A Plant City Parish with One Family at the Table
In Plant City, Saint Clement Roman Catholic Church is known for a bilingual Catholic life centered on shared love of Jesus Christ. Its motto, Trinity Centered, Discipleship Driven, captures the parish's aim: deepen love of Christ through worship, sound catechesis, and service. At 1104 N. Alexander St., English- and Spanish-speaking families gather for daily Mass, bilingual formation for children and adults, youth ministry, prayer, sacraments, and practical outreach that includes a food pantry and thrift store.
Pastor Fr. Felipe Gonzalez, JCL, describes St. Clement as a household formed by the Cross and Resurrection rather than by sameness. People worn by ordinary life are to find rest, all are fed at the same table, and everyone is made holy by the same grace. The mission is to foster a living encounter with God through the Sacred Liturgy, catechesis, and the parish's many apostolates, carrying Christ's saving mercy to those they meet.
St. Clement extends its welcome in both English and Spanish. Parish registration identifies English or Spanish as a preferred language, asks whether people live in the area year round or seasonally, and offers ways to express interest in religious education, sacraments, music, youth and children's ministry, and service. The welcome is practical as well as pastoral, connecting newcomers with a working parish life centered on worship and discipleship.
English and Spanish Mass at the Heart of the Week
Mass is the center of the parish's weekly rhythm. English and Spanish Masses are offered on both weekend days, with an additional Spanish Mass on Wednesday. The parish also offers a daily English Mass from Monday through Friday.
- Saturday: 4:00 p.m. in English and 6:00 p.m. in Spanish.
- Sunday: 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. in English, with 8:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. in Spanish.
- Monday through Friday: 8:00 a.m. in English.
- Wednesday: 6:30 p.m. in Spanish.
The worship is explicitly liturgical. The Music Ministry seeks to love and glorify God through sacred music and draw the faithful into fuller, more conscious participation in Mass. Musicians describe the whole congregation as the choir joined together in praise and prayer. Their service includes weekly rehearsals, participation at a weekend liturgy, and Holy Days of Obligation and special feasts. The bilingual character of St. Clement extends beyond worship: bilingual formation, adult classes in both languages, and several Spanish ministries make language part of parish life throughout the week.
For people joining worship online, a YouTube livestream provides another way to take part in the parish's Mass.
Confession, Adoration, and the Quiet Chapel
Confession is offered Tuesday from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Eucharistic adoration is offered Tuesday from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. in the church and Wednesday morning from 8:30 a.m. in the chapel, following the 8:00 a.m. Mass. The chapel is also open for quiet prayer Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. These regular hours create space for silent prayer, devotion, and time with Christ alongside the parish's sacramental and formation schedules.
Children's Formation from the Atrium to the Altar
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd provides Montessori-based formation for younger children, rooted in Scripture, Liturgy, and respect for each child's relationship with God. After a short presentation, children work with crafted materials at their own pace in a quiet setting. Level I serves ages 3 to 6 and Level II serves ages 6 to 9. Formation runs September through April in Atrium Rooms 5 and 6 of the Education Building, with Wednesday classes from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. and limited space so each child can participate fully.
For grades K through 7, faith formation classes meet Wednesday from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. in the Education Center. Bilingual English and Spanish classes meet Thursday during the same time. Enrollment uses birth and baptism certificates, tuition fees, and completion of the parish's safe-environment acknowledgment. First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion require two consecutive years of preparation for children age 7 or older, traditionally beginning in first grade. Children beyond second grade continue through regular faith formation with added sacramental focus. Preparation for First Communion, Reconciliation, and Confirmation is freestanding and separate from the regular parish program.
Confirmation is a two-year family process beginning in eighth grade. Registration is required at the start of eighth grade, candidates must be at least 13 by September 1, and classes meet Wednesday evenings. Preparation is designed to deepen understanding of the Holy Spirit, strengthen service to the Body of Christ, and help teens express their faith in a faithful response. A retreat experience is part of the process. Parents have a primary role in sacramental catechesis, while the parish community shares a responsibility for helping young people grow in faith. Families are registered parishioners or provide pastoral permission for preparation elsewhere.
