A Parish on the Barrier Island Since 1959
Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Community sits on a stretch of North Highway A1A in Indialantic, on Florida's Brevard County barrier island, where it has been the beachside parish for more than six decades. The first Mass was celebrated on Christmas Eve 1959 by Father Martin B. Power in an unfinished house in Indian Harbour Beach, the home of Marty McGuire, who later donated the building to the city. At the time the congregation was a mission of Ascension Catholic Church in Eau Gallie, and Sunday worship rotated through the Indian Harbour Beach Community Center, now the Indian Harbor Beach Fire Department.
The land beneath today's campus had already been acquired in 1956, when Archbishop Joseph P. Hurley of St. Augustine, nicknamed "Ten Acre Joe" for his habit of buying ten-acre parish sites, purchased the first ten acres. At Father Power's suggestion an additional 3.7 acres with 290 feet of frontage on A1A was added in June 1961. Ground was broken for a provisional church on September 9, 1962, and Archbishop Hurley dedicated the church and its 2,000-square-foot hall in March 1963. About 250 families were on the rolls when the dedication took place.
The parish became independent in May 1968 when Monsignor Power was appointed its first pastor by Bishop William D. Borders. Eight pastors have now shaped the community: Msgr. Martin Power (1959-1967), Rev. Arthur Dunnigan (1969-1974), Rev. Patrick Quinn (1974-1976), Rev. Peter Henry (1976-1986), Msgr. David P. Page (1987-2010), Rev. Tony Welle (2010-2017), Rev. Scott M. Circe (2017-2026), and Rev. Adam Marchese (2026-present). The current pastor, Father Marchese, was born and raised in Winter Springs, trained as a chef, and entered St. John Vianney College Seminary before earning his Master of Divinity at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary. He was ordained for the Diocese of Orlando in 2020, served three years at St. Margaret Mary in Winter Park, supported ROTC cadets at Fort Knox, and deployed with the Army to Kuwait and across the Middle East before returning to lead Holy Name of Jesus. He is assisted by Parochial Vicar Rev. Peter Cordeno and Deacons Edward Struttmann, Steve Tennant, Michael McElwee, and Steven Lang.
The Permanent Church and a Growing Campus
The provisional 1963 church was soon too small, and Father Henry launched a million-dollar capital campaign in 1978. The Most Reverend Thomas Grady, Bishop of Orlando, dedicated the new permanent church on October 26, 1980, a building designed to seat 800. Less than twenty years later the parish had grown to roughly 3,000 families, and in August 1997 Father Page broke ground on a major expansion. The worship space was enlarged to seat 1,300 and now includes a 155-seat daily-liturgy overflow chapel, an Adoration Chapel, and the Atrium gathering area. The Most Reverend Norbert M. Dorsey dedicated the expanded church on October 4, 1998, and Father Page celebrated the first Mass there on August 23, 1998.
Improvements have continued in waves. A bronze statue of Jesus was installed in the Atrium in 2004. Hurricanes Charlie, Frances, and Jeanne damaged the property the same year and launched a "Share the Vision" building fund. Modular classrooms, a new soccer and track field, and the Athletic Center arrived between 2006 and 2007, and the refurbished Thrift Shop and St. Vincent de Paul Outreach reopened the same year. The Life Center, housing parish offices, the parish hall, and meeting rooms, opened in 2008. A new rectory followed in 1995, the Book and Gift Shop moved into a larger Life Center space in 2012, and a rectory addition in 2016 created a retirement suite for retired clergy. A handcrafted cedar crucifix from Peru was commissioned and installed in July 2025, and the Risen Christ was moved to a position above the main exit of the church at the same time.
The School That Started in the Hall
Children of the early parish attended Ascension School, which opened in September 1961 with Irish Sisters of Mercy from Ardee, Ireland. By March 1964 the new school at Holy Name of Jesus had about 50 students in three grades meeting in the church hall; by September the building was finished and housed four grades, with a new grade added each year through eighth grade. Portable buildings arrived in 1965 and the kindergarten opened in 1968. Ten additional classrooms were built in the 1990s along with the athletic center. Today Holy Name of Jesus Catholic School serves preschool through eighth grade on the same campus and shares facilities, including the gymnasium and fields, with the parish. The school and its growth have long been supported by an Education Endowment Fund established in 1991, sustained by cash gifts, wills, charitable gift annuities, memorial Mass cards, and vigil candles.
The Sunday and Weekly Rhythm of Mass
Six weekend Masses and two weekday Masses are offered every week. Saturday Mass is celebrated at 8:30 am, with the Vigil at 4:30 pm. Sunday Masses are at 7:15 am, 8:45 am, 10:30 am, 12:15 pm, and 5:00 pm. Daily Mass is offered Monday through Friday at 7:00 am and 8:30 am. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard on Thursday from 5:00 to 6:00 pm and on Saturday from 3:15 to 4:15 pm, and by appointment.
