About Campus Ministry - Florida Southern College · Lakeland, Florida
The Catholic Campus Ministry (CCM) at Florida Southern College is a young, student-led Catholic ministry that serves FSC students in Lakeland, Florida, under the umbrella of the Diocese of Orlando. It is officially affiliated with and supported by St. Joseph Catholic Church in downtown Lakeland (with additional help from Resurrection Catholic Church), and offers weekly Sunday Mass in Danforth Chapel — a Frank Lloyd Wright–designed building on the FSC campus — when classes are in session, along with weekday prayer, Bible study, fellowship, and outreach. Directed from the parish side by Very Rev. Timothy LaBo, pastor of St. Joseph Parish, and led on campus by a student Campus Minister (Cody Schlabach) and a Student Executive Board, CCM draws Catholic students from FSC as well as neighboring Southeastern University, Florida Polytechnic University, and Polk State College, and is part of the broader FSC Office of the Chaplain's spiritual-life programming.
- Established
- 2006 (affiliated campus ministry; parent parish St. Joseph founded 1906)
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Very Rev. Timothy (Tim) LaBo — pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Lakeland; director of Catholic Campus Ministry at Florida Southern College (Diocese of Orlando).
- Diocese
- Diocese of Orlando
Why belong here
Catholic Campus Ministry at FSC is the easiest way for Catholic students — and those exploring the faith — to keep Sunday worship central to college life. A weekly Mass is celebrated right on campus in the historic Danforth Chapel when classes are in session, supported by St. Joseph Parish and directed by Father Tim LaBo, with different priests from St. Joseph coming to campus each week. Beyond Mass, students gather for weekday Catholic prayer, Bible study, and fellowship in the Fannin Center, partner with other local colleges (Southeastern, Florida Polytechnic, Polk State), ride the FSC Sunday Worship Shuttle to local parishes, and join service ministries like Sandwich Services to the homeless of Lakeland. Students lead the ministry themselves through a Student Executive Board, making it a genuinely student-shaped community.
Mass times at Campus Ministry - Florida Southern College
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 2:45 PM – 3:45 PM (English, St. Joseph Parish)
- Saturday 6:00 PM – 6:45 PM (Spanish, St. Joseph Parish)
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel at St. Joseph Parish (bell tower, since 1997)
- Wednesday 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM (listed adoration period at St. Joseph Parish)
About Catholic Campus Ministry at Florida Southern College
Catholic Campus Ministry (CCM) at Florida Southern College is a student-centered Catholic ministry under the Diocese of Orlando, officially affiliated with and funded by St. Joseph Catholic Church in downtown Lakeland and supported in turn by Resurrection Catholic Church. The ministry describes itself as 'a young ministry that is excited to build connections and relationships within our campus community,' and is led by a Campus Minister (Cody Schlabach) and a Student Executive Board, with pastoral direction from Very Rev. Timothy LaBo, pastor of St. Joseph Parish. CCM is part of the broader Office of the Chaplain at FSC and welcomes Catholic students, students from neighboring colleges (Southeastern University, Florida Polytechnic University, Polk State College), and any student exploring the Catholic faith.
- Diocese: Diocese of Orlando
- Director / Pastor: Father Tim LaBo (St. Joseph Parish, Lakeland)
- Campus Minister: Cody Schlabach
- Affiliated parishes: St. Joseph Catholic Church, Lakeland; Resurrection Catholic Church
- Campus gathering place: Danforth Chapel, Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL 33803
History of the Parent Parish (St. Joseph Catholic Church, Lakeland)
The first Catholic Mass in Lakeland was celebrated in 1892 at the home of Mrs. J. Elliston at the corner of Lemon Street and South Kentucky Avenue. For sixteen years the small Catholic community worshipped in private homes and the second-floor hall of a Munn Park building. In 1905, Father Firman Ybarra — an enthusiastic Mexican Jesuit — raised funds for a permanent church, and on April 8, 1906 Mass was first heard in a modest house of worship at Missouri Avenue and Lemon Street. The parish's first resident pastor, Father Michael J. Farley, was assigned December 15, 1920, and a two-story rectory built in 1922 served for more than 70 years. Under Father Patrick E. Nolan (appointed February 1, 1934) the present Romanesque church was built — brick from Brooksville, iron and concrete, seating 500 — with groundbreaking on April 26, 1936, the last service in the old building on September 13, 1936, and solemn dedication by Bishop Parry on January 17, 1937. In 1938 William P. McDonald donated the former Morrell City Hospital, which became St. Joseph's Academy. Subsequent pastors expanded outreach: Father Patrick Sheedy (1974, after service as assistant since 1968) re-established the St. Vincent de Paul Society in 1975, and helped found Talbot House and the Pregnancy Help Center; Msgr. John P. Caulfield (1984) led the 1997 renovation, new bell tower with the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, and the introduction of Perpetual Adoration, and organized the 1998 centennial. Very Rev. Timothy LaBo became pastor in summer 2019 and also pastors Resurrection, St. Anthony, and St. Joseph in Winter Haven, while serving as director of the campus ministry at FSC.
