St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church stands on NE Savannah Road in Jensen Beach, Florida, and is known for a parish life that joins Catholic worship with formation, family fellowship and direct service to people. Its motto captures the tone: "Mass is Serious; Church is Fun; Parish is Family!" The week moves from Mass and Eucharistic adoration to youth and adult classes, choir practice, youth gatherings, a Wednesday meal, a Saturday food pantry and ministries that knit, visit, pray and serve.
Mass and the Shape of the Week
Mass gives the parish week its basic rhythm. Saturday's Vigil Mass is at 4:00 p.m., and Sunday Masses are at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Daily Mass is celebrated at 8:30 a.m. from Monday through Saturday. The 10:00 a.m. Sunday Mass is supported year-round by the Adult Choir. Confession is offered Saturday from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m., and the parish office also arranges confessions by appointment.
St. Martin de Porres is served by Pastor Rev. J. Scott Adams and Assisting Clergy member Rev. David C. Downey. Ministers of Hospitality and Ushers greet arrivals and assist with other responsibilities during worship, including the 4:00 p.m., 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Masses. The parish office at 2555 NE Savannah Road is open Monday and Thursday from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. and Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. It is closed for lunch from noon to 1:00 p.m. and closed on weekends. The main parish phone is 772-334-4214.
Adoration, the Hours and Devotions
Eucharistic adoration extends the worship life beyond Mass. Monday adoration follows the 8:30 a.m. Mass and continues until noon. Thursday adoration also follows the morning Mass and continues until 8:00 p.m., while Friday adoration continues until 2:45 p.m. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel is open for private prayer Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturday after the 8:30 a.m. Mass until 5:00 p.m.
The parish also has a disciplined rhythm of devotion. The Novena to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal follows the Saturday morning Mass. The Liturgy of the Hours is prayed in the church Monday through Friday from 7:58 to 8:25 a.m., including the Office of Readings and Morning Prayer. Daytime prayer with Exposition is also offered in the chapel on Monday, Thursday and Friday. Divine Mercy is prayed on Friday at 3:00 p.m., using Gospel Passion verses with each bead of the parish's particular devotional. Prayer Warriors gather for rote prayers after the 8:30 a.m. Mass Monday through Saturday.
Formation from Sunday Morning Through Thursday Evening
Family Life and Faith Formation is directed by Greg Cannata, who served 25 years as a U.S. Army Infantry officer and one year as a JROTC Senior Army Instructor. His work now centers on the parish's programs for children, youth, young adults and family life.
Children and Teens
Youth Religious Education offers K-8 classes each Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Education Building, and registration is accepted year-round. Families outside of sacramental years can request a home-school option. First Communion and Confirmation preparation are done in the parish each week, and parents attend adult catechesis once a month.
The High School Youth Group meets Sunday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Education Building. Its topics rotate among movie, witness, game, learning, service and skill nights, giving teens a varied mix of social, instructional and service-centered sessions.
Adults and Young Adults
- Young Adults meet Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Education Building. The group is intended for anyone after high school to roughly age 30. It supports the diocese's Theology on Tap program and joins the monthly gatherings on some Wednesday evenings.
- The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults meets Thursday from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in the Education Building. Catholics who want to understand their faith more deeply are welcome alongside people preparing to join the Church.
- Lectio Divina Bible Study meets every Monday at 10:00 a.m. in the parish library. Participants reread the previous Sunday's Gospel, reflect on the homilies heard across the weekend's Masses and study the passage in depth with the Jerome Biblical Commentary.
- ALL IN meets Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. in the Education Building for a deeper study of the faith. The name stands for Apostolic Laity Legion of Iesus Nazarenus, and Greg Cannata often leads from his Master's of Theological Studies work.
Every month, the parish offers an event open to everyone. The gatherings rotate and have included nature hikes, island picnics, bowling, game days, barbecues, beach days, St. Lucie Mets games, Sailfish Splash and a parish art tour. A long-running parish picnic has developed into an international festival in which people bring foods representing their heritage, a tradition tied to the parish's 50th anniversary.
Congregational Song and the Choir
The Music Ministry focuses on inspiring the congregation to sing. It uses voices, hearts and instruments to draw people closer to God and the Catholic Church, choosing music with the aim of strengthening each person's relationship with God. The ministry follows the Catholic Church's Magisterium and its emphasis on full, conscious and active participation in the liturgy.
The Adult Choir rehearses Wednesday from 6:00 to 7:15 p.m. and is open to parishioners age 18 and older. Prior choir experience is helpful but not required. The choir provides music for the 10:00 a.m. Sunday Mass throughout the year, Holy Days and special celebrations. The Bell Choir is an adult handbell and handchime ensemble that requires basic music-reading ability and rings at Christmas and Easter Masses. New members are welcome in the choirs.
