At 930 S.W. Tunis Ave. in Port St. Lucie, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church is known for the regularity of its worship: daily Mass at 8:30 AM, three Sunday Masses, a Saturday vigil and Portuguese Mass, and Saturday confession. The parish's ministry life reaches from religious education and sacramental preparation to music, prayer groups, home and hospital ministry, senior support, and outreach. The parish says, "A community of faith, rooted in the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ, guided by biblical and apostolic foundations."
A Week Set by Mass and Prayer
Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 8:30 AM in the church. Saturday begins with confession at 3:00 PM in the chapel, followed by the 4:30 PM vigil Mass in the church. A Portuguese Mass follows at 6:30 PM. Sunday Masses are celebrated at 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, and noon. This schedule gives the parish a clear weekday and weekend rhythm.
The worship is Catholic and liturgical. Ushers and Greeters welcome people as they arrive and assist with the order of worship, while Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion serve at Mass, in hospitals, and in the home. The Music Ministry is another regular part of parish worship. These roles give arriving worshippers a practical welcome and help them take part in the service.
Adoration is held at 9:15 AM on Friday in the church, with a Rosary for Children at the same time in the chapel. On the first Sunday of each month, the parish asks everyone in attendance to wear a name tag. Name tags are available for anyone who does not already have one, making it easier to recognize familiar faces and begin new connections.
Portuguese Mass and a Brazilian Prayer Group
The parish celebrates a Portuguese Mass at 6:30 PM on Saturday. A Brazilian Community and Portuguese Mass ministry is among the ways people can become involved, and the Brazilian Prayer Group gathers at 7:30 PM on Tuesday in the church. These ministries provide Portuguese-language worship and a regular Brazilian prayer gathering within parish life.
For a first-time visitor seeking Portuguese-language worship, the 6:30 PM Saturday celebration is the designated service. The parish also welcomes people through its Ushers and Greeters, and its registration process includes ways to indicate an interest in the Brazilian community, Portuguese Mass, or other parish ministries.
Children and Teens in CCD
Religious Education at St. Elizabeth is grounded in the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, or CCD. The program prepares children and teens to learn the Catholic faith and to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation. The Gospel values of Jesus Christ are central to instruction, with an emphasis on understanding what it means to live and worship as a Roman Catholic. The goal is to awaken each student's faith through a genuine discovery of God's active presence in the Church and the world.
Classes meet Monday through Thursday and are taught by certified, dedicated volunteers. All children are welcome, including children with special needs. Older children who wish to receive sacraments can join a Special Sacraments Class.
Sacramental preparation follows the norms of the Diocese of Palm Beach and requires two years of catechism preparation. First Communion is generally prepared during first and second grades, while Confirmation is generally prepared during eighth and ninth grades. The parish pairs this grade-based guidance with a Special Sacraments Class for children seeking sacraments at an older age.
Adult Faith Formation and OCIA
Adult faith formation at St. Elizabeth is designed around the particular needs and interests of adults in the local community. It integrates actual life experience, varied adult learning needs, Scripture, and the teaching of the Church's tradition into a systematic presentation of core elements of Catholic faith and practice. Two programs serve this work: Catholicism 101 and Journey of Faith. Their approach reflects the goals defined by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for adult formation.
Three goals guide this formation: ongoing conversion to Jesus in holiness of life, active membership in the Christian community, and preparation to act as disciples in mission to the world. Each goal connects classroom learning with everyday life, community belonging, and a sense of mission.
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, or OCIA, welcomes those called to join the Catholic faith. It stands alongside Catholicism 101 and Journey of Faith as another adult pathway within the parish's formation life.
Sacraments, Funerals, and Care at Home
Parish life includes care for sacraments and for people at important moments of life. Bereavement Ministry and Funeral Services are dedicated ministries. Another group, Hospital and Homebound Ministers of Holy Communion, extends the work of Extraordinary Ministers beyond the church by bringing Communion to people in hospitals and in their homes. Good Shepherd Senior Protection adds a ministry focused on older adults.
The parish registration records whether a household has received Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation, and whether someone was married in the Catholic Church. It also asks about family details and volunteer interests. These questions place sacramental history and parish participation in the same record while giving each household a way to identify areas where it wants to become involved.
