Archbishop Thomas Wenski consecrates a brand-new church for Saint Agnes in Key Biscayne

By Communications Department - Archdiocese of Miami

 

Miami ... (Sept. 16, 2023) On Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, Archbishop Thomas Wenski consecrated a new church for Saint Agnes parish in Key Biscayne. 

An initial plan to "beautify" the campus of St. Agnes by painting and adding landscaping turned into a seven-year, $18 million project that culminated in a brand-new church. 

"The initial idea was to remodel the church even though it would only solve some of the issues. Remodeling plans were presented to the Village; however, this exceeded the 50% FEMA rule. The structure needed to meet the new building code which meant elevating it. The only way to solve the challenges was to build a new church," St. Agnes' building committee wrote in a backgrounder for parishioners posted on the church's website.

The redevelopment was carried out in stages under the motto “Building with JOY.” 

Founded in 1954, the parish now serves more than 1,500 families and some 3,000 faithful attend Masses. St. Agnes Academy has 500 students, 600 are enrolled in religious education, and the parish has 23 ministries that involve some 800 parishioners. The Building with JOY project resulted in a new church with capacity for 600; a multipurpose center and gymnasium (dedicated in May of this year); security and safety for the school by enclosing the campus; and improvement of the grounds for better parking and traffic.

At the dedication Mass, Archbishop Wenski reminded parishioners that "a beautiful sanctuary can help set the right mood for proper worship. And hopefully these new facilities can help lead you to a more worthy celebration of the sacraments. Of course, the church is not the buildings, it’s the people, the community. So, just as you have worked hard to build these buildings, you must work even harder to continue to build up the community in faith, hope, and love.

"The dedication Mass was concelebrated by St. Agnes' pastor, Father Juan Carlos Paguaga and a number of other archdiocesan priests.

The first Masses for tonight and tomorrow in the church are: Saturday, Sept. 16, at 5 p.m. (English Vigil)Sunday, Sept. 18, at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. in English; 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. in Spanish.