Worship aids with the order of Mass, postures, and prayers are in each pew, and ushers will bring one to anyone who cannot find one. Hearing assistance devices are available from greeters and ushers on request. Children in first through fourth grade are invited to take part in Children's Liturgy of the Word during the 8:45 am Sunday Mass, processing with their leader to Room 101 to hear the Gospel and a homily in age-appropriate language. Visitors are invited to let the collection pass them by without giving, and non-Catholics are welcome to remain in their pews or to come forward with arms crossed for a blessing rather than receive the Eucharist.
A Twenty-Four-Hour Adoration Chapel
A Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week on the parish campus. Parishioners sign up to spend an hour with the Blessed Sacrament so that prayer and worship continue without interruption through the day and night. The chapel is a quiet anchor for the parish's life of prayer and an outgrowth of the 1997-98 building campaign that created the Adoration Chapel as part of the worship expansion.
Music That Stretches From Gregorian to Contemporary
The music ministry at Holy Name of Jesus serves six weekend Masses and the daily 8:30 am Mass. The parish choir, the 8:45 am Schola, the 10:30 am Ensemble, the 12:15 pm Ensemble, and the 5:00 pm Contemporary Choir all rehearse in the Music Studio and lead worship at their assigned Mass. Christmas and Easter Children's Choirs rehearse in the weeks before each solemnity and sing at Christmas Eve Mass and the 10:30 am Easter Sunday Mass in the Life Center Hall. A Resurrection Choir supports funeral Masses by singing when called. Pianists, organists, guitarists, bass players, and brass and string instrumentalists are invited to join, as are cantors who can read music and lead the assembly in song. Jesus Aponte directs contemporary music for the 5:00 pm Mass, while George Kobosko oversees music and worship across the parish.
Worship Ministries Behind the Scenes
More than a dozen lay liturgical ministries make Sunday worship possible. Altar servers assist the celebrant and sacristan. The Art and Environment Ministry prepares the church and grounds for the seasons and feasts of the Church year. The Audio/Video Ministry operates the video screens, slide presentations, lighting, and cameras. Contemplative Prayer meets Mondays at 9:15 am in Room 143 to practice silent resting in God's presence. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are commissioned by the pastor after diocesan training. Hospitality ministers serve as ushers and greeters at every weekend Mass and at special liturgies. Lectors proclaim the Scriptures. Linen Care volunteers care for altar cloths, albs, and chasubles, and Sacristans prepare the sacred vessels and elements before each Mass.
Sacraments for Children, Teens, and Adults
Holy Name of Jesus prepares parishioners for all seven sacraments. Infants are baptized after the 12:15 pm Mass on the second and last Sundays of the month, with parents required to attend a Baptism Preparation Class offered six times a year in the Msgr. Page Library in the Life Center. A Godparent Eligibility Form is required for any sponsor from outside the parish. Baptisms are not celebrated during Lent, Easter, First Communion Day, Confirmation Day, Christmas, or Divine Mercy Sunday.
Children in second grade prepare for First Reconciliation (typically celebrated the first Saturday in February) and First Holy Communion (the first Saturday in May) through Faith Formation sessions and required parent-child meetings, including two Teaching Masses at the parish. Older children who have not yet received the Eucharist are placed in age-appropriate sessions with their peers. Confirmation is offered through the parish's youth and adult preparation tracks. Children aged 7 to 16 who have not been baptized in another tradition are prepared through the Children's Catechumenate.
Adults who wish to become Catholic enter the parish's OCIA process (the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults), which restores the ancient practice of inquiry, catechumenate, purification and enlightenment, and mystagogy. Unbaptized adults are initiated into all three sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil. Baptized Christians who wish to enter full communion make a profession of faith and celebrate Confirmation and First Eucharist. Catholics who have not yet received Confirmation or First Eucharist can complete those sacraments through OCIA as well. The parish also prepares engaged couples for Marriage, supports vocations to the priesthood, and visits the homebound, hospitals, hospices, and assisted-living facilities with Holy Communion through the Ministry to the Sick.
Faith Formation for Every Age
Elementary Faith Formation gathers preschool through fifth-grade children after Labor Day each year through the end of April, with two semesters and a Christmas break. Preschoolers ages 3 to 5 gather in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atrium, a Montessori-style space centered on the Parable of the Good Shepherd. Grades K-5 build on Scripture, the Mass, the Eucharist, the Church, the Commandments, the Sacraments, and prayer. Registration opens each August.