Funeral services are supported by both the Funeral Services and Bereavement ministries, while the church's homebound ministry keeps the sacramental presence of Extraordinary Ministers active beyond parish gatherings. This combination connects the church's sacramental life with care for people who cannot readily join worship at the church.
Scripture, Conversation, and Recovery
Scripture Sharing meets at 1:00 PM on Tuesday in the chapel, and Coffee & Conversations follows the same pattern at 1:00 PM on Wednesday in the chapel. A Wednesday Night Bible Study and a Women's Bible Study are also part of parish ministry life. These groups offer distinct settings for studying Scripture and talking together, complementing the more comprehensive adult faith formation offered through Catholicism 101 and Journey of Faith.
Other recurring gatherings include the Light of the World Prayer Group at 7:00 PM on Monday in the church and the Respect Life Rosary at 9:15 AM on Wednesday in the church. Al-Anon meets at 8:00 PM on Monday and Wednesday in the CCD room, providing a regular recovery-meeting setting. These groups extend the parish's life beyond Mass and offer space for prayer, study, shared support, and conversation.
The parish also has Ushers and Greeters, Extraordinary Ministers, the Music Ministry, altar servers, altar linen ministry, Brazilian Prayer Group, Coffee & Conversations, and several other service roles. The mix reflects a parish where worship, preparation, service, and ongoing small-group life are each represented.
Respect Life, Senior Care, and Community Outreach
Community Outreach, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Respect Life Ministry, and Social Ministry are part of parish service. Thanksgiving Basket and Christmas Giving Tree ministries provide seasonal forms of support, while Light of the World, the Knights of Columbus, and the Columbiettes extend the parish's network through prayer and Catholic fraternal life. The ministries combine service, pro-life activity, prayer, and community organization.
Good Shepherd Senior Protection gives particular attention to older adults. Hospital and Homebound Ministers of Holy Communion bring Communion to people in hospitals and homes. These ministries, together with Bereavement and Funeral Services, show how parish care extends through different settings and stages of life.
The parish registration offers volunteer-interest choices for Community Outreach, Social Ministry, St. Vincent de Paul, Thanksgiving Basket, Respect Life, Brazilian Community and Portuguese Mass, funeral and bereavement care, hospital and homebound Communion, Coffee & Conversations, ushers and greeters, altar servers, Extraordinary Ministers, prayer groups, Bible studies, and music. These options connect the church's worship with practical service and make its many ministries visible to prospective volunteers.
Pastoral Leadership, Music, and Parish Life
Father Dumarsais Pierre-Louis serves as pastor. Deacons Hank Farinas and Thom Boccellari serve as the parish's deacons, and Fr. Michael J. McNally, Ph.D., provides weekend assistance. Fr. McNally is also pastor emeritus at St. Mark the Evangelist Church in Fort Pierce. Amanda Olivieri leads the Music Ministry as music director. A Parish Council and Finance Council are also part of the parish's leadership structure.
The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM and Sunday from 9:00 AM to noon. The office can be reached at (772) 336-0282. Registration gathers household information, sacramental history, giving preferences, and volunteer interests, allowing newcomers to begin their participation in the parish through one form.
Giving for Masses, Sacraments, Ministries, and Outreach
Parish giving is directed toward four concrete areas: Masses, sacraments, ministries, and outreach. The church offers regular offertory giving, online giving, special gifts, and memorial gifts. Online giving is available through the parish's online giving form.
Planned giving can include estate provision, beneficiary designation, IRA gifts, and stock gifts. The parish also welcomes legacy gifts. A legacy gift supports St. Elizabeth for generations to come, providing a way to sustain Masses, sacramental preparation, ministry work, and outreach.
These gifts support the same broad parish life seen in worship, education, sacramental care, and service: the Masses that gather the community, preparation that accompanies children and adults, ministries that extend care beyond the church, and outreach directed toward people in need. Giving, ministry, and community service are closely connected in the life of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.
At its S.W. Tunis Avenue home, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church brings together daily and Sunday worship, Portuguese Mass, faith formation for every age, sacramental care, music, prayer, and service. Rooted in the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ and guided by biblical and apostolic foundations, the parish continues its life in the Masses, classrooms, ministries, and service of Port St. Lucie. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church remains the center of that shared parish life.