St. Patrick Catholic Church stands on Prosperity Farms Road in Palm Beach Gardens, a Catholic parish in the Diocese of Palm Beach. The community describes itself as a community of faith, bound together in worship, fellowship, and ministry, uplifted by the Holy Spirit, and committed to growing and sharing in Christ's love. Founded in 1987, the parish has grown from a borrowed restaurant dining room to a custom-built church with a rose window, a Eucharistic Chapel, and a Parish Center that hosts faith formation classes, youth nights, and a summer camp for children. Its motto - "Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me" - sets the tone for a community whose mission is to be a welcoming presence reaching out to the spiritual, emotional, educational, social, and material needs of all God's children, both in the parish and beyond.
From the Fireside Inn to a Rose Window
In September 1987, Bishop Daily appointed Father Frank Guinan to establish a new parish in northern Palm Beach County. The future St. Patrick community would serve an area that, at the time, had few of the residential developments that fill the landscape today. After meeting with other local pastors to redraw boundaries, Father Guinan and a small group of lay leaders set out to find a place to celebrate Mass.
John and Marilyn McCarthy, owners of the Fireside Inn Restaurant in the Bluffs, offered the use of their dining room at no charge. Masses were scheduled at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, ending in time to let the restaurant open for dinner. On the first weekend, October 24 and 25, 1987, roughly 250 people gathered. Monday night meetings at the Rectory quickly organized a Liturgical Ministry, a bulletin, a Census and Stewardship campaign, a first parish picnic, and a St. Patrick's Day party.
Growth came fast. By December 1987 a 2:30 p.m. Saturday Mass was added, and in January the 8:00 a.m. Sunday Mass began. In 1988, Frenchman's Creek donated three portable buildings - a former pro shop, locker room, and restaurant - and the first Mass in the new on-site building was celebrated on Christmas Day 1988. Bishop Daily blessed the structure on December 10, 1989, before more than 600 people.
A permanent church was the next step. In 1991 a building committee chaired by Bill Murphy selected architect Richard SanGiovanni, and in 1994 Vincent and Ann Marotta chaired a $3.5 million capital campaign. The official dedication, preached by the Rector of St. Ignatius Loyola Cathedral, drew more than twenty priests and roughly 1,500 worshippers. Florence and Larry DeGeorge funded the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, and Gail and Frank Scarpa donated the rose window above the main altar. The Tree of Life in the main entrance still lists many of the original supporters, and the late Sidney Simowitz is remembered for supervising the entire construction process. In less than thirteen years, the parish had grown from a borrowed restaurant pew to a most beautiful Catholic church in a park-like setting.
Mass Times, Confession, and First Friday Adoration
Mass is offered Saturday at 4:00 p.m. and Sunday at 8:00, 9:30, and 11:15 a.m. A daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 8:30 a.m. in the main church. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard every Saturday at 3:00 p.m., half an hour before the Vigil Mass, or by appointment. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is held on the first Friday of each month, with time slots between 9:00 and 11:30 a.m. and at least one adorer needed for each slot. Sunday Mass is livestreamed on the parish's YouTube channel for those unable to attend in person, and printed worship aids and weekly bulletins are available online for each liturgy.
The Seven Sacraments
The parish prepares members for each of the seven Catholic sacraments. Infant baptism is scheduled through Julie Carter, the Sacramental Coordinator, and first-time parents attend a preparation session. Children age seven and older who have not been baptized follow a separate path, while adults seeking baptism are directed to the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults.
First Reconciliation is typically celebrated in January of the second-grade year, with First Holy Communion following in the spring. A second track uses the Signs of Grace curriculum for students in grades three through five. Preparation for Confirmation is open to students in eighth through twelfth grade, with sessions held Monday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. The two-year journey includes a 350-word Saint biography, a sponsor, a Confirmation project, monthly parent classes, and a retreat at Our Lady of Florida Spiritual Center in North Palm Beach. The parish is also active in promoting vocations to Holy Orders, and the Anointing of the Sick is offered to those facing serious illness or the frailties of old age, not only to those at the point of death.
The parish also celebrates Marriage. Weddings may be scheduled year-round, except on Sundays. Saturday weddings are available between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., and at 6:00 p.m. from May through November. Couples meet with a priest at least two months in advance, complete a FOCCUS (Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding and Study) inventory, and attend a one-day marriage preparation program sponsored by the Diocese of Palm Beach. Registered parishioners of six months or more pay a $1,000 church fee; non-parishioners pay $2,000. Couples who wish to marry at St. Patrick must arrange music through the parish Music Ministry, and the floor of the central aisle - Italian marble - means runners, rice, confetti, and flower petals are not allowed on church property.
Faith Formation from Kindergarten through Confirmation
St. Patrick's Faith Formation program welcomes children from kindergarten through high school. Elementary classes are held on Sunday mornings from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m., immediately following the 9:30 a.m. Mass so that families can worship together first. The program uses the St. Mary's Press Discover! Finding Faith in Life curriculum and includes monthly parent sessions to help adults grow in their own faith.
Second graders preparing for First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion meet on either Sundays (10:30 to 11:45 a.m.) or Wednesdays (5:30 to 6:30 p.m.). Older children in grades three through five follow the Signs of Grace track, working through the You Are Forgiven and You Are Loved books with accompanying videos. A Mommy + Me group for mothers and children ages four and younger meets for prayer, play, music, and community during the academic year.
