At St. Stephen: �A welcoming spirit�

By Jonathan Martinez - Florida Catholic

MIRAMAR | From humble beginnings to becoming a multiethnic house of worship, the history of St. Stephen Church in Miramar is one of welcoming believers regardless of their origin.

Keeping true to that receiving spirit, the parish commemorated its 60th anniversary Aug. 19 with a trilingual Mass, celebrated by Archbishop Thomas Wenski.

“For 60 years, St. Stephen Parish has welcomed God’s pilgrim people. Over the years, thousands of people have met Christ in Word and sacrament. For 60 years, here at St. Stephen’s, the Lord has fed you and met your needs,” Archbishop Wenski said during the homily.

The parish was born in 1953 as a mission of Little Flower Church in Hollywood.  Parishioners originally attended Mass in a community center which was still under construction. Priests from Little Flower would celebrate the Mass.

On April 24, 1954, Father Francis Dunleavy, the pastor of Little Flower, blessed the ground on which the new church was to be built. In 1956, the same year the mission attained parish status, Bishop Joseph P. Hurley of St. Augustine dedicated the church. (At the time, St. Augustine Diocese encompassed all of Florida).

The first 12 years of the parish saw St. Stephen staffed by diocesan priests. In 1968, Miami Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll invited the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, a congregation of religious brothers and priests, to oversee the parish.For 45 years, the Oblates did just that. In 2013, they turned the parish back to the archdiocese.

“From the very beginning this parish has been very spiritual and very involved in the social aspects of the community,” said Juan Diego Mejia, a parishioner for the past 25 years. “We have many ministries that take food to the poor, that visit the sick, that visit those who need assistance and help them walk in the faith.”

That spirituality has been evident in the welcoming spirit of the congregation.

In the 1970s, a large influx of Spanish-speaking Catholics moved to southern Broward County. In 1975, St. Stephen held its first Spanish Mass, and from that moment the congregation continued to grow. The parish came to be known as the Hispanic “soul” of South Broward. Today, over two-thirds of its congregation are of Hispanic or Caribbean origin.

“St. Stephen has a great welcoming spirit. When I first came here 24 years ago, it became like a home that spoke in my own language,” said Milagros Rios. “It welcomed me here. It is filled with happiness and joy that reaches inside of you.”

St. Stephen’s welcoming spirit was once again tested in 1992, when Hurricane Andrew struck the southern part of Miami-Dade County, forcing thousands of Hispanics and African-Caribbean people to move into northern Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

The parish once again opened its arms to this influx and accepted this new wave of believers under the motto of “One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism.” Since then the church has added Masses in Creole, making the parish a trilingual worshiping community.

“We have a very vibrant community here. Diversity enriches the parish, enriches the people,” said Father Patrick Charles, St. Stephen’s pastor.

“When they come and they sing and they celebrate in their own language it lifts up the spirit of the people as we truly celebrate the unity and diversity of the Church through the Holy Spirit,” he added.

After the anniversary Mass, parishioners continued the celebration in the church’s banquet hall. They shared food and cut a 60th anniversary cake. As they reminiscedabout the last 60 years, they also relished the present and looked forward to the future.

“I hope the parish continues to grow and continues to be a place of welcoming,” said Father Charles. “We want this to be a place where everybody, whoever you may be, when you come to St. Stephen’s, you experience the mercy, the kindness and the love of God.”