A Bilingual Parish at the Heart of DeLand
St. Peter Catholic Church has long served as a spiritual anchor in downtown DeLand, the seat of Volusia County on the east side of central Florida. From its church office at 359 West New York Avenue, the parish of the Diocese of Orlando welcomes a community that includes longtime Volusia families, Hispanic Catholics from across the region, college students from nearby Stetson University, and visitors drawn to a small but active downtown. Mass is celebrated in both English and Spanish every day of the week, and a network of ministries reaches out from the parish grounds to two mission churches, a Pre-K through eighth-grade school, a free medical and dental clinic, and families experiencing homelessness.
The parish is led by Father Peter Latouf, Parochial Administrator, with Father Emmanuel Mbuk MSP serving as Parochial Vicar. Three deacons, Herbie Toledo, Kurt Slafkovsky, and Guillermo D. Gomez, assist at Mass and in pastoral care. Behind them stands a sizable staff of ministry leaders, including Director of Religious Education Jenny Mansingh and Music Director Edit Palmer, alongside catechists, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and volunteers who keep the parish's many programs running throughout the week.
A Schedule Built Around Daily and Sunday Mass
Mass shapes the parish's rhythm. On Saturdays, a vigil Mass is offered at 4:00 pm. Sunday brings five more Masses: 7:30 am, 9:00 am, 11:00 am, and 5:30 pm in English, and a Spanish Mass at 12:45 pm that draws one of the largest Hispanic congregations in the area. Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Saturday at 8:15 am, with a school Mass on Wednesdays during the academic year. On Thursdays, a 7:00 pm Spanish Mass is preceded at 6:00 pm by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard on Saturdays at noon or by appointment. Two prayer traditions accompany the Mass schedule: the Rosary is prayed in the church on Monday evenings at 5:30 pm and again after the daily 8:15 am Mass each morning. A Perpetual Adoration Chapel, open from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm daily, gives parishioners a quieter setting for prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. The parish describes the chapel as existing "because of what we Catholics believe about the Eucharist: that Jesus Christ is truly present (Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity) in the consecrated host." A door code is available from the parish office for those who wish to adore outside public hours.
The 9:00 am Sunday Mass is livestreamed each week and can be viewed on YouTube and Facebook, with recordings archived for those unable to attend in person. The parish encourages a special moment of phone-silence before Mass through the MyMassMode reminder built into its myParish app.
Faith Formation from Pre-K through Confirmation
Religious education at St. Peter runs the full sacramental arc. The parish's faith formation program serves children from first grade through high school, with First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion typically prepared in second grade or older, and a two-year Confirmation program for teens and older students. A full OCIA process (formerly RCIA) welcomes unbaptized men and women, Christians from other traditions, and Catholics seeking Eucharist and Confirmation. The Rite of Acceptance opens the year each January, with scrutinies observed during Lent and the sacraments of initiation conferred at the Easter Vigil.
Jenny Mansingh, the Director of Religious Education, oversees the program with Eliana Bocanegra serving as Catechetical Ministry Assistant. A staff of volunteer catechists, many named on the parish's class lists, teaches in classrooms across the parish school building, Bosco Hall, the school cafeteria, and St. Teresa Hall. Sacramental preparation takes place largely on weekday evenings and Sundays, with parents required to attend alongside their children for most sessions. Baptisms are scheduled on the second and fourth weekends of the month, after required baptism classes in English (third Saturday) and Spanish (third Tuesday).
Marriage preparation begins with a conversation with the parish office, while quinceañera preparation at Mission San Jose is coordinated through Father Raul and the catechist Washington. Anointing of the Sick, pastoral visits to the homebound, and funeral planning round out the sacramental life of the parish.
Music, Liturgy, and the Hispanic Community
Music holds a central place in worship at St. Peter. The St. Peter Choir, an auditioned ensemble open to anyone from high school age up, rehearses on Tuesday evenings at 6:00 pm and sings at the 9:00 am Sunday Mass and on Holy Days. Director of Music Edit Palmer also leads occasional concerts, including a Christmas performance by the parish choir and appearances by visiting ensembles such as the Astralis Chamber Players. The parish's music ministry quotes Psalm 95: "O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation" and an ancient proverb: "One who sings well prays twice."
The Hispanic music ministry enlivens the parish's Spanish-language liturgies under the direction of Willie Crespo. A Spanish Charismatic Prayer Group gathers on Tuesday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. The parish prints a Spanish-language guide to Mass responses (Respuestas Para La Misa) so worshippers can follow the order of Mass in their own language. A bilingual digital visitor log greets everyone who comes to the parish office, and the Comunidad Hispana gathers sacramental information, registration links, and devotional resources for Spanish-speaking parishioners.
The parish serves as home to several small ecclesial communities: Couples for Christ, which describes itself as a Catholic lay movement for the whole family with formation tracks for children, youth, single adults, and widowed members; Cursillo/Ultreya; and the Disciples of the Holy Black Nazarene. These groups meet in parish facilities throughout the week and bring many of their members into the Sunday liturgies.
Two Mission Churches in the Countryside
Beyond DeLand itself, St. Peter reaches into the surrounding Volusia County countryside through two mission churches.
Mission San Jose sits just north of State Route 40 in Barberville and serves a growing Hispanic population. Sunday Mass is celebrated there at 9:00 am and 11:00 am, with an additional Wednesday evening Mass at 7:00 pm. Catechism classes meet on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with first Communion, Confirmation, baptism, and adult sacramental preparation coordinated by Maria Prokop, Washington, and Father Raul. Quinceañeras are an important part of the mission's life and require both liturgical and catechetical preparation.