St. Martin's Kitchen and the Saturday Pantry
St. Martin's Kitchen makes the parish's Wednesday schedule tangible. Operated by the Matthew 25:35 Ministry, it serves meals on Wednesdays from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. The parish's Food Pantry distributes food on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to noon, with all food handed out through a drive-through. This regular schedule connects the parish's worship life with direct assistance for people who need food.
Knitting and Prayer for People in Need
Knitting Angels began in 2008 by making prayer shawls for homebound parishioners. The ministry has since expanded into afghans, lap blankets, chemotherapy hats and sleeves, scarves, baby sweaters, blankets, hats and other clothing, along with teddy bears. Every newly baptized child at St. Martin de Porres receives an all-white baptismal blanket. The group also donates locally to People Who Succeed, the Cancer Center and veterans, and sends boxes of needed items to organizations in New Jersey, Kentucky and New York that distribute them directly to people.
The group meets every Thursday from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Knitters and crocheters are joined by people interested in learning either skill, and members share techniques and tips. The meeting pauses around 3:00 p.m. for prayer before work resumes. Yarn, gift cards and money for postage support the ministry's work.
Baptism, Marriage, Anointing and Funerals
The parish's sacramental life includes preparation and follow-through for families. Baptism begins with instruction arranged through the parish office, along with registration and godparent certification. Weekly instruction in the parish supports sacramental preparation for Confirmation through Greg Cannata's Family Life and Faith Formation office. First Penance and First Holy Communion also involve instruction. Couples planning a marriage are asked to speak with a priest at least six months before the wedding date so preparation can begin.
Anointing of the Sick is intended for a baptized Catholic who has reached the age of reason and has begun to face danger from illness, old age or infirmity, including a renewed crisis of illness. It is not reserved only for someone in the final hours of life. The parish office coordinates the sacrament and funeral arrangements with the chosen funeral home.
Funeral Mass music is to remain sacred, and eulogies are not recommended within the Mass because of the liturgy's sacred character. They are better suited to the wake, committal or a gathering afterward. Memorial Masses can also be scheduled, and multiple Masses may be offered to pray for a deceased person on significant dates. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and Sacramental Outreach and Homebound Ministers bring the parish's sacramental life to homebound parishioners.
Knights, Readers, Homebound Ministry and Respect Life
Ministry at St. Martin de Porres is built around service roles as well as meetings. Altar Servers assist at the altar, Ministers of the Word read, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion serve, and Ushers and Ministers of Hospitality welcome people into the worship space. The hospitality ministry greets those arriving for the Saturday 4:00 p.m. and Sunday 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. Masses and asks its members to be patient, helpful and welcoming.
Knights of Columbus Council 8048 describes its members as Catholic men who lead, serve, protect and defend. The council serves as choristers, cantors, extraordinary ministers, lectors, ushers and hosts at coffee and donuts; works as cooks and servers for the Matthew 25:35 Ministry and parish functions; funds flowers and equipment; and supports community efforts such as a Tootsie-Roll Drive for people with disabilities and the ASAP program supporting women after pregnancy. Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Endow Women's Group, the Secular Franciscan Order, Cursillo and the Padre Pio Franciscan Fraternity add further circles for service, faith and fellowship.
Other ministries extend the parish's concern for people who are vulnerable or in need. Catholic in Recovery provides a recovery community within parish life. The Prison Ministry is associated with Deacon Greg Quinn and Catholic Charities, and GriefShare is part of the parish's ministry life. The Respect Life ministry organizes peaceful, prayerful vigils outside Planned Parenthood at Emerald Plaza on Route 1 on Wednesdays from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. and Fridays from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. It also points parishioners toward Catholic teaching on the dignity of human life.
Stewardship, Gifts and the Caritas Shop
Stewardship at St. Martin de Porres means receiving God's gifts gratefully, cherishing and tending them responsibly and accountably, sharing them in justice and love, and returning them with increase to the Lord. Giving is available through ParishSOFT Giving, with automatic weekly or one-time gifts from a checking account or credit card. The parish also accepts PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay and Google Pay through the platform.
The Caritas Gift Shop is located just off the main vestibule and opens after weekend Masses. Its shelves, along with the worship, formation and charitable work throughout the parish, reflect the many ways the community gathers and gives of itself.
Taken together, these ministries make St. Martin de Porres a parish whose worship extends into formation, hospitality and service. From the 8:30 a.m. daily Mass and Thursday adoration to the Wednesday meal, Saturday drive-through pantry, Sunday choir and Knitting Angels' Thursday gatherings, the parish continues to live out its motto: "Mass is Serious; Church is Fun; Parish is Family!"