About Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church · Tampa, Florida
Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish serving the Palm River / Clair-Mel area of Tampa, Florida, in the Diocese of Saint Petersburg. Founded in 1959 as a mission by Father John X. Linnehan and canonically erected as an independent parish in February 1960, it has grown from an initial 75 Catholic families to roughly 300 families today. The parish is well known for its vibrant Spanish-language ministry alongside its English community — weekend Masses are celebrated in both languages — and it continues to operate as a tight-knit, multicultural community in the Hillsborough deanery.
- Established
- 1959
- Patron
- Blessed Sacrament (the Body and Blood of Christ)
- Rector
- Rev. Kazimierz Domek
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Petersburg
Why belong here
Blessed Sacrament is a small, multigenerational parish where Sunday Mass is offered in both English and Spanish, so families of every background feel at home. It runs a full faith-formation program through St. John Bosco Education (including a special Little Shepherds track for children with autism), a weekly food pantry, a Spanish prayer and devotions ministry that includes an October procession honoring El Señor de los Milagros, and an active building campaign to create a new Blessed Center for religious education and community service — meaning new parishioners can help shape a parish that is clearly still growing.
Mass times at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
- Mondays 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM (after 8:30 AM daily Mass)
- Tuesdays 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM (after 8:30 AM daily Mass)
- Wednesdays 7:30 PM – 8:00 PM (after 7:00 PM daily Mass)
- Thursdays 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM (after 8:30 AM daily Mass)
- Fridays 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM (after 8:30 AM daily Mass)
- By appointment — call the parish office
Adoration times
- First Friday of every month: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM Adoration, followed by Holy Mass
- Every Friday: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Adoration
Our History
Blessed Sacrament began as a mission on November 9, 1959, when Father John X. Linnehan celebrated the first Mass in the Clair-Mel area at the Palm River School Auditorium. Christmas Masses were held at the Palm River Civic Center, and within months the Sunday liturgy moved to the Clair-Mel School cafetorium. Land had been purchased for the parish in 1958 and 1959.
Founding and Erecting as a Parish
In February 1960 the mission was canonically erected as an independent parish, with Father John X. Linnehan as founding administrator. The parish began with 75 Catholic families in the area.
Building the First Church (1961)
Ground was broken for the parish church in November 1960 and construction finished shortly after Easter 1961. The first Mass in the new church was celebrated three weeks after Easter 1961, and Archbishop Joseph P. Hurley blessed and dedicated the building in late spring of 1961. The original structure was a provisional steel-fabrication building seating 140 people.
Expansion and Growth
On August 2, 1981, ground was broken for the church and social hall expansion; Bishop W. Thomas Larkin blessed and dedicated the enlarged complex — now seating more than 200 — on August 15, 1982. In 1984 the southern boundary was redrawn (Madison Avenue, Progress Blvd. and W. Bloomingdale Ave., from Providence Road to Hillsborough Bay) with the establishment of the Resurrection mission in Riverview. Family membership has grown from 75 to roughly 300, with services in both English and Spanish.
Meet Our Pastor — Fr. Kazimierz Domek
Reverend Kazimierz Domek was ordained on June 9, 1973, in his native Poland. He has celebrated Mass in Poland, Germany, Russia, Portugal and Italy — including the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome — and concelebrated the funeral Mass for Pope John Paul II in April 2005. He has also celebrated Mass at the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico (October 2012), served in Peru and Guatemala, and worked as a missionary pastor for nine years in Venezuela and nine years in Puerto Rico. He joined the Diocese of St. Petersburg in 2001 and has been pastor of Blessed Sacrament since 2008, where his focus is evangelization programs for children and young people and works for the wider Palm River community.
Faith Formation & Religious Education (St. John Bosco Education)
The parish's catechetical program is called St. John Bosco Education, inspired by the Salesian saint and his work with young people. It serves children through adult candidates for full communion with the Church.
- Little Shepherds — faith formation for children with autism and special needs
- Kindergarten
- Pre-Communion and First Communion
- Grades 3–4 and Grades 5–6
- Pre-Confirmation and Confirmation
- RCIA / RICA — for children, youth and adults
- Catechesis Office (Jessica Chinchilla) — phone (813) 462-9088, [email protected]
Ministries & Groups
Blessed Sacrament has an unusually broad slate of ministries for a parish of its size — many running in both English and Spanish — covering altar service, music, prayer, life issues, food outreach and youth work.
