At 5030 Mariner Blvd in Spring Hill, Florida, St. Frances X Cabrini is a Roman Catholic parish in the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg. Its defining rhythms are a steady schedule of Mass, a livestreamed 9:30 AM Sunday Mass, the sacraments, and formation from children through youth and adults, along with Bible study, adoration and outreach.
Mass at the Center of Parish Life
St. Frances X Cabrini celebrates the Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:30 PM and three Sunday Masses at 7:30 AM, 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM. An 8:30 AM Mass is also celebrated every day from Monday through Saturday. The 9:30 AM Sunday Mass is offered through a Vimeo livestream, making it the parish's live online worship gathering.
Mass is the center of the parish's worship rather than one element among many. The Eucharist is the source and summit of Catholic faith, and the parish teaches that bread and wine truly become the Body and Blood of Christ. Within the Liturgy of the Word, the essential elements are the first and second readings, psalm, Gospel and reflection. Children receive an age-adapted version of that same pattern at the 9:30 and 11:30 AM Sunday Masses.
The Sunday services span early morning through late morning, while the 8:30 AM weekday Mass and Saturday Vigil Mass provide additional opportunities during the week. All are celebrated at St. Frances X Cabrini at 5030 Mariner Blvd. The parish office telephone number is 352-683-9666.
Confession and First Wednesday Adoration
Confession is offered on Wednesday from 6:00 to 7:00 PM and Saturday from 3:30 to 4:30 PM. The parish also accepts Confession appointments through its office number.
On the first Wednesday of each month, Adoration runs from 8:30 AM until 7:00 PM. This extended prayer period takes place on the same day as the 8:30 AM Mass and fills most of the church's Wednesday schedule.
Church and Office Hours
Church hours vary by day:
- Monday: 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM
- Tuesday: 7:30 AM to 7:00 PM
- Wednesday: 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM
- Thursday: 7:30 AM to noon
- Friday: 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM
- Saturday: 6:30 AM to 1:00 PM
- Sunday: 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM
The parish office is open from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday through Thursday and from 9:00 AM to noon on Friday.
Children in the Liturgy and at Home
Little Lambs Liturgy of the Word is a special adaptation of the Sunday Liturgy of the Word for children. It retains the readings, psalm, Gospel and reflection but presents them at a level suited to young participants and their spiritual growth. During the 9:30 and 11:30 AM Masses, trained and screened catechists take participating children to the choir room, then bring them back for the rest of Mass. No registration is required.
Children's in-person faith formation is open to grades K-5 and meets Sundays from 10:45 AM to noon and Mondays from 6:00 to 7:15 PM. A home-based option includes monthly in-person campus meetups. Liz Sheridan, Coordinator of Children's Faith Formation, oversees these programs. First Communion classes help children appreciate and receive the gift of Christ Himself through the parish's faith formation.
Two Years Toward Confirmation
Youth Ministry centers on a two-year program of Confirmation formation for students in grades 8 and 9. Two consecutive years of Catholic education are required, either through parish Youth Ministry or a Catholic school, and Confirmation is ordinarily received at the end of the ninth-grade year. Public-school and non-Catholic private-school students register for Youth Ministry and Confirmation Preparation, while Catholic-school students register at the beginning of ninth grade. Preparation for Catholic-school students takes place monthly.
Tracy Padilla, Coordinator of Youth Ministry, leads this work. The classes prepare teenagers to be sealed with the Holy Spirit and to make the baptismal vows spoken for them by their godparents. Confirmation completes the third sacrament of initiation in the Catholic Church.
Called and the Bible Study Community
Called is an adult faith formation program for people who want to grow in their faith, not only those preparing for sacraments. Led by Coordinator of Evangelization and Adult Formation Brandon Sillen, Called welcomes Catholics, people who have not been to church and non-Catholics interested in learning about Catholicism. Sessions meet Tuesdays at 2:00 and 6:30 PM in the north side of Xavier Hall, on the kitchen side. Participants may bring snacks, drinks or food to share.
