‘We have a lot of history here’

By Cristina Cabrera Jarro -

Photography: ROCIO GRANADOS | LVC

MIAMI BEACH | When tourists and residents of South Florida drive east on the Julia Tuttle Causeway (I-195), they pass the iconic “Welcome to Miami Beach” sign. But for Beatrice Butchko Sanchez, another landmark signals arrival: the seven-story campanile of St. Patrick Parish.

“I think that the tower stands out as a beacon to welcome people onto the beach, specifically tourists,” said Butchko Sanchez, a parishioner at St. Patrick’s for 28 years.

“One of the unique things about this parish is that on Sundays, you see a lot of people in sportswear and casual wear because they’re on vacation, and yet they can still be in touch with their Catholic roots and practice their faith by having this beautiful church here,” she said.

Though no longer living in the area, Sanchez journeyed to Miami Beach’s first Catholic church with her husband to attend a St. Patrick’s Day solemn Mass on March 17, 2026. This was one of several festivities taking place during the yearlong celebration of the 100th anniversary of St. Patrick Parish.

“Today, we celebrate a double blessing,” said Archbishop Thomas Wenski, the main celebrant of the Mass.

“In a Church that is almost 2,000 years old, 100 years might not seem like such a long time; but here in South Florida, where everything seems like it was built a day before yesterday, 100 years is certainly worthy of celebration,” said the archbishop.

St. Patrick Parish was founded May 12, 1926, by Father William Barry (later Monsignor), who celebrated the first Mass in a theater on 41st Street and Alton Road. Soon after, American developer Carl Fisher donated land with polo stables that served as the parish’s first church and school.

After the devastating 1926 hurricane destroyed the structures, the community set out to rebuild bigger and better. The new plans for St. Patrick’s included a church, a school, a convent, and other facilities, along with a campanile honoring Fisher, who also donated its bells. Father Barry oversaw the work as he led the parish for 40 years. He even earned the unofficial title of “mayor of Miami Beach.”

“We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Msgr. Barry, and to all of the priests who served our parish and the archdiocese, especially those who came as missionaries from Ireland,” said Father Roberto Cid, St. Patrick’s current pastor.

In his early ministry, Father Cid served alongside Msgr. Noel Fogarty, a deceased Irish priest who served more than 50 years in the Archdiocese of Miami.

“You see the dedication, the love and the passion that these men brought to the Church,” said Father Cid.

When Father Cid was assigned to St. Patrick, Msgr. Fogarty congratulated him. Father Cid recalled often driving by St. Patrick’s “unaware that approximately 20 years later I would become the pastor of this 100-year-old parish,” he said.

‘We have a lot of history here’

St. Patrick’s is marking “its centennial with several activities and events. The parish is collecting historic documents and photographs from the community to update its history, to be written by Miami historian Paul S. George.

Several Masses will honor those who have received a sacrament (baptism, first Communion, confirmation, marriage, Holy Orders) at St. Patrick since 1926.

For families like Miriam Santos’, spanning four generations at St. Patrick, there is much to celebrate. Her three children grew up in the parish; one son, Tony Santos, serves as a deacon; seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren have been baptized at St. Patrick’s; and her grandchildren are celebrating weddings at the church.

“We have a lot of history here,” said Santos.

One of her favorite memories is serving at St. Patrick’s Thanksgiving Day feast for the homeless. Adults cook, and children take charge of decorating, setting tables, and escorting guests. She remembers cooking once for two days to serve 400 people.

“It was such a pleasure to do it,” she said. “This is a family with a capital ‘F.’ This is a whole family here: the priests, the sisters, everyone.”

A beautiful place for ‘real people’

John Lockier, a parishioner of 15 years, remembers when he first came to St. Patrick.

“It’s so beautiful in here,” Lockier said.

The church was designed in the Spanish Revival style, with white stucco walls, marble floors, stained glass windows, high arches, a baldacchino above the high altar, and more. It was renovated and restored during the 1990s and 2000s.

For Franciscan Brother of Peace Mark Spencer, director of liturgical music at St. Patrick, it is not only about the beauty of the church’s architecture, but also the beauty of its community.

“What makes our parish so above and beyond is the people. It’s been this way since forever,” said Brother Spencer, who marked his 26th Christmas at St. Patrick in 2025. His aunts were Irish Adrian Dominican Sisters who pioneered the early days of the church and school.

For Father Denis Hooper, a visiting Irish Benedictine priest from Glenstal Abbey in County Limerick, St. Patrick’s is “a second home.”

“When you come to a place as an outsider, your first impressions, very often, are right. The people are just so down-to-earth here. That’s just not the impression you normally get of Miami, this big type of metropolis. These are real people,” said Father Hooper.

Today, nearly 3,000 parishioners participate in the life of St. Patrick, with a mostly Hispanic population from Central and South America, Cuba, Europe, and other places. Masses are offered in English and Spanish. During Easter services, scriptures have also been proclaimed in Portuguese, French, German, and other languages as a nod to diversity.

The parish offers more than 20 ministries and religious education programs, including the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) and Emmaus groups, as well as a few unique groups like a book club and a Catholic Student Union at Miami Beach High School.

Tony Adams, chief of Neonatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center, balances his service to newborns with serving at the altar at St. Patrick’s. For the Mass on the feast day of St. Patrick, he had finished a 24-hour shift at the hospital but was proudly ready to serve.

“Today is one of the most exciting days for the parish,” Adams said. “A hundred years! Not 50, not 20. It’s 100.”

FIND OUT MORE

• A Centennial Celebration Dinner in honor of St. Patrick Parish 100th anniversary will take place May 30, 2026, at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
• For more information on this and other events, visit stpatrickmiamibeach.com.