- 1892 — First Mass in Lakeland (home of Mrs. J. Elliston, Lemon St. and South Kentucky Ave.)
- 1906, April 8 — First Mass in new church at Missouri Ave. and Lemon St. (Father Ybarra)
- 1920, Dec. 15 — Father Michael J. Farley, first resident pastor
- 1922 — Two-story rectory built
- 1934, Feb. 1 — Father Patrick E. Nolan appointed pastor
- 1936, Sept. 20 — First services in the present Romanesque church
- 1937, Jan. 17 — Solemn dedication by Bishop Parry
- 1938 — St. Joseph's Academy founded (former Morrell City Hospital)
- 1974 — Father Patrick Sheedy appointed; St. Vincent de Paul re-established (1975)
- 1984 — Msgr. John P. Caulfield appointed
- 1997 — Major renovation, new bell tower / Blessed Sacrament Chapel, Perpetual Adoration
- 1998 — Centennial (100 years) celebration
- Summer 2019 — Father Tim LaBo becomes pastor
Danforth Chapel — The Campus Ministry's Worship Home
Sunday evening Mass for Catholic Campus Ministry is celebrated in Danforth Chapel, one of the Frank Lloyd Wright–designed buildings on FSC's famous 'Child of the Sun' campus. Completed on March 4, 1955 and funded by a $10,000 gift from William H. Danforth, founder of Ralston Purina, the chapel shares the series' signature Cherokee Red concrete floors, a low entry, and a unique west wall of yellow and red leaded stained-glass windows. The chapel also houses its own organ, a fireplace, and classroom space in the back. Though non-denominational in design, it is the principal worship space for CCM and is often described by student leaders as 'really small' — and popular enough on parents' weekends to feel crowded. The chapel remains a centerpiece of FSC's spiritual life and a nationally recognized work of mid-century American architecture.
- Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright
- Completed: March 4, 1955
- Donor: William H. Danforth (founder, Ralston Purina) — $10,000 gift
- Features: Cherokee Red concrete floors, low entrance, yellow/red leaded stained-glass west wall, organ, fireplace, classroom space
- Address (chapel): McDonald & Johnson Avenues area, FSC, Lakeland, FL 33803
Pastoral Leadership
Catholic Campus Ministry at FSC is directed pastorally by Very Rev. Timothy 'Tim' LaBo, pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church, Lakeland. Father LaBo has been a priest for more than 32 years and previously served parishes in Winter Park, Maitland, DeLand, Orlando, Melbourne, Apopka, Kissimmee, and Poinciana before being assigned to St. Joseph in summer 2019. He also pastors Resurrection Catholic Church and St. Anthony Catholic Church in Lakeland, as well as St. Joseph Parish in Winter Haven. On the FSC campus, day-to-day leadership of CCM is provided by the Campus Minister (Cody Schlabach) and a Student Executive Board of student officers (recently including Bailey Predko and Lucas Blackwell) who plan events, liturgy, and outreach. Different priests from St. Joseph rotate onto campus each week to celebrate the Sunday evening Mass.
- Very Rev. Timothy (Tim) LaBo — Pastor / CCM Director
- Cody Schlabach — Campus Minister
- Student Executive Board — student leadership of CCM
- Rotating Sunday evening celebrants from St. Joseph Parish
Sunday Worship Shuttle and The Feast
The FSC Office of Campus Safety operates a Sunday Worship Shuttle that drops FSC students at local congregations every Sunday during the academic year (beginning the first Sunday after classes start). Among the destinations is Resurrection Catholic Church (bus departs 10:00 AM for the 10:30 AM Mass). Other destinations include First United Methodist Church, Access Church, and Grace City. Once a month, the Chaplain's Office hosts 'The Feast' — a Dinner Church service in the Fannin Center at 5:30 PM on the first Sunday, with a free meal, worship, and Holy Communion, open to all students.
