About Corpus Christi · Destin, Florida
Corpus Christi Catholic Church is a Latin-rite Roman Catholic parish serving Destin, Florida, and the surrounding Emerald Coast community. Founded in 1977 by Monsignor Patrick Cunningham from St. Mary's in Fort Walton Beach, it is part of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee and is led today by Pastor Rev. Viet (Tan) Huynh. The parish is known for warm hospitality to seasonal and vacation visitors, a bilingual Mass schedule (English plus a twice-monthly Spanish Mass), weekly Eucharistic Adoration, and a long tradition of faith formation in its Pope John Paul II Center School of Religion.
- Established
- 1977
- Patron
- Corpus Christi (the Body and Blood of Christ)
- Rector
- Rev. Viet Tan Huynh
- Diocese
- Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee
Why belong here
Parishioners describe Corpus Christi as a warm and welcoming parish family that openly embraces both year-round residents and the many seasonal and vacation visitors who pass through Destin every year. Faith formation is taken seriously — from the ongoing Pope John Paul II Center School of Religion (dedicated 1988) to Religious Education, Confirmation, First Communion, Baptism preparation, and Sacramental catch-up programs. The community gathers around Sunday Mass (8:00 and 10:30 AM, with a 12:30 PM Spanish Mass on the 1st and 3rd Sundays), weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Thursdays, Saturday confessions, and outreach to the wider community through food collections for the homeless, an international community picnic and an annual health fair.
Mass times at Corpus Christi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM (April 1 – Sept 30)
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM (Oct 1 – March 31)
- Thursday 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM (Adoration & Confession hour)
Adoration times
- Thursday 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM (immediately following the 8:00 AM Mass)
- First Friday 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament after First Friday Mass)
History of Corpus Christi Parish, Destin
Corpus Christi was founded in 1977 when Monsignor Patrick Cunningham, then pastor of St. Mary's in Fort Walton Beach, was appointed to shepherd a new Catholic community in Destin. The very first Mass was celebrated on October 31, 1977 in the Lakeshore Room of Shoreline Towers — a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Shahid — and the parish marked its first outdoor Mass with a Eucharistic procession on May 28, 1978 on the future building site. Within its first decade the parish built a combined rectory/chapel (designed by George T. Kearin), the Grotto of Our Lady of Grace (1979), and a new church designed by George Kohut and built by Toler-Trammel Construction, which Bishop J. Keith Symons dedicated on June 24, 1984. The Pope John Paul II Center School of Religion followed in 1988, anchoring a faith-formation program that remains a hallmark of the parish. The Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee has administered the parish through a short succession of pastors — Monsignor Cunningham (1977–1989), Monsignor Terrell F. Solana, Father William Condron, Father Robert Morris — and since July 2015, Father Viet Tan Huynh.
- Founded October 25, 1977
- First Mass: October 31, 1977 (Shoreline Towers Lakeshore Room)
- First outdoor Mass: May 28, 1978 (Feast of Corpus Christi)
- First chapel/rectory completed December 24, 1978
- Grotto of Our Lady of Grace dedicated December 8, 1979
- New church dedicated June 24, 1984 (Feast of Corpus Christi)
- Pope John Paul II Center School of Religion dedicated September 8, 1988
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation has been a priority at Corpus Christi since the parish's earliest days — the Holy Name Society, the Sodality, the Legion of Mary and the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine were all organized in the founding years. The Pope John Paul II Center School of Religion, dedicated in 1988 by Bishop Symons, remains the home of the parish's Religious Education programs (Sunday school), Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation, and Baptism courses. Registration is open July 1 – August 31 each year. The parish also runs a 'Missing Sacraments' program for adults who need to receive Baptism, First Communion, or Confirmation.
- Pope John Paul II Center School of Religion (dedicated 1988)
- Religious Education / Sunday school
- Confirmation preparation
- First Communion preparation
- Baptism registration and Baptism course
- Missing Sacraments (adult sacramental catch-up)
- FORMED online faith-formation resources
Parish Life, Ministries & Organizations
Beyond the sanctuary, Corpus Christi sustains a long roster of lay organizations and ministries. Heritage groups such as the Holy Name Society, the Sodality, the Legion of Mary and the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine continue the parish's founding charism of prayer and formation, while a Parish Council guides its pastoral and temporal life. Outreach has expanded significantly under Father Viet Huynh, with regular canned-good drives for the homeless, an annual international community picnic, and a yearly health fair in September.
