Tucked into a quiet stretch of 75th Street West in northwest Bradenton, Ss. Peter & Paul the Apostles Catholic Church opens its arms to neighbors, seasonal visitors, and long-time parishioners alike. Its motto, "Come to the Table!" is paired with the words of John 6:51: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven." The parish is a Eucharist-centered community striving to live and love like Jesus through the sacraments, prayer, and joyful service to one another and the wider Manatee County area.
Come to the Table
Visitors stepping onto the campus for the first time encounter a worship space Fr. Gordon Zanetti, the pastor, describes as "set in a natural, native Florida landscape," a setting shaped by the fact that the parish was built on what was, in the late 1980s, a forty-acre wooded parcel. Nearly four decades later, the trees still frame the church, and the rhythm of liturgy has only deepened. Parochial Vicar Fr. Gus Ignasi assists Fr. Gordon and recently returned from a September visit to family in Tamil Nadu, India, after three years apart.
"I invite you to come to the table with us to be uplifted and fed by the Real Presence of Jesus Christ," Fr. Gordon writes. "Bring your longing for intimacy with God. Share your heart and your talents with us. Let's grow and serve together. It is a privilege for me to walk with you on this adventure, this love story, of the Catholic faith."
Rooted in Forty Wooded Acres
Ss. Peter & Paul the Apostles was created on January 7, 1987 in the Diocese of Venice, Florida, with Father Edward D. Moretti selected as founding pastor by Bishop John J. Nevins. Before ground was broken on 75th Street West, the first Mass of the new parish was celebrated on January 10, 1987 in the gymnasium of nearby Sugg Middle School, so quickly nicknamed "St. Sugg" by early parishioners that the name stuck. Weekday Masses were held at the Freedom Village Retirement Center auditorium while construction proceeded.
The church was dedicated by Bishop Nevins on November 19, 1989. In September 1990, the Memorial Garden on the east side of the church was blessed and dedicated by Fr. Moretti, beginning a tradition of inurnment and remembrance that continues today.
Construction came in waves. The 13,000-square-foot Parish Center, which includes two apartments for associate priests, was completed in April 1994 and renamed Msgr. Moretti Center in 2012 in honor of the founder. Between June 1998 and August 1999, the final building phase on the remaining twenty acres south of the Parish Center added an Activity Center and gym, a rectory, and five Priest Retirement Villas. Those facilities were blessed and dedicated by Bishop Nevins on October 17, 1999. The Activity Center once served as youth room, basketball court, and craft space. Today it is shared by the St. Vincent de Paul office and Ave Maria Prep School, a school serving students ages 6 through 22 with learning challenges in Sarasota, Manatee, DeSoto, and Hardee Counties.
Mass Schedule and Confession
Sunday Mass is celebrated three times each weekend morning, at 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., and 11:30 a.m., with a Vigil Mass at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. Daily Mass follows a split schedule: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 11:00 a.m. and Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 8:00 a.m. Reconciliation is heard every Saturday from 3:30 to 4:20 p.m. or by appointment. The 4:30 Vigil Mass is recorded each Saturday and uploaded to the parish YouTube channel for those unable to attend in person.
Holy Day schedules include 8:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and/or 7:00 p.m. Masses, with a Vigil the day before at 4:30 p.m. The parish notes that the exact schedule for each Holy Day varies.
The Rosary is prayed thirty minutes before every daily Mass Monday through Saturday, year-round, and thirty minutes before weekend Masses during May (the month of Mary) and October (the month of the Rosary).
The Painting Behind the Altar
Behind the altar hangs a painting visitors describe as the centerpiece of the church. It is the work of Sarasota artist Frank Hopper, whose original work spans forty-four feet wide and fourteen feet tall and was painted on double-primed Belgian linen in his studio over roughly nine months. Installed under Hopper's personal supervision by workers from the Smithsonian, the mural is literally glued to the wall behind the altar.
