About Holy Cross Catholic Church · Vero Beach, Florida
Holy Cross Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Vero Beach, Florida, belonging to the Diocese of Palm Beach. Located at 500 Iris Lane at the corner of Iris Lane and South State Road A1A near the barrier island, it was established on September 1, 1981 by the Diocese of Orlando (Indian River County was later transferred to the Diocese of Palm Beach). The parish is led by Rev. Thomas E. Barrett, Pastor, and Rev. Serge Dubé, Parochial Vicar, and offers a full sacramental life including multiple weekend Masses, daily Mass, Saturday confessions, Eucharistic Adoration in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, faith formation for children and youth, and a wide range of parish ministries and outreach organizations.
- Established
- 1981
- Patron
- Holy Cross (the Exaltation of the Holy Cross)
- Rector
- Rev. Thomas E. Barrett
- Diocese
- Diocese of Palm Beach
Why belong here
Holy Cross is a warm, family-oriented barrier-island parish that combines a traditional Catholic sacramental life — multiple Sunday Masses, daily Mass, weekly Saturday confession, and generous hours of Eucharistic Adoration in its dedicated Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament — with active ministries for every age and stage: faith formation for K–8, a high school youth group, the Holy Cross Women's Guild, Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul conference, AA, Bible studies, a monthly healing/Benediction service, and a Divine Mercy prayer hour for the sick. Visitors are welcomed by name and the parish emphasizes stewardship of time, talent and treasure as a way of life in Christ.
Mass times at Holy Cross Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (or by appointment)
- Lenten Penance Services during Advent/Lent (e.g., Wednesday evenings during Lent)
- Healing/Benediction evenings (Fr. Frank D'Amato available for confession)
Adoration times
- Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament: Monday–Friday 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- Sunday 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Divine Mercy Prayer for Healing: Tuesdays 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM (Eucharistic Adoration with Benediction)
Parish History
The parish's land was acquired by the Diocese of St. Augustine in the late 1950s as a future parish site. The Diocese of Orlando formally established Holy Cross on September 1, 1981 under founding pastor Fr. John B. O'Hare, with the first Sunday Mass at the Riverside Theater on September 5, 1981 and the first Daily Mass celebrated in a temporary Camelia Lane rectory on November 2, 1981. Ground was broken on the permanent church on October 10, 1982; the first Mass was celebrated in the new building on Christmas Eve 1983; Bishop (of Orlando) dedicated the completed church on March 4, 1984. With the creation of the Diocese of Palm Beach in 1984, the parish was reassigned to its current diocese. Subsequent milestones include the blessing of the Parish Hall on September 15, 1991, Fr. O'Hare's retirement and Fr. Richard Murphy's installation on July 1, 1997, the dedication of the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament on December 4, 2001, the blessing of the church expansion on April 7, 2002, the Silver Jubilee Celebration on September 24, 2006, the death of Fr. Murphy on March 22, 2020, the appointment of Fr. Thomas E. Barrett as pastor on July 1, 2020, and the assignment of Fr. Serge Dubé as Parochial Vicar on July 1, 2024.
- Late 1950s – Land purchased by Diocese of St. Augustine
- Sep 1, 1981 – Parish established under Fr. John B. O'Hare
- Sep 5, 1981 – First Sunday Mass at Riverside Theater
- Nov 2, 1981 – First Daily Mass at temporary Camelia Lane rectory
- Oct 10, 1982 – Groundbreaking for new church
- Christmas Eve 1983 – First Mass in new church
- Mar 4, 1984 – Dedication of the church building
- Sep 15, 1991 – Blessing & opening of Parish Hall
- Jul 1, 1997 – Fr. O'Hare retires; Fr. Richard Murphy becomes pastor
- Dec 4, 2001 – Dedication of Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament
- Apr 7, 2002 – Blessing of church expansion
- Sep 24, 2006 – Silver Jubilee Celebration
- Mar 22, 2020 – Fr. Richard Murphy dies
- Jul 1, 2020 – Fr. Thomas E. Barrett becomes pastor
- Jul 1, 2024 – Fr. Serge Dubé joins as Parochial Vicar
Clergy & Staff
Holy Cross is currently served by a pastor, a parochial vicar, two assisting priests, and two permanent deacons. The pastoral team is supported by a parish secretary and other parish-office staff who can be reached at (772) 231-0671 or [email protected]. Vocations inquiries are directed to the Diocese of Palm Beach Vocation Office (Fr. Daniel Daza-Jaller, (561) 775-9552, [email protected]).