Children's religious education is joined by the Circle of Grace safe-environment program. Parents read the parish letter, watch the Knights of Columbus Protecting Our Children video series, and acknowledge the Diocese of St. Petersburg policies. The training is intended to help children and young people understand the dignity of their own minds, bodies, and spirits.
Youth and Adults Moving Toward Discipleship
Youth Ministry is divided by age and purpose. Veritas, for sixth and seventh grades, meets Wednesdays from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. in the Middle School room and focuses on the importance of small groups in growing faith. DIG IT, for eighth grade and high school students, meets at the same time in the Youth Center. Its curriculum centers on how to thrive as a teenager and offers varied opportunities rooted in students' needs. The youth mission is summarized as Desiring God. Inspiring Others. Growing Disciples.
Adults have two clear paths for fuller initiation. Adult Confirmation classes meet Monday from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in English and Friday from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in Spanish. Seven sessions cover how God reveals himself, the sacraments, morality, and spirituality. The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults welcomes non-Catholics considering the Catholic faith and baptized Catholics who have not completed all sacraments of initiation. OCIA is open to people age 14 and above, begins with a meeting about the participant's circumstances, and proceeds without pressure. Parish registration may occur along the way, even before someone decides to become Catholic.
Sacraments Marking Birth, Marriage, Illness, and Farewell
St. Clement presents the seven sacraments as outward signs of inward grace: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Marriage, and Holy Orders. Baptism is described as the gateway to the Christian life and entry into the Church. In the Eucharist, believers receive the True Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Reconciliation offers divine mercy and freedom from sin committed after Baptism, while Confirmation seals a person with the gift of the Holy Spirit and strengthens service to the Body of Christ. The parish frames worship as giving God what is owed and the sacraments as God's grace giving life within the soul.
Baptism and First Communion
Baptism preparation for children six and younger begins with parish registration, followed by baptism registration, parent classes, and godparent or Christian witness requirements. Parents are expected to participate in Catholic life and weekly Mass. Classes are interactive and designed both for learning and for meeting other parents. A godparent must be at least 16, baptized, confirmed, and received First Communion in the Catholic Church, registered and regularly participating in Mass, and reconciled at least once a year. A child may have one godparent, or one godparent and a Christian witness of the opposite gender. Baptism classes completed at another parish are accepted when accompanied by proof of completion.
Marriage
Marriage preparation must begin at least six months before the anticipated wedding and includes an initial priestly interview, the FOCCUS survey, further interviews, and preparation in the Catholic understanding of marriage. Journey to Matrimony, an extended one-day program on designated Saturdays, is the preferred first-time preparation. Most weddings are celebrated Saturday at 1:00 p.m. The main church seats 900, while the chapel seats 50 to 60. Engaged couples in the Plant City area ordinarily have at least one party registered and active; couples elsewhere may arrange preparation through their own parish and request the ceremony at St. Clement. A reception can also be held in Cronin Hall.
Illness, Funerals, and Family Milestones
Anointing of the Sick is available by request for serious illness, hospitalization, or significant surgery. Funeral and Memorial Masses are usually celebrated Monday through Friday at 10:00 or 11:00 a.m.; the parish cannot host them on weekends. Quinceañera Masses, which celebrate a young Hispanic woman's fifteenth birthday and passage toward adulthood, are celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Saturdays. Because demand is high, dates are recommended one year in advance. Holy Orders continues Christ's mission through the ministry of bishops, priests, and deacons, and those discerning a vocation are encouraged to speak with a parish priest.
Food, Clothing, and Care for Neighbors
My Brother's Keeper Food Pantry provides weekly food distribution to neighbors throughout Hillsborough County and surrounding areas. It is open Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and closed on the first Friday of every month. Distribution is drive-through: visitors follow the signs, remain in line in their car, and are assisted by a pantry attendant. Nonperishable donations can be brought to Mass on the first Saturday and Sunday of each month and placed in food wagons near the altar. Suggested donations include canned soup, fruit, vegetables, pasta, cereal, peanut butter, jelly, tuna, ramen, spaghetti sauce, macaroni and cheese, beans, rice, and single-serve nonperishable items. The pantry acknowledges support from parishioners, Feeding Tampa Bay, and Nativity Food Bank.