The mural depicts Christ prior to his Ascension, surrounded by intense light from above. The nail wounds in his wrists and feet as he blesses the people are visible. Hopper painted the rugged rocks to the left and right of Christ from photographs taken in the Negev Desert, evoking Christ's words to Peter: "You are rock, and on this rock foundation I will build my church." Above Christ's left shoulder sits the empty tomb, the symbolic victory over death, while three crosses stand on a distant hill. Peter and Paul appear awestruck at Christ's presence, and the foreground gathers still life of honey, unleavened bread, wine, and fish: a meal the apostles shared with the risen Lord.
Many of the individuals in the painting are based on real people, with Christ himself a composite of three. All the scenes came from photographs Hopper took on several trips to Israel. Visitors often comment that the eyes of Christ seem to follow them wherever they stand in the church.
Five Music Ensembles Under One Director
Music ministry at Ss. Peter & Paul is directed by Lori Martin, who came to the parish in 2021 from Michigan with degrees in piano performance and pedagogy from Michigan State and DePaul University, plus choral conducting and further liturgical study through Notre Dame. "My absolute favorite moment in church is when I hear the congregation singing out, praising God in song," she writes.
Five ensembles give musicians and singers a place to serve. The Chorale, open to anyone from high school age upward regardless of music-reading ability, rehearses Wednesday nights from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. and sings Sundays at the 9:30 a.m. Mass. The Jubilate Singers are a small group that rehearses at 10:50 a.m. and sings at the 11:30 a.m. Mass, leaning into harmonies in both traditional and contemporary hymns. Ringers, the handbell and chime ensemble, requires eleven members plus subs and plays at select Masses. The audition-only Chamber Choir sings classical, A Cappella, and varied styles once a month, often at the 4:30 Saturday Vigil or special events, rehearsing Tuesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Cantors lead the congregation in song, and instrumentalists are invited to contact Lori for occasional Masses and holy days.
Coming Home to the Church
Adults who want to become Catholic, those returning after a long absence, and baptized Catholics who were never confirmed find a home through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). The journey typically runs nine months, beginning in the fall and concluding shortly after the Easter Vigil. Sessions focus on Scripture, the Creed, the Mass, the sacraments, Mary, the saints, the Holy Spirit and grace, and Catholic Social Teaching. Members meet twice weekly: Thursday nights from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the Moretti Center for teaching on Church doctrine, and Sunday mornings at the 11:30 a.m. Mass to reflect on that day's Gospel reading. OCIA is led by a volunteer team headed by Jeri Murphy.
Faith Formation for K through 10
Ss. Peter & Paul supports parents as the primary educators of their children's faith. Faith Formation serves children from kindergarten through tenth grade on Sunday mornings during the school year. First Communion is ordinarily received in second grade, and Confirmation is prepared for through a two-year process in ninth and tenth grade that includes a retreat.
Tuition is $55 per child in most grades, $135 for the second-grade sacramental year (which includes First Communion materials), and $230 for tenth-grade Confirmation (which includes materials and the retreat). Partial and full scholarships are available.
The Seven Sacraments
Following Catholic teaching, the parish celebrates the seven sacraments (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Marriage, and Holy Orders) as sacred, visible signs instituted by Jesus to give grace.
Baptism classes meet on the second Saturday of each month from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. and registration is requested in advance. Couples planning marriage are asked to contact the parish office at least six months before their desired date and to participate in Pre-Cana classes, meetings with the priest, and follow-up preparation. Funeral Masses are arranged in cooperation with families and funeral homes; the Rite of Committal may be celebrated in the parish Memorial Garden. Anointing of the Sick and Viaticum are available to the homebound and to those admitted to Blake Hospital (the parish's assigned hospital) on request to the parish office.
Standing Together in Service
A first-time visitor walking in on Sunday morning quickly sees how many people help the Mass unfold. Mass ministries at the parish include Altar Servers (open to kids seven and older, teens, families, seniors, and adults, with training provided), Readers, Eucharistic Ministers, Ushers and Greeters, Sacristans, and a behind-the-scenes crew.
Beyond the sanctuary, a wide range of groups welcome new members:
- The Catholic Women's Association meets the first Thursday of each month from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. in the Moretti Center, gathering around a motto of Faith, Fellowship, and Service; dues are $20 per year.
- The Catholic Women's Bible Study, gathering for more than thirty years, meets Wednesday mornings at 10:00 a.m. in the Moretti Center for fellowship, songs, and a video study followed by small-group discussion, with babysitting offered; a Wednesday evening option runs 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
- The Rosary Makers craft rosaries for the parish and those in need.
- The Prayer Shawl Ministry knitters and crocheters meet the first and third Mondays of the month from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. and donate shawls, blankets, and prayer items to memory care units, hospices, the Dream Center for the Homeless, and others.
- The Knights of Columbus and the Legion of Mary round out the apostolic life of the parish.
- Roamin' Catholics plans day trips for fellowship.
- Respect Life keeps the parish engaged in issues affecting the unborn and the vulnerable.
Walking With Those Who Grieve or Carry a Burden
Caregiver's Corner, written and maintained by parishioner Eileen Murawski since her own husband's diagnosis in 2017, gathers resources on Alzheimer's and dementia caregiving, sandwich-generation stress, prayer as a path through difficulty, driving-skills checklists, and caregiver books.
For those who have lost a loved one, the Good Grief Group hosts a nine-week support session in the Moretti Center on Monday afternoons from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m., facilitated by Linda Amato. Parishioners facing widowhood, divorce, or single life find a place in the WOW Group (Widows Or Widowers and Single or Divorced), which meets monthly for fellowship, speakers, catered lunches, and occasional outings; Thanksgiving and Christmas are made especially warm for the members.
For those facing financial hardship, the parish's St. Vincent de Paul Conference provides assistance by appointment at 941-794-1328 and runs a thrift store benefiting neighbors in need. The parish is also part of the Catholic Faith Appeal of the Diocese of Venice, the annual diocesan effort that supports ministries and programs of mercy throughout Southwest Florida.
The Memorial Garden
Just east of the church sits a green and contemplative space founded and blessed by Fr. Moretti in 1990 for the inurnment of active parishioners. A pieta statue, local flora, and benches create a quiet setting for remembrance. Cremated remains of parishioners are committed in the Garden following the Rite of Committal, usually after a memorial Mass. Engraved memorial bricks line the walkway in the Garden; bricks can memorialize any family member and may be ordered through the parish office. Only approved plantings from a posted list of annuals may be added to the border planting box at the entrance; the Garden itself remains uncluttered so it can serve as a place of prayer.
Visiting for the First Time
Visitors are warmly welcomed. The parish encourages respectful, modest dress for Mass; most parishioners dress in neat, casual clothing, some in suits or business attire, and a few Gulf Coast vacationers in more relaxed attire fit right in. Music is printed in the bulletin each week (no shared hymnals) and some prayers are projected on the walls. Mass typically lasts about an hour.
Children of all ages are welcome, and a Cry Room at the back of the church near the restrooms lets parents step out with fidgety little ones while still hearing and seeing the Mass. Communion is reserved for Catholics in good standing; those who are not receiving are invited to come forward at the time of Communion and cross their arms over their chest to receive a blessing from the priest or Eucharistic minister. The collection is not expected of visitors; baskets are passed down the pew as one way of supporting the parish's ministries and charitable outreach. Newcomers are asked to fill out a parish registration form to formally join, which opens the door to volunteering and other parish life.
The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (closed for lunch from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m.) at 2850 75th Street West, Bradenton, Florida 34209, and can be reached at 941-795-1228 or parishoffice@sspeterandpaul.org. Newcomers and supporters can give online at any time.