A Parish Built by Families in Growing Jupiter
St. Peter Catholic Church has been a fixture in the Jupiter, Florida community since 1987, when four hundred founding families came together around a new Catholic parish. What began with a borrowed cafeteria has grown into a multi-building campus on Indian Creek Parkway, where weekend Masses are celebrated six times, daily Mass is offered twice each weekday, and a campus ministry that includes an inter-parochial school, a music program with five choirs, and an active food pantry reaching into neighborhoods across northern Palm Beach County. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Palm Beach and counts roughly 1500 weekend Mass-goers among those who call St. Peter home.
From a Cafeteria to a Dedicated Church Building
The parish was established on September 29, 1987, with the assignment of Rev. Charles Notabartolo as the founding pastor. The first Mass was celebrated on November 8, 1987, in the cafeteria of the old Jupiter High School, with overflow Masses held for the next four years in the cafeteria of Jupiter Middle School. On September 16, 1991, the parish moved into a multi-purpose building that still serves as the parish hall. Ground was broken for a permanent church, and the new worship building was completed in the fall of 2002. The first Mass was celebrated there on December 21, 2002, and Bishop Sean P. O'Malley dedicated the building on January 5, 2003. In February of that year, Father Notabartolo was appointed Vicar General of the Diocese of Palm Beach, and Rev. Donald T. Finney was named the second pastor of St. Peter. Father Don has guided the parish ever since.
The parish's name honors Peter the Apostle, a fisherman from Bethsaida whom Jesus renamed Cephas, the Rock. Peter became the first pope of the Catholic Church and is honored with a feast day on June 29. A 20th Anniversary celebration in November 2007 included the blessing and consecration of the parish Meditation Garden by Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito, a place of quiet prayer that continues to be tended by parishioners each Saturday morning.
Mass Times and What to Expect on a Sunday
Six Masses are celebrated each weekend. Saturday Vigil Mass is at 4:30 p.m. Sunday Masses are at 8:00 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m. in Spanish, and 5:00 p.m. as the Life Teen Mass. Daily Mass is offered Monday through Friday at 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., with an additional 8:00 a.m. Mass on Saturday. Reconciliation is heard every Saturday from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Chapel or by appointment.
The 9:30 a.m. Sunday Mass is the family Mass, with attendance expected and monitored for children enrolled in the parish's religious education programs. The 11:00 a.m. Mass features the Parish Choir and Handbell Choir. The 5:00 p.m. Life Teen Mass is led by high school teens who serve as greeters, lectors, ushers, and extraordinary Members of Holy Communion. Ushers help latecomers find seats, welcome kiosks are staffed for newcomers, and a cry-room is available for families with small children.
Anointing of the Sick is offered at the 8:00 a.m. Mass on the first Saturday of each month for anyone struggling with serious illness, anticipating surgery, or carrying burdens of mind, body, or spirit. The 8:00 a.m. Sunday Mass and the 12:30 p.m. Spanish Mass are both livestreamed on the parish YouTube channel, and an Act of Spiritual Communion is provided for those who cannot be physically present.
Sacraments at St. Peter
The seven sacraments are at the heart of parish life. Baptisms for children take place each Saturday following the 4:30 p.m. Mass, with Spanish Baptisms celebrated on the first Sunday of the month after the 12:30 p.m. Mass. Parents are asked to register with the parish, submit a Baptism Registration Form, and attend a Baptism Prep Class. Children between the ages of 7 and 14 prepare through a catechesis class before being baptized, while unbaptized adults enter the process through OCIA, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults.
First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion are typically received during a child's second-grade year after two years of preparation in the SPkids Glow and Blaze programs, though many children are older when they begin. The Confirmation program runs two years, beginning in seventh or eighth grade per diocesan guidelines. Confirmation I opens in January and includes weekly online learning assignments, monthly small group meetings, weekly Mass attendance, service hours, and a retreat. Confirmation II begins in August with additional requirements including a letter to Father Don and the selection of a Saint name. Adults preparing for Confirmation walk the OCIA pathway.
Engaged couples are asked to contact the parish office at least four months before the wedding date. The Marriage Preparation Form, Convalidation Form, and Wedding Guidelines are all available, and a Prayer for a Married Couple is shared with couples in formation. The sacrament of Holy Orders is also presented to parishioners, with information on vocations to the priesthood, the diaconate, and the episcopate, along with the parish's belonging to the Diocese of Palm Beach, one of seven Catholic dioceses in Florida.
