About Blessed Trinity · Saint Petersburg, Florida
Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Saint Petersburg located in the southern tip of Pinellas County, Florida, in the shadow of the Sunshine Skyway bridge. The parish was canonically established on February 16, 1960, by Archbishop Patrick Barry Hurley of the Diocese of St. Augustine (before the Diocese of Saint Petersburg was created in 1968). Today Blessed Trinity serves a diverse south St. Petersburg community with three Sunday Masses, daily weekday Masses, a full music and liturgy program, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, a thriving network of ministries and a long-running capital effort called the Restoring the Sacred campaign.
- Established
- 1960
- Patron
- The Most Holy Trinity (Blessed Trinity)
- Rector
- Rev. Wayne C. Genereux
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Petersburg (in the deanery of Saint Petersburg, Pinellas County). Originally established in 1960 under the Diocese of St. Augustine before the Diocese of Saint Petersburg was erected in 1968.
Why belong here
Blessed Trinity is a welcoming south-St. Petersburg parish that anchors a real neighborhood of faith — a place where the 8:00 AM weekday Mass, Saturday Vigil (livestreamed), and three Sunday Masses are at the heart of a rhythm that includes weekly Eucharistic Adoration, a music and liturgy program led by a full-time director, and a wide menu of ministries from RCIA and Faith Formation for Pre-K through 5th grade to Knights of Columbus, Ladies of Mercy, St. Vincent de Paul, Respect Life, parish nurses, and a bereavement/grief support ministry. The current 'Restoring the Sacred' capital campaign and Father Wayne's Advent and Lenten missions show a parish that is investing in its worship space and inviting Catholics, lapsed and active, to deepen their relationship with God.
Mass times at Blessed Trinity
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM (parish website lists 2:30–3:30; Diocese of Saint Petersburg lists 2:45–3:30)
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Wednesday 8:30 AM – 7:00 PM
Welcome and Mission
Blessed Trinity greets visitors with the simple line 'We are glad you are here!' The parish's stated mission is to use Liturgy and Worship as its foundation, fostering 'through a welcoming atmosphere, growth in formation, diversity, open communication, recognition, and outreach to all.' A Flocknote system (text BTSP to 84576) keeps parishioners connected by email and text, and the parish office is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
Parish History
Blessed Trinity's story runs from a December 20, 1959 Mass at the Al Kareem Club through canonical establishment on February 16, 1960 by Archbishop Patrick Barry Hurley, the dedication of the first church in 1961, the construction of the present elliptical church in 1976, and the devastation of Hurricane Elena in 1985. The parish is in the southern tip of Pinellas County, in the shadow of the Sunshine Skyway bridge, and its longest pastorate (Father James F. Herlihy, 1965–1978) coincided with virtually the entire span of post-Vatican II liturgical change in the English-speaking world.
- Dec. 20, 1959 — First Mass at the Al Kareem Club, 2175 Pinellas Point Drive South
- Week of Jan. 10, 1960 — Archbishop Hurley names the mission 'Blessed Trinity'
- Feb. 16, 1960 — Canonical establishment of the parish with formal boundaries
- Nov. 20, 1960 — Groundbreaking for the first church
- April 23, 1961 — First church dedicated by Archbishop Hurley
- Feb. 2, 1964 — Rectory address set as 1600 54th Avenue South
- July 4, 1970 — First Saturday Vigil Mass
- Sept. 5, 1976 — First Mass in the present church
- Oct. 10, 1976 — Formal dedication of the new church by Bishop McLaughlin
- Sept. 1985 — Hurricane Elena: Parish Hall shelters refugees; sanctuary roof lost
- 2013 — Father Wayne C. Genereux appointed pastor
- Today — 'Restoring the Sacred' capital campaign
Architecture and Campus
The 1976 church was designed by architect Harold Seckinger in an elliptical plan sized for about 600 worshippers and is sited at the corner of 16th Street and 54th Avenue South. The original 1961 church, which had been built when there was no 54th Avenue at all, still stands on the property and is now used as the Parish Hall — the same building that in 1985 took in refugees during Hurricane Elena.
- Architect: Harold Seckinger
- Style: Elliptical plan, seating for ~600
- Corner of 16th Street and 54th Avenue South
- Original 1961 church repurposed as the Parish Hall
Clergy and Staff
Blessed Trinity is led by a pastor, a deacon who also serves as Director of Religious Education, and a small lay staff. The current pastor is Father Wayne C. Genereux, who has served since 2013; Deacon William Lovelace handles active ministry September through May.
