A Parish at the Heart of Grove City
Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church stands on Placida Road in Grove City, a community along Florida's southwest Gulf coast that is part of the greater Englewood area. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Venice in Florida and welcomes Catholics and visitors from across Charlotte and Sarasota counties. The church's motto, drawn from St. Teresa of Avila, sums up its approach: "Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All that passes, God remains. God changes nothing, and God loves you forever." The invitation is simple and direct: "Engage with a parish that supports you. Serve the world that needs you."
Father Kris Piotrowski serves as Administrator, assisted by Parochial Vicar Father Tony Chermeil and Father Edwin Mathias, with retired Deacon Bob Godlewsky. Together with a lay staff and many parish ministries, they shepherd a community that gathers daily for Mass, devotes long hours to adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and reaches out to neighbors in need through a busy food pantry and other works of mercy.
Weekend and Daily Mass
The parish keeps a full daily schedule. On weekdays, Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 8:15 am. Each morning begins earlier at 7:50 am, when the Adorers and Pray-ers Ministry gathers to pray the Rosary before the Blessed Sacrament. After the 8:15 am Mass, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy is prayed at about 8:50 am, and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament begins in the Poor Clare Adoration Chapel. Anointing of the Sick is offered every Monday following the daily Mass.
Weekend Mass times follow a seasonal rhythm. From early January through the Easter season, the Saturday vigil is offered at 3:00 pm and 4:30 pm, and Sunday Masses are at 7:30 am, 9:00 am, and 10:30 am. After Easter through late December, the Saturday vigil returns to a single 4:00 pm Mass and Sunday Masses are at 8:00 am and 10:00 am. Holy Days of Obligation add two Masses, at 8:15 am and 6:00 pm. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard Saturday afternoons (2:00 pm to 2:30 pm in winter, 3:00 pm to 3:30 pm in summer) and Thursday mornings after daily Mass until those waiting have been heard.
The Poor Clare Adoration Chapel
A distinctive feature of Saint Francis of Assisi is the Poor Clare Adoration Chapel, where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed for adoration throughout the week. The chapel is open Monday through Friday from 7 am to 4 pm (closed during Mass and during a Tuesday Holy Hour), Saturday from 12 pm until the first vigil Mass, and Sunday from 7 am to 4 pm, also closed during Mass. The parish invites everyone to "join us in our adoration of our Lord Jesus Christ who is always waiting for someone to come and love Him hidden in the Blessed Sacrament in whatever time you have to offer Him."
The chapel is staffed by Committed Adorers who sign up for a regular weekly hour and by substitutes who fill in as needed; at least two people must be present at all times when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed. The chapel holds eleven chairs and two kneelers, and more are always welcome. Visitors are asked to maintain silence, refrain from electronic devices, and refrain from eating or drinking. A book cart stocked with prayer and meditation materials sits in the chapel, and a Flower Ministry keeps the space decorated for the liturgical seasons.
Sacraments for Every Stage of Life
Saint Francis of Assisi celebrates all seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. Baptism of infants and children is celebrated communally, within Sunday Mass at the 10:00 or 10:30 liturgy, or on the first Sunday of the month outside Mass. First-time parents attend a baptismal preparation class, and registration is recommended at least two months in advance. Confirmation is usually received by high-school youth after a two-year preparation beginning in ninth grade; the sacrament is conferred by the Bishop in the spring of tenth grade. Adults who have not been confirmed attend classes during the Easter season. First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion follow a two-year preparation beginning in first grade, with the sacraments typically received in second grade.
Couples contact the parish office at least six months before their wedding for Matrimony preparation. Anointing of the Sick is offered weekly after Monday Mass and is also brought to the homebound by Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. Those discerning a call to priesthood or religious life are encouraged to speak with a priest about Holy Orders.
Becoming Catholic through OCIA
Adults interested in joining the Catholic Church, those from other Christian traditions seeking full communion, and baptized Catholics who have not received Eucharist or Confirmation are invited to the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). Sessions are held weekly on Monday evenings from 5:30 to 7:00 pm in the Parish Conference Room, running from late August through April. Classes cover the sacraments, the Mass, Scripture, Church history, and Catholic moral teaching in a discussion-based setting. There is no fee to participate. The parish also offers OCIA adapted for older unbaptized children and youth from other Christian traditions who are preparing for the sacraments.
Religious Education and Youth
Faith Formation for students from kindergarten through eighth grade meets weekly on Tuesday afternoons from 5:30 to 6:45 pm at the Parish Center. The program runs from September through May and introduces children to the teachings, traditions, and sacramental life of the Church, with the goal of fostering a personal relationship with Christ and a foundation for lifelong discipleship. A nominal fee is charged, and parents are recognized as the primary educators of their children. High-school Confirmation preparation classes meet on the second Sunday of each month after the 10:00 or 10:30 am Mass.
A separate Youth Group serves 14- to 17-year-olds, with its own calendar of meetings, retreats, and service projects. A Vacation Bible School is offered each summer.