SPkids: Faith Formation for Children
The parish's children's ministry, SPkids, serves children in kindergarten through fifth grade. The core expectation is that families attend the 9:30 a.m. Sunday Mass together. Kindergarten preparation is offered through Spark, a home-based program under parental supervision. First Communion preparation spans two years: Glow in the first year, where children learn about Jesus, Bible stories, and basic prayers, and Blaze in the second year, an intense preparation for First Reconciliation and First Communion. Glow and Blaze are offered in both English and Spanish, with in-person sessions following the 9:30 a.m. Mass and the rest of the lessons completed at home on a distance-learning platform. Shine, for children in grades 3 through 5 who have already received First Communion, focuses on Scripture study and small group fellowship. Becky Miklos directs the Children's Ministries.
Middle School and High School Youth Ministry
EDGE is the parish's middle school ministry for grades 6 through 8, with monthly Edge Nights in the parish hall designed around Liturgy, community service, and social activities. Christine Macdonald oversees the program, and most Edge Nights are free; only off-site events carry a fee.
Life Teen serves the parish's high school teens. The Sunday evening Life Teen Mass at 5:00 p.m. is the gathering point, with teens filling roles as greeters, lectors, ushers, and extraordinary Members of Holy Communion. Recognizing that teens juggle busy schedules filled with school and travel sports, the Life Nights model has shifted away from Sunday evenings to social gatherings on various days of the week and short-term small group studies. The annual Youth Mission Trip is open to teens in grades 8 through 12 and has included service in Pahokee, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Louisiana hurricane recovery, Orlando with Habitat for Humanity, and an ongoing partnership with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida since 2010. All adults serving in youth ministry must comply with diocesan Safe Environment policies.
OCIA and Adult Faith Formation
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults is a process of study, exploration, faith-sharing, and faith formation for non-baptized adults seeking full initiation into the Roman Catholic Church, as well as baptized adult Christians from other denominations preparing for full communion. The OCIA process is supported by a separate online presence maintained by the parish, with sign-ups available.
Adult Faith Formation complements OCIA with the recommendation of the diocesan School of Christian Formation, which offers a series of classes for adult Catholics wishing to deepen their understanding of the faith, particularly those serving in liturgical, educational, and spiritual ministries. The parish also promotes the free Ascension Press Bible in a Year podcast and Formed, an Augustine Institute platform offering Catholic video series, audio talks, and study materials.
Music That Frames the Liturgy
Music Ministry is led by Dr. Gonzalo Gonzalez and includes several volunteer choirs alongside professional staff singers and musicians. The Parish Choir is a traditional four-part ensemble for singers 18 and older, rehearsing Thursdays from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. and singing at the 11:00 a.m. Sunday Mass. The Handbell Choir rehearses Thursdays from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. and rings at the same liturgy. The Children's Choir, for students in grades 2 through 5, rehearses Wednesdays from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m. and sings at the 9:30 a.m. Mass once a month. The Youth Choir, a contemporary ensemble for grades 6 through 12, rehearses monthly on Thursdays and sings at the 9:30 a.m. Mass. The Life Teen Band rehearses Sundays from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. and leads the 5:00 p.m. Life Teen Mass, drawing both adult musicians and high school teens.
All Saints Catholic School
All Saints Catholic School opened in the fall of 2003 as an inter-parochial school supported by six local parishes, of which St. Peter is one. The school serves as a partner in the faith formation of parish children, and St. Peter families who enroll receive a reduced Catholic tuition rate when they meet the parish criteria: regular Mass attendance, participation in a parish ministry, and consistent financial giving through time, talent, and treasure. The school is not St. Peter's alone, and parish volunteer service is considered a separate and complementary activity to school volunteering.
Food for Families and the St. Vincent de Paul Network
The parish's Food For Families ministry collects non-perishable donations from parishioners through the white bins in the church and from donations to the poor box or online giving. The pantry distributes food four Saturdays each month from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at 2581 Jupiter Park Drive, Suite F-11. Most-needed items include boxed meals, pasta and sauce, canned tomatoes, peanut butter, jelly, canned fruit, cereal, pancake mix, canned chicken, hash, and Spam. Volunteers are always welcome, though the warehouse environment requires closed-toe shoes. The parish also supports the St. Vincent de Paul Society as part of its Share Treasure outreach.