Middle schoolers in grades 6 through 8 gather for EDGE on Wednesday nights from 6:00 to 7:30 pm in the Youth Room. High school teens meet on Sunday at 5:00 pm for Mass followed by Life Nights until 8:00 pm. The high school program is part of the Life Teen movement within the Roman Catholic Church. Summer trips for teens include Steubenville Florida, a three-day Catholic conference in Orlando, and the Alive in You Catholic Conference and Service Camp in Atlanta. Middle schoolers travel to Camp Hidden Lake in Dahlonega, Georgia, for Edge Summer Camp, and high schoolers travel to Camp Covecrest in Tiger, Georgia, for Life Teen Summer Camp.
Young adults in their late teens to thirties gather on most Thursday evenings for a mix of social, community, and prayer gatherings. Adult Faith Formation offers lectures, discussion groups, scripture studies, and other enrichment, supported by an audio library of scripture studies on the Book of Daniel, the Gospel of Mark, 2 Thessalonians, Paul's Letter to the Philippians, the Book of Sirach, 2 Corinthians, the Book of Ruth, the Letter of St. James, the Book of Nehemiah, 1 Peter, the Book of Esther, 2 Peter, Jude, Habakkuk, Galatians, and 1 Corinthians, along with topical talks on the date of Christmas, the Catholic faith, and the hard sayings of Jesus.
Community Life for Couples, Women, and Men
Marriage enrichment is offered through Great Dates, a monthly gathering on the second Saturday of the month at 5:30 pm that includes both engaged and married couples. Christ Renews Us, a one-day parish retreat offered in the fall and spring, is open to every adult of the parish and welcomes non-Catholic spouses. The Council of Catholic Women gathers women to focus on spirituality, service, leadership, and legislative advocacy, and is affiliated with the Southern Deanery of Brevard, the Orlando Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, the Florida Council of Catholic Women, the National Council of Catholic Women, and the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations. Women of Faith deepens the spiritual life of women through two to three scripture studies a year between September and May. Live4More Men's Discipleship Ministry builds small groups for men to grow in faith together, and the parish also hosts Small Church Communities. The Knights of Columbus meets twice a month for a business meeting and a planning and social meeting, supports the parish through fundraisers such as Christmas trees and Lenten fish dinners, offers a monthly Rosary on the first Friday of each month, and provides a $500 annual stipend for each parish seminarian.
Pastoral Care for the Sick, Grieving, and Homebound
The Pastoral Care office coordinates the Vigil, Mass of Christian Burial, and Rite of Committal for the deceased, helps families personalize liturgies for their loved ones, and assists parishioners in preplanning their funeral liturgy to be kept on file. A Memorial Garden is available to parishioners for the burial of ashes. Funeral receptions can be held in the community room when space allows. Ministry to the Sick sends specially trained Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to visit those in hospitals, hospices, assisted-living facilities, and private homes. The Grief Support ministry accompanies those who have lost loved ones.
Service and Outreach Across Brevard and Beyond
Outreach at Holy Name of Jesus runs through several dedicated programs. Hearts Out to Haiti supports mission efforts to keep missionaries and aid flowing to Haiti. Culture of Life Ministry supports the protection of all human life at every stage through prayer, awareness, and advocacy. The parish Thrift Store is open Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and is staffed through St. Vincent de Paul, whose Assistance Center operates out of the old rectory. The Medical Closet lends durable medical equipment to those in need. Prison Ministry connects volunteers with Catholic Eucharistic Service at the Central Florida Reception Center in Orlando, Kairos Prison Ministry for men, and St. Peter Claver Prison Ministry, a reentry ministry in concert with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul that serves four central Florida prisons.
Two shops on campus support the parish's mission. The Book and Gift Shop carries religious articles, devotionals, sacramental gifts, rosaries, chaplets, scapulars, holy cards, saint medals, Bibles, missals, catechisms, prayer books, and a children's room, with items available in both English and Spanish. The shop is open Wednesdays 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and after all weekend Masses, and by special appointment. Visitors are greeted by a dedicated team the manager describes as "shop angels."
Getting Involved and Supporting the Parish
Parishioners are encouraged to register as members of Holy Name of Jesus and to consider sharing their time through more than fifty ministries in the areas of evangelization, worship, formation, parish and family life, and service and outreach. A Gifts Assessment Questionnaire helps newcomers identify the areas where their talents best fit. Volunteers who work directly with children and youth must complete the Diocese of Orlando Safe Environment Training and background check through Fieldprint Florida. Online giving is available through Vanco, and donations can also be made by check or cash at Mass. The Education Endowment Fund supports the parish school, elementary Faith Formation, and adult religious education, accepting gifts of cash, securities, bequests, charitable gift annuities, and memorial or tribute Mass cards. Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Community is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization.