Sacred Heart Catholic Church in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, is known for its Redemptorist way of life, its two Eucharistic communities, and a ministry that reaches from worship and Catholic education to meals for people who are hungry and personal care for those who are sick or homebound. The parish includes St. Gerard Mission in Edgewater. Sacred Heart and St. Gerard seek to invite people into a deeper relationship with Jesus and one another, to build the Kingdom of God empowered by the Holy Spirit, and to reach everyone through evangelization, especially those most in need.
From an Out-Mission to a Redemptorist Parish
The Redemptorist community was actively recruiting to come to Florida as early as 1867. Four missionaries served missions and revivals in St. Augustine and Jacksonville, while two others preached in Key West and the Dry Tortugas in 1870. Long before Sacred Heart was founded, Catholic worship in the New Smyrna Beach area was fragile and irregular. After the area's Minorcan community left in the 1770s, the local Catholic population was nearly gone. Late in the 19th century, Catholic settlers arrived to establish farms and the citrus industry. Ferdinand and Anna Nordman, a Catholic couple with a large family, opened their home to neighbors for Sunday Mass. In 1887, that gathering became an out-mission directed by Father John O'Boyle, pastor of St. Peter in DeLand. A priest rode about 20 miles from DeLand, sometimes on horseback and sometimes by bicycle.
In 1921, Father Hurley became Archbishop of Baltimore and suggested to Bishop Barry, then bishop of St. Augustine, that a Redemptorist foundation be established in Florida. Ferdinand Nordman donated the property and lumber for a small wooden church that seated 80 people. On December 12, 1926, the foundation was established and Father Joseph Downey became its first superior. The Redemptorists have served Sacred Heart and St. Gerard ever since, and members of the Nordman family have continued to worship at Sacred Heart.
Growth required a larger church. In the 1950s, parishioners raised money through chicken dinners, bake sales, card parties, game nights, and a raffle for a new car. A campaign with a $95,000 goal also sought memorial gifts for the altar rail, confessionals, stations of the cross, organ, lighting fixtures, baptismal fonts, main doors, and public address system. The new Sacred Heart church was built in 1956, seated more than 400 people, and cost about $100,000. Thomas Madden was the architect, and Robert Arnau served as general contractor and was a member of the parish. The caretaker cottage built in 1926 for Father Downey later housed the family of Alice Clay Benedict, who arrived in 1943. Her mother served as organist and choir director for 40 years, while Alice remembered the children's choir singing at the 9:00 a.m. Sunday Mass.
That family story reflects the close bonds that shaped the parish. Alice recalled families arriving with three suitcases, children being treated as aunts and uncles, and a community that gathered for celebrations and fundraising. Young parishioners sold raffle tickets on Canal Street, at a local grocery store, and at Sanford Naval Air Station. Baptisms and weddings continued in the building that older members helped finance, giving the present school and two worship communities a deep local identity.
Sunday Mass, Reconciliation and Saturday Adoration
Weekly Schedule
- Sunday: 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. at Sacred Heart; 10:00 a.m. at St. Gerard Mission.
- Weekdays: 8:00 a.m. at Sacred Heart.
- Saturday vigil: 4:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart.
- Reconciliation: 3:00 to 3:45 p.m. on Saturday at Sacred Heart and 9:30 a.m. on Sunday at St. Gerard.
A Mass livestream is also available through the parish Facebook livestream. The worship described by Sacred Heart is liturgical and participatory. Choir members, cantors, and instrumentalists lead the assembly in sung prayer, while lectors proclaim Scripture, altar servers assist at the altar, extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist distribute Communion when needed, and ushers and greeters welcome people at the doors. Arts and Environment volunteers change the worship space for the liturgical year, holy days, and special celebrations. The Liturgy Committee prepares seasons and feasts, provides forms of prayer, supports music and formation, and helps maintain a worship space worthy of the assembly.
Each Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the chapel is open for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The invitation describes Jesus Christ in the Tabernacle as accessible to all who believe and asks visitors to spend time in prayer, including the words, “Could you not watch one hour with me” from Mark 14:37. The parish also maintains an intercessory prayer line for intentions and arranges Friday Communion visits for people who are homebound.
Welcoming people is a defined ministry rather than an added task. Ushers extend a greeting before prayer, and a Parish Welcome Committee assists with registration forms placed at each entrance. The committee assists in the lobby before and after Mass on the second and fourth weekends of each month. Sacred Heart's music ministry also makes room for people with different abilities: singers need an aptitude for music but not the ability to read music, and proficient instrumentalists can join.
Catholic School and Lifelong Formation
Sacred Heart Catholic School, established in 1961, is a vital part of the parish. Staff members work with the Redemptorist Fathers to provide religious and academic education for students from the surrounding community. The school says its mission integrates Catholic faith and values with learning and life by treating each student as a unique child of God in an environment that is safe, supportive, and academically challenging. It holds that every human life created in God's image deserves respect and dignity, and that Catholic education serves the Church's mission to proclaim the gospel, build faith communities, celebrate worship, and serve others without distinction.
The school is part of a wider formation system that begins with the family. Sacred Heart says parents and guardians are the first educators of their children, with the Church and parish supporting that responsibility. Religious Education and sacramental preparation welcome children from public and parochial schools. The normal two-year path to First Reconciliation and First Communion begins in first grade and concludes in second grade, although families outside that timeline may request a modified plan. Preparation combines classroom and online discussion with prayer, special celebrations, worship, and service to others.
Elementary formation meets at Sacred Heart Catholic School on Tuesdays from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Sacramental preparation for Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation follows an annual schedule. Adult formation has its own pathway through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, or OCIA. It is open to adults who are Catholic and want to return, as well as people interested in becoming Catholic and receiving Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation. Parishioners are also invited to deepen prayer and worship in the Roman Catholic tradition through lifelong formation programs.
A weekly evening Scripture study meets Wednesday from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. in Fr. Burke Hall. Sacred Heart says two Scripture study groups meet during the week to break open the Word of God, with the evening group led by Dina Giordano. The parish also presents the sacraments as part of a continuing life of faith: Baptism begins a relationship with the Risen Lord, Confirmation enriches believers with the strength of the Holy Spirit, and Reconciliation restores a relationship broken by sin.
Hot Meals, Clothing Drive and Mat Ministry
At the center of Sacred Heart's outreach is the Community Hot Meal Program, which has operated for more than 25 years through the facilities of First United Methodist Church. Sacred Heart is one of 21 churches that take part by cooking and serving once a month or making a financial contribution. Members of Cursillo and the Knights of Columbus volunteer each month. Hot meals are served on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in Hollister Hall for people in need of a hot meal.
The Catholic Women's Association adds a monthly food drive, participation in lunch service through Halifax Urban Ministries, a Pregnancy Crisis Center baby shower, community outreach and transportation, respite, Habitat for Humanity, school mentoring, and support for a parish nurse health ministry. It also supports Respect Life, Church Women United, and projects addressing hunger, poverty, and the environment. The CWA gathers on the first Wednesday of each month in the parish social hall and brings together women from Sacred Heart and St. Gerard to strengthen service in both communities.
The Knights of Columbus sponsors a clothing drive for Sacred Heart and St. Gerard. Usable clothing, towels, blankets, shoes, and purses can be placed in bins in the parking lot by Sacred Heart School and in the parking lot at St. Gerard, with proceeds supporting the school and council charities. Another group, the Sacred Heart Mat Ministry, meets Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. to turn plastic shopping bags into clean, weather-resistant sleeping mats for neighbors experiencing homelessness. Participants can prepare plastic yarn, crochet mats, or simply help with the work; no experience is required.
The local Society of St. Vincent de Paul is based at St. Gerard and carries out person-to-person service informed by Gospel values, prayer, reflection, and a spirit of poverty and sharing. The wider work described for the society includes home visits, housing assistance, food and clothing assistance, transportation and utility help, care for elderly people, medicine, job training, and disaster relief. Sacred Heart also sends commissioned ministers of Holy Communion to the sick, homebound, hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities, sharing the Word of God and the Body of Christ with those unable to attend Mass.
Support continues after a death. Bereavement ministers help families plan funeral services and offer resources, counseling, and referrals, while the ministry team can prepare a reception after the funeral. The parish holds an annual Memorial Mass on All Souls Day. Its social and hospitality ministry focuses on gathering people for celebrations of community and faith rather than fundraising, and its Gardening Angels and Adopt an Island teams maintain the parish grounds and beautify planted islands on the property.
Redemptorist Clergy, Legion of Mary, Choir and Service
The parish is served by Pastor Rev. Fr. John Tizio, C.Ss.R.; parochial vicars Rev. Fr. Aldrin Nunes, Rev. Fr. Charlie Donovan, Rev. Mike Koncik, and Rev. Alvaro Riquelme, all C.Ss.R.; and Deacon Tom Meyer. Their Redemptorist tradition is joined by a large network of lay ministers, from ushers and lectors to charity workers, musicians, teachers, and gardeners.