- Holy Name Society
- Sodality
- Legion of Mary
- Confraternity of Christian Doctrine
- Parish Council
- Food collection drives for the homeless
- Annual international community picnic
- Annual health fair (September)
Our Pastor — Father Viet Tan Huynh
Father Viet (Viet Tan) Huynh has served as pastor / parish administrator of Corpus Christi since July 2015. Born November 20 and ordained May 28, 1993, Father Viet is known throughout the parish and the diocese for his warm, welcoming preaching and his focus on community outreach. He originated the parish's first international community picnic in 2019 — featuring food booths from the United States, Germany, Italy, Mexico and Thailand — as a way to share the meaning of Corpus Christi (the Body and Blood of Christ) with neighbors and visitors. He frequently greets visitors as 'pilgrims,' reinforcing the parish's identity as a home for both year-round parishioners and seasonal guests.
- Ordained: May 28, 1993
- Appointed Pastor of Corpus Christi: July 2015
- Titular role: Parish Administrator
- Known for community outreach: picnic, health fair, food drives
- Greets visitors as 'pilgrims'
Buildings, Grounds & the Pope John Paul II Center
The Corpus Christi campus has grown in stages since 1978. The original rectory/administrative/chapel building, designed by George T. Kearin, was completed in time for Christmas 1978. The Grotto of Our Lady of Grace was dedicated in December 1979. The current worship space, designed by architect George Kohut and built by Toler-Trammel Construction of Fort Walton Beach, was dedicated by Bishop J. Keith Symons on June 24, 1984. The Pope John Paul II Center School of Religion, dedicated September 8, 1988, houses classrooms for ongoing faith formation. Parking has been expanded to serve the seasonal surge of worshippers.
- First chapel/rectory (George T. Kearin, 1978)
- Grotto of Our Lady of Grace (1979)
- Corpus Christi Church (George Kohut architect, dedicated 1984)
- Pope John Paul II Center School of Religion (1988)
- Expanded parking for seasonal visitors
Visiting Corpus Christi — Address, Office & How to Get There
Corpus Christi Catholic Church sits in the heart of Destin at 307 Beach Drive, Destin, FL 32541. The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and staff can be reached at (850) 654-5422 or [email protected]. From the west, the church is three traffic lights past the Destin Bridge; from the east, five traffic lights after passing Walmart. The parish is well known for welcoming vacationers, snowbirds, and 'pilgrims' who happen to be in Destin for a Sunday.
- Address: 307 Beach Drive, Destin, FL 32541
- Phone: (850) 654-5422
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- Website: http://ccdestin.com/
- From west: 3 lights past the Destin Bridge
- From east: 5 lights past Walmart
Sources & Further Reading
This profile draws on the parish's own published history (reproduced on third-party aggregator sites), the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee directory and report, the official ccdestin.com website, and 2019 coverage in the Northwest Florida Daily News.
- ccdestin.com (official parish site)
- Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee Directory (2024)
- Northwest Florida Daily News, June 23, 2019
- Discover Mass and Catholic Mass Time aggregators
- Join My Church / Catholic Church Times parish profile
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor Patrick Cunningham1977 – August 1989
Founding pastor; came from St. Mary's in Fort Walton Beach, organized the parish, oversaw construction of first chapel and the Grotto of Our Lady of Grace, and the dedication of the church in 1984. Retired in August 1989.
- Monsignor Terrell F. Solana1989 –
Succeeded Monsignor Cunningham after his retirement in August 1989.
- Father William Condron
Served as pastor in the succession after Monsignor Solana.
- Father Robert Morris
Served as pastor, preceding Father Viet Huynh.
- Rev. Viet Tan HuynhJuly 2015 – present
Current pastor / Parish Administrator; ordained May 28, 1993. Known for warm, welcoming preaching, focus on outreach (community picnic, health fair, food drives for the homeless) and welcoming pilgrims/visitors.