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners serve the Mass in many roles. Altar Servers, drawn from registered parishioners in third grade or older who have received First Communion, assist the priest at the altar and are carefully instructed in the duties and responsibilities of the role. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion distribute the Eucharist during Mass and bring Communion to the homebound. Ministers of Hospitality welcome the assembly, help seat visitors, count attendance, take up the collection, and assist in emergencies. Readers proclaim the Scriptures at Sunday Mass and lead the Prayer of the Faithful. Sacristans, led by Head Sacristan Beth Hammond, prepare the vessels, linens, and books before and after each Mass.
The Music Ministry, directed by Nadine Becker, includes cantors, choirs, and instrumentalists whose goal is to "enhance the experience of worship by heightening the Word of God with music." The Church Environment Ministry decorates the sanctuary for liturgical seasons and feast days and tends to the flowers and plants in the church. The Church Safety Usher Ministry oversees facility safety and security, and the Arimatheans, based on Mark 15:42-47, attend funeral Masses when few family and friends can be present, filling the pews and joining their voices in prayer.
Outreach Ministries
The parish lives out Catholic social teaching through several outreach programs. The Parish Outreach Food Pantry, directed by Matt Egan, operates on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:15 am to 11:30 am in outdoor curb-service style. Volunteers bring bagged food out to recipients' cars, providing shelf-stable canned and dry goods along with frozen proteins. Each bag is sized to feed a family of four. The pantry serves nearly 100 families and is restocked by donations from parishioners, the Knights of Columbus, local grocery stores, and individual donors. Most-needed items include peanut butter, canned tuna, hot and cold cereals, tomato sauce, pasta, canned meals, canned vegetables, and canned fruit.
The Bereavement Ministry offers a compassionate, consoling presence to those grieving the death of a loved one. The Homebound Ministry, coordinated by Martha Mingel, brings Holy Communion weekly to parishioners who are sick, elderly, or recovering in private homes, nursing homes, and personal-care facilities. The Hooks and Needles Ministry meets Thursdays at 1:00 pm in the Parish Conference Room; members produce shawls, hats, baby blankets, and scarves for parishioners, local hospitals, and neo-natal units, with prayers offered for each recipient. Thousands of items have been donated over the years. The Rosary Makers Ministry meets Monday mornings at the Parish Center to make, repair, and distribute rosaries for the parish, home missions, and missions abroad.
Parish Women's Guild
The Parish Women's Guild, directed by Gerry Chesney, brings together women of the parish for service, fellowship, and fundraising. Members host funeral brunches for deceased members, organize a monthly card party on the first Wednesday of the month from September through May (11:30 am to 2:30 pm), run Bunco parties on the last Wednesday of the month, sponsor two Thrifty Treasures and Boutique rummage sales a year, host Lenten Soup Suppers on Monday evenings followed by Stations of the Cross, and host an annual spring Fashion Show and a fall Parish Picnic.
Proceeds from Women's Guild events support parish needs and local causes including FISH (free transportation for the elderly to medical appointments), SOLVE Maternity Home (a Christ-centered residential home for at-risk pregnant women and their babies), Englewood Meals on Wheels, and Higher Education Grants for active parish high-school and college students with a grade point average of 2.5 to 3.5. Membership in the Women's Guild costs $10 per year.
Knights of Columbus, Council 7672
The parish is home to Knights of Columbus Council 7672, affiliated with Assembly 2782 of the Fourth Degree. Open to practicing Catholic men at least 18 years old, the council supports the parish through fundraising, service projects, and faith formation. The council also partners with the Food Pantry by donating non-perishable food items.
Adult Faith Formation
Several ongoing programs nurture adult spiritual life. Lectio Divina meets Mondays from 11:45 am to 12:30 pm in the Church, reading and praying with the Gospel readings for the upcoming week through the four classic steps of read, meditate, pray, and contemplate. She Shall Be Called Woman (SHE) meets on Thursdays and engages women in growing deeper in the feminine heart through imitation of the ten virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary. That Man is You! addresses the pressures and temptations facing modern men, especially husbands and fathers, harmonizing current social and medical science with the teachings of the Church and the wisdom of the saints. A Women's Bible Study meets Tuesdays at 1:00 pm, beginning with fifteen minutes of adoration in the Church and continuing in the Parish Conference Room using Little Rock Scripture Studies materials.
Becoming a Parishioner and Giving
Newcomers may register online or by printed form, available in English and Spanish. Active membership involves registering with the parish, attending Mass faithfully on Sundays and Holy Days, and supporting the parish through time, talent, and treasure. The parish encourages the use of envelopes or online giving, which "provides a record of Mass attendance which is of most importance for our spiritual health and a nourishment of our common Christian identity as the family of God."
Saint Francis of Assisi supports its mission through WeShare online giving, collection envelopes mailed or placed in the basket, estate planning through wills and trusts, and gifts from donor-advised funds, IRAs, and stock. Donations can also be directed to the Catholic Faith Appeal of the Diocese of Venice.
Hearing Loops and Accessibility
The church is equipped with hearing loops that transmit sound directly to hearing aids with activated telecoils. The parish also brings Holy Communion to those who cannot attend Mass because of illness, advanced age, or circumstance, and offers a Prayer Intention Request Form so that the Adorers and Pray-ers Ministry may include special intentions in their daily prayers and the Prayer Intention Book at each Mass.