The Bible Study Community meets Thursdays at 2:00 and 6:00 PM in the same area and is led by Fr. José “Jojo” Tejada. The parish also offers a Becoming Catholic path for adults considering the faith or preparing for the sacraments of initiation.
Sacraments Without Cost
Every sacrament is provided without cost. Baptism is the basis of Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit and the door to the other sacraments. Through water and the Word, sin is forgiven, the gift of the Holy Spirit is given, and a person is joined to the Body of Christ and reborn as a son or daughter of God. Baptism for infants, children, youth and adults is part of parish life.
Adult Baptism is received once for life. It marks a beginning in the life of grace, a participation in new life with Christ and a union with the Church. First Communion classes prepare children to receive Christ in the Eucharist. Confirmation strengthens the gifts first received in Baptism through the laying on of hands and the anointing with sacred chrism. For adults entering the Church, Confirmation is ordinarily celebrated together with Baptism and the Eucharist, completing the Sacraments of Initiation.
Marriage is also a sacrament, described as the matrimonial covenant through which a man and woman establish a partnership of the whole of life ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring. Weddings and the Anointing of the Sick are included in the parish's sacramental life.
One God, the Church and the Eucharist
The parish's Catholic faith begins with one God in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, equal in glory and praise. Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, who emptied Himself, assumed human flesh, was crucified and rose from the dead on the third day. He is fully God and fully man, and he will come again to judge the living and the dead. Through him, God reveals love and saves humanity from sin.
Every person is made for communion with God. Sin, understood as turning away from God, breaks that communion, while salvation is God's answer through Christ's death and resurrection. Forgiveness is offered, and people are called to share in the divine life for which they were created. The resurrection of the body and life everlasting are central hopes, with Baptism sharing in Christ's new life.
Christ founded a visible Church and entrusted it to the Apostles. Through apostolic succession, bishops continue the ministry entrusted to them. Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and the Church's teaching authority work together to hand on the faith received from Christ. Sacraments are more than signs of grace: they are genuine encounters with Christ's saving work.
The Eucharist stands at the center of Catholic life as both source and summit of faith. Mary is honored as the Mother of God, chosen to bear the Savior and to point always to her Son. By faith, she is the first member of the Church. The parish also emphasizes that people do not need to have their faith settled before they are welcome. Its spirit of honesty reaches those starting from Catholic life, curiosity, serious doubt or no previous connection to a church, with Confession described as an encounter with God's mercy.
Pastoral Ministry and Giving
Service extends beyond worship through Pastoral Ministry and Outreach, coordinated by Arleen Spenceley Babino. Volunteer opportunities, fundraising and sharing the parish's mission with friends and family are among the ways people support the work. The parish also offers online giving for one-time or recurring donations, with the service described as safe and secure.
Pastoral and Formation Leaders
The parish is led by Pastor Fr. Alexander T. Padilla II, JCL, with Fr. José “Jojo” Tejada as parochial vicar. Its deacons are Rev. Bob Anderson, Rev. Dennis Dolan, Rev. Ed Smith, Rev. Gregorio Lugo and Rev. Mike Miller.
- Arleen Spenceley Babino: Coordinator of Pastoral Ministry and Outreach
- Brandon Sillen: Coordinator of Evangelization and Adult Formation
- Christopher Berke: Director of Music Ministry
- Liz Sheridan: Coordinator of Children's Faith Formation
- Tracy Padilla: Coordinator of Youth Ministry
A Catholic Welcome in Spring Hill
St. Frances X Cabrini's welcome begins with the same breadth seen in its formation: Catholics returning to parish life, curious Christians, people considering becoming Catholic and those arriving with questions or doubt. Its parish life in Spring Hill is built around the weekly Mass schedule, the sacraments, intergenerational faith formation, Scripture study, Eucharistic adoration and service to others. At 5030 Mariner Blvd, the parish continues to gather around the Mass and the faith it teaches.