St. Hubert of the Forest occupies a quieter corner of the county at 55600 Veterans Drive in Astor. Beginning March 1, 2026, Sunday Mass is offered at 11:00 am in a small, woodsy setting that has long drawn boaters, snowbirds, and year-round residents of the Astor peninsula. Both mission communities operate as extensions of St. Peter, with sacramental records, formation, and pastoral care coordinated through the DeLand parish office.
Outreach, Prison Ministry, and Care for the Sick
St. Peter's outreach reaches well beyond its own grounds. The parish partners with the Good Samaritan Free Medical and Dental Clinic to provide health care to uninsured neighbors in Volusia County, and supports Family Renew Community, which provides transitional housing and support services to homeless families with children. A parish Food Pantry fund sends monthly contributions to the Bridge & Neighborhood Center. Visitation House, listed among the parish's outreach partners, extends similar work for women in difficult circumstances.
The Kairos Prison Ministry gathers at the parish on Tuesdays, bringing Christ's love and forgiveness to incarcerated individuals and their families. The Respect Life ministry organizes an annual candlelight vigil on January 22 at the Volusia County courthouse steps in DeLand, alongside the Life Chain and other education and advocacy efforts on behalf of the unborn, the elderly, and the vulnerable. Bereavement ministers walk with families through funeral planning, hospitality after funerals, and an ongoing Grief Support Program; Ministry to the Sick brings Holy Communion and pastoral visits to those in hospitals, nursing homes, and private homes.
Volunteers in any of these ministries, and in others like altar serving, lecturing, sacristan, or extraordinary ministry of Holy Communion, must be at least 15 years old and complete fingerprinting, background screening, and Safe Environment training through the Diocese of Orlando before beginning service. Background checks are valid for five years.
St. Peter Catholic School
The parish school, St. Peter Catholic School, is a Pre-K through eighth-grade ministry of St. Peter Catholic Parish serving families in DeLand and across greater Volusia County. The school is accredited through the Florida Catholic Conference of Bishops, a body recognized by the Florida Department of Education. Its mission statement describes a "faith-filled community committed to proclaiming the Gospel message of Jesus Christ" that cultivates responsible, respectful, trustworthy, well-educated individuals "confident in their knowledge and compassionate in His service." Principal Patricia Andrews leads a faculty that uses the school building for many faith formation classes during the week, including First Communion and Confirmation preparation, OCIA youth classes, and sacramental catechesis for older students.
Bible Studies, Men's and Women's Groups, and the Wider Parish Family
Parish life includes a busy calendar of small groups. The Adult Bible Study meets Wednesdays from 9:30 to 11:00 am. Fresh Start Men's Bible Study gathers Wednesday mornings from 7:15 to 8:00 am in a casual setting for men of the parish. Women of Faith meets Tuesdays from 9:00 to 11:30 am in St. Teresa Hall. The Men's Holy League meets on the second Wednesday of every month. LifeTeen, a Eucharist-centered high school youth movement, meets on Sunday evenings after the 5:30 pm Mass in the Holy Family Life Center, and the parish partners with Stetson Catholic Campus Ministry to reach college students, with weekly meetings on Tuesday from 6:30 to 8:00 pm in Allen Hall at Stetson University during the school year. Knights of Columbus, the Council of Catholic Women, the Family Renew Community, and Family Renew round out the parish's lay organizations.
Hospitality and fellowship have their place too. Ushers and Greeters assist at Mass, taking up the collection, directing communion, and helping with any health emergencies that arise. Coffee and donuts follow Sunday Masses. Oktoberfest and parish Bingo nights raise funds and bring parishioners together. A New Parishioner Welcoming ministry and the Camino parish database help newcomers register and find their footing.
Visiting St. Peter for the First Time
The church office sits at 359 West New York Avenue in downtown DeLand, with hours from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday; 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on Wednesday; and 8:00 am to noon on Friday. The parish phone line, (386) 822-6000, is the simplest way to reach the staff. Visitors are encouraged to complete the Digital Visitor Log, available in both English and Spanish, when stopping by the office.
Weekly bulletins are posted online in PDF form, going back many months. Online giving through Vanco supports the parish's general offertory, the school, the international festival, the Bereavement Ministry, Faith Formation registration, the Food Pantry, the diocesan collection, the Building Fund, Mass Intentions, the Council of Catholic Women, and a Safety and Security Fund that pays for off-duty Volusia County Sheriff's deputies during services and parish events. The myParish app brings the bulletin, daily Mass readings, homilies, a Confession reminder, parish contacts, and the ability to submit prayer requests to a phone or computer.
Hearing devices are available in the front left side of the church for those who need them. The parish asks that altar servers, lectors, and all who serve in the sanctuary dress appropriately and behave with reverence, and reminds families that the 9:00 am Sunday Mass is regularly livestreamed, so those in the sanctuary may appear on camera. The on-site nursery is presently closed, though the parish school building hosts many faith formation classes throughout the week.
For those seeking to grow in prayer, study, or service, the parish's online registration system, Camino, helps new and existing parishioners keep their household information current. Registration forms, facility request forms, perpetual adoration sign-ups, and sacramental registration packets are available at the parish office, by mail, by fax, or in the Sunday collection basket.