By NewsLine Staff
mail@floridanewsline.com
Bishop Felipe J. Estévez of the Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine will officially bless a new parish center for St. John Paul II Mission on Thursday, June 23, at 127 Stonemason Way, near Valley Ridge Boulevard and west of the Kelly Pointe subdivision in Nocatee.
The ceremony will begin with Mass at 7 p.m. followed by a blessing ceremony for the 12,000 square foot parish center. The new center will serve as a worship space with auditorium-style seating for 450 until the mission can afford to build a church. The new building will serve a multitude of purposes including special events with a fully equipped commercial kitchen, administrative offices, conference rooms, a stage and chapel.
The faith community of St. John Paul II broke ground Aug. 8, 2015 on the $5.5 million project.
St. John Paul II is a mission of Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Ponte Vedra Beach under the leadership of Msgr. Keith Brennan, pastor. A mission is a congregation too small or too new to be established as a separate parish.
Bishop Estévez appointed Father Edward Shaner to serve at Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish as a parochial vicar in March 2014. Father Shaner oversees the mission at Nocatee.
St. John Paul II has grown from 136 registered families in 2012 to more than 232 families or 591 individuals today. Father Shaner announced the new Mass schedule will become effective Friday, June 24: daily Mass Monday – Friday at 8:30 a.m., Saturday Mass at 5 p.m. with reconciliation at 4 p.m. and Sunday Mass at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
Photo courtesy Catholic Diocese of Saint Augustine
Exterior of St. John Paul II Mission Church parish center