- Sunday Worship Shuttle — bus departs campus Sundays during academic year
- Resurrection Catholic Church — bus departs 10:00 AM, Mass 10:30 AM
- First United Methodist Church — bus departs 10:45 AM, services 11:00 AM
- Access Church — bus departs 11:30 AM, worship 12:00 PM
- Grace City — bus departs 12:00 PM, worship 12:30 PM
- The Feast — first Sunday of the month, 5:30 PM, Fannin Center
Ministries, Bible Study, and Service
Catholic Campus Ministry gathers for Catholic prayer, Bible study, and fellowship on Mondays and Tuesdays in the Fannin Center, and pairs with other FSC spiritual-life programs including Beyond Campus Ministry (Thursdays, Annie Pfeiffer Chapel), Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Men's and Women's Bible Study, FSC Hillel, the Muslim Student Association, and Nurses' Christian Fellowship. A hallmark of FSC's spiritual life is Sandwich Services — a Sunday 2:30 PM ministry to the homeless of Lakeland that departs from the Fannin Center and welcomes volunteers of any faith. Father LaBo has also helped develop the diocesan Lay Ecclesial Ministry program (accredited through St. Leo University) which prepares lay leaders for parish ministry and is offered through the Diocese of Orlando's Laity, Family, and Life Office.
- Catholic prayer, Bible study, and fellowship — Mondays and Tuesdays, Fannin Center
- Sandwich Services — Sundays 2:30 PM, Fannin Center (homeless ministry in Lakeland)
- Student Executive Board — plans CCM events and liturgy
- Lay Ecclesial Ministry program (Diocese of Orlando / St. Leo University) — founded by Father LaBo and Louis Canter
- Multifaith partners: Beyond Campus Ministry, FCA, Hillel, Muslim Student Association, NCF, Men's & Women's Bible Study
Outreach and the Multi-Ministry Service Center
Father Tim LaBo has long championed parish-based outreach in Lakeland. Modeled on a neighborhood center in Pine Hills where he once served on the Citizens' Commission for Children, the Multi-Ministry Service Center at St. Joseph Catholic Church was blessed by Bishop John Noonan and harmonizes with Catholic Charities of Central Florida. The center is more than a food pantry — it provides emergency financial assistance, behavioral health services, immigration services, senior wellness programs, and the only adoption service center in the Lakeland area, with Father LaBo and diocesan volunteers collaborating to grow the network.
- Multi-Ministry Service Center at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Lakeland
- Bishop John Noonan blessed the center (December 14, per Diocese of Orlando e-Scroll)
- Partners: Catholic Charities of Central Florida
- Services: food pantry, emergency financial assistance, behavioral health, immigration services, senior wellness, adoption services
Getting Involved and Contact
Students, parents, and visitors can connect with Catholic Campus Ministry at FSC by emailing the Campus Minister, Cody Schlabach (contact via Newman Connection), the Student Executive Board (contact via Newman Connection), or Father Tim LaBo at [email protected] or (863) 213-5280. Event updates are posted on the FSC Engage page for the Catholic Campus Ministry student organization, and on the St. Joseph Parish website (https://www.stjosephlakeland.org). The Diocese of Orlando's College Campus Ministry page also lists CCM at Florida Southern College under the directorship of Father Tim LaBo.
- Newman Connection profile: http://www.newmanconnection.com/locations/detail/florida-southern-college/catholic-campus-ministry-st-joseph-catholic-church
- FSC Engage student-org page: https://flsouthern.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/catholic-campus-ministry
- Diocese of Orlando College Campus Ministry listing: https://www.orlandodiocese.org/ministry/college-campus-ministry/
- Parish website: https://www.stjosephlakeland.org/
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: (863) 213-5280
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Firman Ybarra1905–c.1920
Mexican Jesuit who built the first small church at Missouri Ave. and Lemon St., dedicated April 8, 1906.
- Father Michael J. Farley1920–1933
First resident pastor of St. Joseph Parish (assigned Dec. 15, 1920); oversaw the 1922 two-story rectory.
- Father Patrick E. Nolan1934–c.1960
Appointed Feb. 1, 1934; oversaw construction of the present Romanesque church (dedicated 1937) and creation of St. Joseph's Academy.
- Father William J. O'Farrell1961–c.1972
Saw significant central-Florida expansion; deepened outreach to the poor and migrants.
- Father Patrick J. O'Carroll1972–1973
Brief pastorate.
- Father Patrick Sheedy1974–c.1984
Assistant pastor since 1968; re-established the St. Vincent de Paul Society (1975) and helped birth Talbot House and the Pregnancy Help Center.
- Msgr. John P. Caulfield1984–c.2019
Led 1997 church renovation, new bell tower with Blessed Sacrament Chapel, and Perpetual Adoration; organized the 1998 centennial.
- Very Rev. Timothy (Tim) LaBoSummer 2019–present
Pastor of St. Joseph, Resurrection, and St. Anthony parishes in Lakeland and St. Joseph in Winter Haven; director of Catholic Campus Ministry at FSC.