- Rev. Thomas E. Barrett — Pastor
- Rev. Serge Dubé — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Paul Huesing, CSP — Assisting Priest
- Rev. Victor Ulto — Assisting Priest
- Deacon Wayne Creelman — Permanent Deacon
- Deacon Martin Ervin — Permanent Deacon
Sacraments
All seven sacraments are available at Holy Cross, with the most common parish-level details published in the parish bulletin and on the parish website. Sacramental preparation is required for parents of infants to be baptized, for engaged couples, and for Confirmation candidates.
- Eucharist — see Mass schedule above
- Baptism — Parent Baptism Catechesis required; contact Parish Office
- Confirmation — open to baptized candidates in at least 9th grade with prior religious-education formation
- Reconciliation — Saturdays 11:00 AM or by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick — on request for homebound, hospital, or nursing-home patients
- Matrimony — arrangements at least 6 months in advance; one party must be a registered, active parishioner
- Holy Orders — referrals handled through Diocese of Palm Beach Vocation Office
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation for children and youth is offered on Wednesdays throughout the school year, with separate tracks for elementary, middle-school, and high-school students. The Sunday 9:00 AM Mass also features a Children's Liturgy of the Word for the younger members of the parish. Adult formation is provided through the Catholic Bible Study (Tuesday mornings) and the Evening Bible Study (Tuesday evenings).
- Religious Education K–5 — Wednesdays 3:30–5:00 PM
- Religious Education 6–8 — Wednesdays 7:00–8:15 PM
- High School Youth Group — Wednesdays 7:00–8:15 PM
- Children's Liturgy of the Word — during 9:00 AM Sunday Mass
- Catholic Bible Study — Tuesday mornings 9:00 AM
- Evening Bible Study — Tuesdays 6:00 PM
Parish Ministries & Outreach
Holy Cross supports a wide array of lay ministries, parish organizations, and outreach efforts that reflect the parish's stewardship vocation. The Holy Cross Women's Guild has existed continuously since the parish's 1981 founding, and the Men's Ministry meets Tuesday mornings at 6:45 AM. Other ministries include the Knights of Columbus, a St. Vincent de Paul conference for the poor, a Grief Support ministry, an AA meeting on Tuesday evenings, and a parish choir that rehearses on Wednesdays at 5:15 PM.
- Holy Cross Women's Guild
- Men's Ministry (Tue 6:45 AM)
- Knights of Columbus
- St. Vincent de Paul Conference
- Grief Support Ministry
- AA (Tue 7:00 PM)
- Parish Choir (Wed 5:15 PM)
- Stewardship and Parish Outreach
- Online Giving
- Capital Campaign
Visiting & Parish Office
The parish office is located in the same campus at 500 Iris Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32963, and welcomes visitors and new parishioners in person during posted hours as well as by phone and email. New parishioners are personally greeted by the pastor, Rev. Thomas E. Barrett, who encourages attendees to introduce themselves after Mass.
- Address: 500 Iris Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32963
- Phone: (772) 231-0671
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: holycrossverobeach.org
- Parish Office Hours (per bulletin): Mon 1:00–4:00 PM; Tue–Thu 8:30 AM–4:00 PM; Fri 8:30 AM–12:30 PM
- On-site parking adjacent to church and parish hall
- Live-streamed Sunday and daily Masses linked from the homepage
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. John B. O'Hare1981–1997
Founding pastor. Established the parish for the Diocese of Orlando on September 1, 1981; celebrated first Sunday Mass at Riverside Theater on September 5, 1981; broke ground for the church on October 10, 1982; offered first Mass in the new building on Christmas Eve 1983; retired July 1, 1997.
- Fr. Richard Murphy1997–2020
Second pastor. Oversaw the blessing and opening of the Parish Hall (September 15, 1991 — note: predates his tenure as pastor; built under prior pastor), the dedication of the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament (December 4, 2001), the blessing of the church expansion (April 7, 2002), and the Silver Jubilee Celebration (September 24, 2006). Died March 22, 2020.
- Fr. Thomas E. Barrett2020–present
Third and current pastor; appointed July 1, 2020.
- Fr. Serge Dubé2024–present
Parochial Vicar; joined the parish July 1, 2024.