The Legion of Mary meets Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m. in Fr. Burke Hall, and Sacred Heart is home to the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Presidium, described as the oldest in the Diocese of Orlando. Men and women 18 and older are invited to deepen devotion to Mary and take part in apostolic works; the group also prays the rosary daily for peace on earth. The Catholic Women's Association welcomes women 18 and older for religious, educational, social, and service activities.
Knights of Columbus members belong to Father Downey Council and meet on the third Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Their stated work includes supporting the parish, helping local needs, providing coats for children and food for families, supporting people with intellectual disabilities, donating wheelchairs, and helping victims of natural disasters. The parish also supports Partners in Mission, which brings lay men and women into Redemptorist spirituality and service through local circles, mission teams, and the life of the wider Redemptorist family.
Music is another part of parish life. Choir practice is held Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., with a summer break. Parish choir membership is open to parishioners age 16 and older, singers need an aptitude for music but not music-reading ability, and proficient instrumentalists are welcome. The Sacred Heart choir also maintains its own musical presence, and St. Gerard's music is led by Ellen Graf.
Service roles are open in the sanctuary as well. Altar servers assist the clergy, hold the book, carry the offertory gifts, and lead the entrance procession with the cross. Candidates must have received Baptism, Reconciliation, and First Communion, follow directions, and participate in Mass. Training is required, there is no age limit, and the parish encourages servers to remain through college. The parish also has roles for extraordinary ministers, lectors, sacristans, choir members and cantors, ushers and greeters, and volunteers who care for the arts and environment of the church.
Two activities especially connect worship with community life. The senior exercise class meets at 9:00 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays in the social hall. It is low-impact, uses chairs for seated exercise and standing support, and can be modified for different fitness levels. Social and Hospitality Ministry volunteers sponsor parish functions throughout the year to build fellowship. They are joined by the Mat Ministry, Legion of Mary, and many other groups whose work makes the mission statement visible in practical service.
Baptisms, Marriage and Pastoral Care
Sacred Heart prepares families for sacraments with clear routines. Parents and godparents must attend one baptism preparation class, offered on the first Saturday of each month in the church. Baptisms are scheduled on the third Sunday of each month after the 10:30 a.m. Mass. Maria Bilodeau conducts preparation classes. For First Penance and First Communion, families enter a focused two-year program that supports parents' role as educators and offers classroom and online discussion alongside prayer, worship, and service.
For people unable to attend Mass, the parish arranges Friday Communion visits to the homebound. Priests administer Anointing of the Sick to those seriously ill, recovering from critical surgery, living with major chronic illness, or otherwise meeting the pastoral care described by the Church. Couples preparing for marriage meet with a priest six months before their intended date, complete the diocesan Pre-Cana requirement, and follow the parish's music, photography, floral, and worship policies. Sacred Heart also helps families through annulment preparation and convalidation.
The parish gives those discerning a vocation a direct path to its priests, offering prayer and conversations about whether a person is being called to become a priest, deacon, brother, or sister. Registration forms for new members and address-change forms are available at each entrance. Sacred Heart and St. Gerard's beliefs are expressed through a shared mission that places the sacraments and prayer alongside evangelization, service to those most in need, and an effort to deepen the life of every parishioner.
Father Browne Prayer Garden and Giving
Giving sustains more than 40 ministries and programs. Sacred Heart accepts online donations and payments for the regular offertory, special collections, parish pledges, fees, altar bread and wine, sanctuary candles, and memorial bricks. The parish calls itself a stewardship community and asks parishioners to consider returning 10 percent of annual income in thanksgiving. Planned giving can take the form of a specific, residual, percentage, or contingent bequest, or a gift through a retirement plan or life insurance policy.
Behind the school, worship spaces, and outreach ministries is the Father Browne Prayer Garden, built mainly by parishioners in memory of a former pastor. Ancient oak trees and colorful flowers surround memorial bricks arranged in the design of the San Damiano cross, with an earthen-colored fountain at its center. It is a quiet place for prayer and remembrance. Sacred Heart's identity is ultimately found in the people who worship at 998 Father Donlon Drive and St. Gerard at 3171 South Ridgewood Avenue: two Redemptorist Eucharistic communities joined by a mission of deepening faith and serving people in need.