at (941) 484-3505 or eccommunications@epiphanycathedral.org. Online giving, event registration, volunteer applications, and the parish bulletin are available online.