�Open doors� parish of St. John the Apostle marks 70th

By Jonathan Martinez - Florida Catholic

Photography: JONATHAN MARTINEZ | FC

HIALEAH | Over 70 years ago, a small group of people from Hialeah and nearby Miami Springs dreamt of building a church near their community.

Through sheer perseverance and dedication, they succeeded: St. John the Apostle Parish was established in 1945 by Archbishop Joseph P. Hurley of St. Augustine, the diocese which then encompassed all of Florida.

On Nov. 8, hundreds filled the Hialeah church to celebrate the 70th anniversary of their parish. Archbishop Thomas Wenski celebrated the Mass along with Father Hector Perez, St. John’s pastor, parochial vicar Father Ivan Rodriguez and other archdiocesan priests.

“I feel so happy and blessed to not only be here today but to have had the pleasure of knowing so many of the priests that have served at St. John’s,” said Monserrat Guerrero, parishioner since 2000. “This church has its doors open to everyone and it gives love and acceptance to whomever enters through its doors. For me, this is home.”

St. John’s humble beginnings were a testament to the hard work of its parishioners. In the early days, people would donate all the extra money they had, sometimes amounting to $1 per person, in order to raise funds to build the church.

The plan was to build a church and school. But the first building that was completed � June 30, 1949 � was the convent for the Sisters of Mercy from Philadelphia who came to teach at the school. Soon after, the church was ready, followed by the school.

On Jan. 22, 1950, Bishop Thomas J. McDonough, auxiliary bishop of St. Augustine, blessed and dedicated the school, a chapel, auditorium, rectory, and convent.

The founding pastor was Father Lawrence J. Flynn. Since then, seven pastors have served the St. John’s community. 

“My dream is for this parish to continue to grow and for the youth to find their way here,” said Jose Garcia, parishioner for over 60 years. “This is a great moment for our church.”

“Thanks be to God for the faithful who have passed through this parish over these 70 years. Thank God for the priests and religious who have served here throughout these seven decades,” said Archbishop Wenski during his homily. “Today, we open a new chapter in the history of this parish. At this Mass I will officially install Father Hector Perez as your new pastor. He's been here a few months as an administrator and has done well. He and Father Ivan are here to serve, they are here to accompany you on your journey to the Lord.”

“I feel very emotional and happy, to see parishioners that have been here for 40, 50 years is amazing,” said Father Perez, who had served as administrator for the past two years. He took over after the retirement of the previous pastor, Msgr. Emilio Martin. 

“I am also witnessing history,” Father Perez said. “This parish was the first one built in the city of Hialeah. It’s a community that has always welcomed immigrants and people from many diverse backgrounds.”

The 70th anniversary Mass was filled with people of all ages. Families came together to celebrate the milestone, even those who are no longer parishioners or don’t live in the neighborhood. New parishioners also joined in the celebration.

“We receive a lot of immigrants at this church, especially those arriving from Cuba,” said Father Rodriguez. “This is a gathering place for many of them and we take advantage of that to evangelize all of those who are coming from far away so that when they get here they know that we will always hold our door open to them. In other words, that God is welcoming them here.”

“I hope that this community continues to grow, that we continue to work as a family and that with God’s grace we continue to work together in renovating this blessed community,” said Father Perez.

The Mass was followed by a cultural event at the parish hall, featuring food and folkloric music. Longtime parishioners gathered with new ones, and former and current students and teachers joined in the celebration of the parish’s history.

“It is a very emotional day,” said Efrain Infante, parishioner for the last five years and member of the Knight of Columbus Council 4. “This has been a beautiful celebration of our parish’s history, a wonderful show of faith and family, and I hope and pray that the future is bright and that we continue to grow and flourish.”

“I hope that the Lord will help us in continuing pushing forward the mission and that we remain faithful to the ministry that he has bestowed on us,” said Father Rodriguez.