Parish Missions and Sister-Parish Partnerships
St. Peter's mission outreach extends well beyond Palm Beach County. The parish maintains a sister-parish relationship with San Miguel in Guatemala and with St. Mary's in Pahokee. Each October, the parish participates in the Cross Catholic Outreach Box of Joy campaign, packing shoeboxes with toys, clothing, school supplies, and hygiene items to be shipped to Haiti, Guatemala, and other developing countries. The parish regularly sets a goal of 1,000 boxes, with a $9 donation per box recommended to defray shipping costs.
Liturgical Ministries and Service at the Altar
Parishioners serve the liturgy through a wide range of ministries. Lectors proclaim the readings. Altar Servers, who must have received First Communion, carry the cross and processional candles, hold the book for the celebrant, present the bread, wine, and water, and assist the priest and deacon as needed. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion bring the Eucharist to the homebound, nursing home residents, and the hospitalized. Greeters welcome worshippers as they arrive, ushers help them find seats, and Altar Angels assist with the careful work of preparing the sanctuary.
PEACE: Social Justice Rooted in Catholic Teaching
The parish is part of PEACE, People Engaged in Active Community Efforts, an inter-religious coalition of twenty-three diverse congregations from across Palm Beach County. PEACE identifies systemic causes of injustice and holds an annual Nehemiah Action Assembly in the spring, gathering thousands of members to ask public officials to implement meaningful changes. The parish's social justice ministry grounds its work in seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching: Life and Dignity of the Human Person, Call to Community and Service of the Common Good, Rights and Responsibilities, Option for the Poor and Vulnerable, the Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers, Solidarity, and Care for God's Creation. Recent research and action areas have included affordable housing, mental health and addiction, and police-community relations.
Small Groups, Young Adults, and Young at Heart
Small Groups gather 6 to 12 people for faith conversation and mutual support. Parishioners can form their own group with friends or neighbors, join an existing ministry team, or be placed in a group that is currently forming. The Young Adults ministry serves Catholics in that season of life, while Young at Heart serves parishioners 55 and older with twice-monthly Wednesday gatherings from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall, combining faith, fellowship, food, and fun.
Rosary Makers and Prayer Shawl Ministry
The Rosary Makers ministry meets most second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 7:00 p.m. in the St. Monica classroom in the Parish Hall to craft rosaries that have reached six of the seven continents. The Prayer Shawl Ministry meets Thursday mornings at 9:30 a.m. in the Parish Hall, knitting and crocheting shawls and Baptism blankets presented to parishioners and others through St. Peter's outreach programs.
The Meditation Garden and Gift Shop
The Meditation Garden, dedicated by Bishop Barbarito in November 2007 for the parish's 20th anniversary, offers a tranquil setting for reflection. Memorial bricks are ordered twice a year, in March and September, and volunteers meet every Saturday morning from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. to weed, water, plant, and maintain the grounds. The parish's Gifts of Faith gift shop, located on the left as you enter the main church doors, is open before and after weekend Masses and offers Bibles, rosaries, and handmade items crafted by parishioners.
Clergy and Pastoral Team
The parish is served by Pastor Rev. Donald T. Finney, Parochial Vicar Rev. Pierre-Soul Estefont, and Rev. Duvan Bermudez in residence, assisted by Deacons Steve McMahon, Stephen Scienzo, John Bartalini, and Dave Licata. Father Don was ordained in 1994 at St. Patrick Cathedral in Norwich, Connecticut, after studies at the College of the Holy Cross and St. John's Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts. He previously taught history at Marianapolis Preparatory School and has served parishes in Massachusetts and Florida before his appointment to St. Peter in April 2003. He earned a Master of Arts in Holocaust and Genocide Studies from Gratz College in 2016.
Getting Involved and Giving
Parishioners can support St. Peter through online giving, text-to-give by texting spjupiter to 833-736-1364, bill-pay through personal banks, or traditional offertory envelopes mailed to the home. Beyond financial support, the parish welcomes volunteers for its food pantry, small group leadership, liturgical ministry, music ensembles, the Meditation Garden, the gift shop, social justice research committees, and youth ministry Core Teams. Safe Environment training through the Diocese of Palm Beach is required for any adult working with children or vulnerable adults, including background screening, a Code of Conduct, and Virtus training.
The parish office is open Monday from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The office phone number is 561-575-0837, the fax is 561-575-6784, and email reaches the parish at office@stpeterjupiter.com. The church is located at 1701 Indian Creek Parkway in Jupiter, with directions from both I-95 and the Florida Turnpike routing visitors east on Indiantown Road to Central Boulevard, then south to the Maplewood and Indian Creek intersection. The entrance to the church property is on the left.