Middle schoolers in grades six and seven gather in the Youth Room on Sunday mornings for a hybrid model that combines classroom teaching with the Encounter Bible study, designed specifically for grades six to eight. Encounter uses a color-coded Bible Timeline Learning System to walk students through the story of salvation. The annual Faith Formation Family Fee is $150, with an additional $50 for First Communion prep and $150 for Confirmation candidates. The Faith Formation team is led by Director Stephanie Farr, with Hilary Schmitt handling Communion and Mommy + Me questions and Mia Nemic overseeing Confirmation and teen questions.
Becoming Catholic through OCIA
The Order of Christian Initiation for Adults - OCIA - is the formal path into the Catholic Church for adults who are unbaptized, baptized in another Christian tradition, or baptized Catholic but seeking Confirmation and First Communion. Sessions meet on Monday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., September through April, and explore Scripture, Church teaching, prayer, and the meaning of a Christian life. The process follows the four traditional stages - Inquiry, Catechumenate, Purification and Preparation, and Mystagogy - culminating in reception into the Church at the Easter Vigil. Stephanie Farr, the parish's Faith Formation Director, coordinates the program and welcomes inquiries from anyone curious about the Catholic faith.
Teen Nights, Young Adults, and Clover Kids Camp
Teen Youth Nights are the centerpiece of St. Patrick's youth ministry for seventh through twelfth graders. The Monday-evening gatherings from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. include dinner, games, service projects, and time to grow in faith. Recent nights have featured a baked potato bar, a Mario Kart tournament with make-your-own-pizza, a trivia and pajamas evening, a glow-in-the-dark volleyball tournament, and ice cream parties. Middle schoolers in sixth and seventh grade participate in Sunday morning faith formation, and seventh and eighth graders are also invited to the Monday nights.
The parish runs a Young Adult Group for adults in their twenties and thirties, which meets Tuesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. for Bible with Friends and gathers for shared meals, fellowship, and conversation. A young adult dinner series has been a popular starting point for newcomers. Events from recent years have also included a Rosary social and seasonal gatherings such as Rosè and The Rosary.
Clover Kids Summer Camp fills the Parish Center for one week each July, with games, Bible stories, crafts, sports, scavenger hunts, dance, cooking, water day, and ice cream parties. The 2026 camp, held July 20 through 24 for children VPK through fifth grade, filled within hours of opening registration. Each day runs from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and includes a light breakfast and an afternoon snack; campers bring a packed lunch except on Pizza Friday. The cost is $225 per child.
Music, Liturgy, and the Building
The Music Ministry at St. Patrick is led by William Stafford, Director of Music and Liturgy. Choirs and instrumentalists provide music for the weekend Masses, holy days, weddings, funerals, and special celebrations, and members can download choral and instrumental scores from a parish music portal.
The church building itself is a study in light and stone. The rose window above the main altar, donated by Gail and Frank Scarpa, casts colored light into the nave, while the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament - funded by Florence and Larry DeGeorge - offers a quieter place for prayer. The floors of the central aisle are Italian marble, which shapes how weddings are planned: runners are not allowed because they can be slippery, and rice, confetti, flower petals, and candles are prohibited because they can stain the stone or pose a safety hazard.
Other liturgical ministries include Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and ushers, who greet worshippers, help with seating, and assist with collections and Communion. The parish also partners with All Saints Catholic School, which serves the wider faith community of the area.
Outreach, Social Justice, and Pastoral Care
Sister Vivian Gonzalez serves as Director of Outreach. The St. Patrick Social Justice Ministry is a member congregation of PEACE (People Engaged in Active Community Efforts), an interfaith coalition of twenty-three religious congregations in Palm Beach County that organizes around systemic issues like affordable housing and community-police relations. Each spring, PEACE holds a Nehemiah Action Assembly that gathers thousands of members to ask public officials for change. The Social Justice Ministry frames its work around the seven social teachings of the Church - the life and dignity of the human person, call to community, rights and responsibilities, option for the poor and vulnerable, dignity of work, solidarity, and care for God's creation - and recently hosted PEACE's thirtieth anniversary celebration.
Hearts and Hands is a telephone and card ministry. Volunteers make monthly phone calls and send cards to parishioners on the prayer list. The Prayer Shawl Ministry knits and prays over shawls given to those who are ill or grieving, while the St. Patrick Prayer Group gathers for shared intercession. The Fiction and Fellowship Book Club combines reading with discussion and community. The Council of Catholic Women, affiliated with the National Council of Catholic Women, meets monthly from September through May in the Parish Hall and welcomes all Catholic women. The St. Patrick Men's Group brings together men of the parish for fellowship, and the Gardening Ministry tends the parish grounds. The parish also hosts a local conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a Catholic lay organization that serves people in need through home visits and assistance with rent, utilities, food, and clothing.
Joining the Parish and Giving
Parishioners and newcomers are encouraged to register as members through the parish office. Giving is supported through Realm, the parish's secure online community, and also by text: text STPATRICK and an amount to 73256 to complete a one-time or recurring gift. The parish office, at 13591 Prosperity Farms Road in Palm Beach Gardens, is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Father Aidan Lacy serves as pastor, with Father Brian Flanagan as Pastor Emeritus, Deacons Joe Pollock and Guy Hart, and a full-time staff that includes Director of Music and Liturgy William Stafford, Faith Formation Director Stephanie Farr, Director of Outreach Sister Vivian Gonzalez, Sacramental Coordinator Julie Carter, Director of Communications and Development Colleen Head, Business Manager Donna Faber, and Operations Manager Scott Aitken. Teddy, the parish dog, is on hand in the office most days, ready to greet visitors and interview visiting pets.