- Altar Servers / Monaguillos (youth ages 7 and up)
- Faith Formation / Catechists (English and Spanish)
- Youth Group
- Young Adult Ministry
- Respect Life
- English Choir
- Spanish Choir
- English Prayer Group (Tuesdays at 7:00 PM)
- Spanish Prayer Group (Fridays at 6:30 PM)
- Juan 23 Prayer Group (Tuesdays/Thursdays at 7:00 PM)
- Divine Mercy Prayer Group (Wednesdays after 7:00 PM Mass)
- Legion of Mary (Sundays after the Spanish morning Mass)
- Marian Bonds of Love / Señor de los Milagros (annual October procession)
- Parish Council
- Spanish Community Committee
- Altar/Rosary Society
- Food Pantry (Mon & Wed 9:00–10:00 AM)
- Garage Sale (Wednesdays 8:00–11:00 AM)
- Live-stream Holy Mass on Facebook
Sacraments
The parish prepares and celebrates the seven Catholic sacraments; for marriage and anointing, parishioners are asked to contact the parish office directly.
- Baptism
- First Communion and Confirmation (with Pre-Confirmation)
- RCIA / RICA — Children, Youth & Adults
- Matrimony (contact parish office)
- Anointing of the Sick (contact parish office)
- Reconciliation (see Reconciliation section)
Devotions & Prayer Life
Beyond daily Mass, the parish is anchored in Eucharistic adoration on First Fridays and weekly Friday evenings, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and traditional prayer groups.
- First Friday Adoration (9:00 AM – 7:00 PM) followed by Mass
- Weekly Friday Adoration 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- Chaplet of Divine Mercy daily at 3:00 PM at the parish on First Fridays
- Legion of Mary
- Spanish, English, Juan 23 and Divine Mercy prayer groups
Outreach: Food Pantry, Garage Sale & Blessed Center
Outreach is a major part of the parish's identity. The food pantry and weekly garage sale serve the surrounding Palm River / Clair-Mel community, and the parish is currently raising funds for a much larger community center.
- Food Pantry: Mondays & Wednesdays 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
- Garage Sale: every Wednesday 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM
- Blessed Center capital campaign — new parish hall with Religious Education classrooms, large dining area, full-service kitchen, conference space, retreats, social events, administrative offices, and a non-denominational community space serving the Greater Palm River neighborhood
- Registered 501(c)(3); donations are tax-deductible
Facilities, Venue & Offices
The parish campus includes the church and social hall (blessed and rededicated in 1982), a parish office, the Catechesis / Religious Education office, and the Blessed Center venue available for community use.
- Parish Office: Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM; phone (813) 626-2984; [email protected]
- Accounting email: [email protected]
- Catechesis Office: open by appointment; Sundays 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM; phone (813) 252-5032; [email protected]
- Blessed Center Venue: Mon, Wed & Fri 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM; Sundays 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM; phone (813) 462-9088; [email protected]
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach Blessed Sacrament by phone, email, in person, or via the parish's live-streamed Sunday Mass on Facebook. The parish address is in the Palm River / Clair-Mel neighborhood of Tampa.
- Address: 7001 S. 12th Ave, Tampa, FL 33619
- Parish phone: (813) 626-2984 | Fax: (813) 626-2842
- Office email: [email protected]
- Sunday Mass live-streamed on Facebook
- Diocese: Diocese of Saint Petersburg — Hillsborough Deanery
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. John X. Linnehan1960–1961
Founding administrator; began the mission in 1959 at the Palm River School Auditorium.
- Fr. Paul B. Couming1961–1966
- Fr. Michael J. Madden1966–1968
- Fr. James C. Lara1968–1969
- Fr. Charles Thein1969–1972
- Fr. John Bolger1972–1974
- Fr. David J. Heffernan3/1974–9/1979
- Fr. Antonio Diez9/1979–8/1986
- Fr. Jose L. Garcia9/1986–11/1986
- Fr. Marciano G. Martinfrom 11/1986
- Fr. Demetrio Lorden
- Fr. Michael Oniell
- Fr. Jose Fultado
- Fr. Joel Kovanis
- Fr. Kazimierz Domeksince 2008
Current pastor; Polish-born, ordained June 9, 1973; 48 years of priesthood; previously a missionary in Venezuela and Puerto Rico (9 years each).