Parish giving is available through online giving, including e-tithing and Catholic Ministry Appeal pledges or one-time gifts.
The Golden Door Thrift Store offers low-cost used clothing and household goods, including baby and toddler clothing, shoes, seasonal items, and assorted household merchandise. It is run by volunteers, with proceeds supporting the food pantry. The store opens Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to noon and closes on the first Friday of the month.
Pastoral Care of the Sick and Homebound includes weekly hospital visitation, nursing-home visits with anointing arranged by request, a monthly Mass at Solaris Nursing Home, and visits to homebound people. Faith Community Nursing, supported by the Baycare Hospital System, brings licensed nurses into roles including health educator, health counselor, advocate, resource liaison, volunteer coordinator, and integrator of health and spirit. The Respect Life group focuses on the sacred dignity of human life from conception to natural death through prayer, education, and action.
Groups That Serve, Learn, and Gather
Parish groups create regular ways to serve and belong. Church Crafters meets monthly for sewing and crafts. The Welcome Center in the narthex is staffed before and after weekend Mass. St. Clement Catholic Women meets for prayer, social life, and charitable service, while the Knights of Columbus gathers men for fraternity and family life. The Good Samaritan Gift Shoppe offers rosaries, Bibles, jewelry, and religious gifts in the main church on Saturday from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 1:00 p.m.
Spanish-language ministries add a strong weekly dimension. Diálogo Matrimonial meets Wednesday from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. in the church and offers childcare. Bajo El Manto de la Peregrina meets Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the chapel for a family blessing, a home Rosary, and reflection on God's word. Grupo de Oración Cristo Vive meets Friday from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., with an emphasis on a personal encounter with God, prayer, the Eucharist, and love of the Church. The Preciosa Sangre ministry gathers for the Rosary of the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ Thursday from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. in the chapel. Movimiento Juan XXIII meets Monday at 7:00 p.m. in the social hall, and the Llama de Amor family group meets on the first and third Mondays in the Middle School hall.
A distinctive parish tradition is the Make Your Own Strawberry Shortcake project, a fundraiser that began in 1974 with a booth at the annual Florida Strawberry Festival. The parish has continued the shortcake stand for decades, relying on dozens of booth and hall volunteers each festival day. It is both a long-running fundraiser and a visible expression of the community's habit of working together.
Clergy and Lay Ministry
Pastoral leadership is provided by Father Felipe Gonzalez, JCL, pastor, and Father Vijay Polamarasetty, parochial vicar. Deacons Michael Hurst and Neil Legner serve alongside them. Cathy Rosales directs religious education and faith formation, Myriam Reyna directs confirmation and youth ministry, and Clara McCarthy leads the Music Ministry. Their work supports the parish's goal of Trinity-centered discipleship.
Lay service is organized through altar servers, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, lectors, sacristans, and ushers. Boys and girls in fifth grade and above may become altar servers, with training twice each year. Extraordinary Ministers assist with the reverent distribution of the Eucharist and receive training after parish approval. Lectors proclaim God's Word, sacristans prepare the altar and sacred vessels, and ushers greet people, assist with seating, coordinate the collection and offertory procession, and prepare the worship space before Mass.
Finding St. Clement in Plant City
St. Clement is at 1104 N. Alexander St., Plant City, Florida 33563. From Tampa, drivers take I-4 east, exit at 21 for FL-30/Alexander Street, keep right toward Plant City, merge onto Alexander Street, and continue about half a mile; the church is on the left. From Orlando, the route reverses on I-4 west, using exit 21, turning right onto Alexander Street, and continuing about half a mile. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with phones off for lunch from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The parish office phone is 813-752-8251.
Parish registration is available for new members and current parishioners. The Welcome Center in the narthex provides forms, information, and assistance before and after weekend Mass. English and Spanish Masses, children's formation, youth groups, adult initiation, and quiet prayer all occupy distinct, regular places in the parish week.
At St. Clement, the central claim is simple and shared: Trinity-centered and discipleship-driven, with love at the table, Christ at the center, and service extending from the church into the life of Plant City.