- Rev. Wayne C. Genereux — Pastor ([email protected])
- Deacon William Lovelace — Deacon / DRE ([email protected])
- Lisa Screeton — Director of Music and Liturgy ([email protected])
- Alice Coston — Parish / Business Manager ([email protected])
- Emily Rideout — Parish Administrative Assistant ([email protected])
- Rachel Dutilly — Afternoon Receptionist ([email protected])
- Jonna Kehoe — Maintenance / Sacristan ([email protected])
Liturgy and Music
A full-time Director of Music and Liturgy, Lisa Screeton, coordinates the parish's liturgical life. The Saturday Vigil is livestreamed and remains available to watch on demand, and a Resurrection Choir ministers at funerals. Other liturgical roles — altar servers, lectors, ushers, Eucharistic Ministers at the altar and to the sick and homebound, and the Liturgy Committee — are filled by parishioners.
- Music Ministry
- Resurrection Choir (Funerals)
- Altar Servers
- Lectors / Readers
- Eucharistic Ministers (Altar and to the Sick and Homebound)
- Ushers
- Liturgy Committee
- Altar Circle
Faith Formation and RCIA
Faith Formation for children from Pre-K through 5th grade is run through the parish under Deacon/DRE William Lovelace, whose active ministry runs September through May. Adults preparing for full initiation into the Catholic Church go through the parish's RCIA program, and there are also adult Scripture Study and 'Share the Word' (daily Scripture) groups, plus a Prayer Group.
- Faith Formation (Pre-K through 5th grade)
- RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
- Prayer Group
- Scripture Study
- Share the Word (daily Scripture study)
Parish Life and Community
Beyond the sanctuary, Blessed Trinity has an active social life led by the Knights of Columbus and Ladies of Mercy, a Sunday Coffee and Donuts gathering, a Gift Shop, a Gardening Group that tends the flowerbeds, FAST (Faith in Action for Strength Together), and office help and maintenance volunteers. Father Wayne has also hosted seasonal parish missions, including a Casting Nets Catholic Ministries mission in March 2023 and Advent and Lenten programs, and the parish has hosted a Lourdes Virtual Pilgrimage Experience on site.
- Knights of Columbus
- Ladies of Mercy
- Parish Life (Fundraising and Stewardship)
- Sunday Coffee and Donuts
- Gift Shop
- Gardening Group (Flowerbeds)
- FAST — Faith in Action for Strength Together
- Office Help
- Advent and Lenten parish missions (Casting Nets Catholic Ministries, etc.)
- Lourdes Virtual Pilgrimage Experience
Outreach and Service
Blessed Trinity's outreach and service ministries include the long-established St. Vincent de Paul conference, a Respect Life group, Parish Nurses, a Bereavement Ministry, and Grief Support, plus Eucharistic Ministers to the Sick and Homebound who bring Communion to those who cannot attend Mass. The parish's own history of hospitality — opening the Parish Hall as a shelter during Hurricane Elena — is part of the same instinct.
- St. Vincent de Paul
- Respect Life
- Parish Nurses
- Bereavement Ministry
- Grief Support
- Eucharistic Ministers to the Sick and Homebound
Restoring the Sacred Campaign
The parish is currently in a 'Restoring the Sacred' capital campaign, highlighted on the home page of btsp.org, to renew its worship environment. The campaign is part of Father Wayne Genereux's broader push, since 2013, to reach both parishioners and non-parishioners through new programs and liturgies.
- Capital campaign highlighted on the parish homepage
- Pairs with Father Wayne's Advent and Lenten parish missions
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. William Weinheimer1959–1960
Founded the South St. Petersburg Mission and celebrated the first Mass on Dec. 20, 1959 at the Al Kareem Club.
- Fr. Frank Goodman1960–1962
Came June 19, 1960; shepherded construction of the first church (dedicated April 23, 1961).
- Fr. Louis Bentiyaglia1962–1965
- Fr. James F. Herlihy1965–1978
Longest-tenured pastor; led the parish through nearly all the post-Vatican II liturgical changes; introduced the Saturday Vigil Mass in 1970.
- Fr. John Colgan1978–1981
- Fr. Edward Dunne1981–1983
- Fr. James Russo1983–1987
- Fr. William Lau1987–1996
Appointed Administrator Feb. 15, 1987 and Pastor Sept. 15, 1988; opened the Diakonia Office as a weekend service center.
- Fr. (Msgr.) Anton Dechering1996–2013
Installed Nov. 17, 1996 by Bishop Robert Lynch; retired in 2013.
- Fr. Wayne C. Genereux2013–present
Appointed by Bishop Robert Lynch; launched Advent and Lenten parish missions and the Restoring the Sacred capital campaign.