About Holy Martyrs · La Belle, Florida
Holy Martyrs Mission is a Catholic mission church in LaBelle, Florida, canonically established on May 12, 2007 by Bishop Frank J. Dewane of the Diocese of Venice. It shares its priestly staff, website, and pastoral identity with the parent parish Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic Church in the heart of LaBelle. The mission serves the Spanish-speaking faithful of the area with a weekly Saturday evening Mass in Spanish, and it is dedicated to the Holy Martyrs of Mexico — the Cristero-era priests and laymen canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000.
- Established
- 2007
- Patron
- Holy Martyrs of Mexico (the Cristero martyrs canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000)
- Rector
- Rev. Marcial I. Garcia
- Diocese
- Diocese of Venice in Florida
Why belong here
Holy Martyrs Mission offers Spanish-speaking Catholics in the LaBelle area a weekly Saturday evening Mass in their own language, faithful to the Diocese of Venice and under the same pastoral team as Our Lady Queen of Heaven. The mission is dedicated to the Holy Martyrs of Mexico, a devotion that connects the local Mexican-American faithful to the wider story of the universal Church. As part of the OLQH/HMM community, members are welcomed into a parish family committed to prayer, the sacraments, evangelization, and service to the poor and needy.
Mass times at Holy Martyrs
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 PM at Holy Martyrs Mission
- Wednesday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM at OLQH
- 30 minutes before weekend Masses
- By appointment at the parish office
Adoration times
- Thursday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Holy Hour at OLQH)
- Friday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Holy Hour at OLQH)
Holy Martyrs Mission — LaBelle, Florida
Holy Martyrs Mission is a Spanish-language Catholic mission in LaBelle, Florida, canonically established on May 12, 2007 by Bishop Frank J. Dewane of the Diocese of Venice. It operates as a sister community to Our Lady Queen of Heaven Parish, sharing clergy, staff, and a single parish website at olqhhmm.org. The mission takes its name from the Holy Martyrs of Mexico, the Cristero martyrs of 1915–1937 who were canonized by Pope John Paul II on May 21, 2000.
- Founded: May 12, 2007
- Diocese: Diocese of Venice in Florida
- Deanery: Eastern
- Patron: Holy Martyrs of Mexico (feast day May 21)
Clergy & Staff
The combined OLQH / Holy Martyrs Mission community is currently shepherded by a pastor, a parochial vicar, a deacon who also serves as Director of Religious Education, and lay administrative and maintenance staff.
- Rev. Marcial I. Garcia — Pastor
- Rev. Juan Carlos Sack — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Ramon Kanacheril — Director of Religious Education (DRE)
- Mrs. Liliana Santillan — Administrative Assistant / Secretary
- Mrs. Noemi Perez — Custodian
History of the Mission
Holy Martyrs Mission was canonically erected on May 12, 2007 by Bishop Frank J. Dewane, Bishop of the Diocese of Venice, as a mission outreach of Our Lady Queen of Heaven Parish. Its founding administrator was Fr. Czeslaw "Chester" Domaszewicz, the acting pastor of OLQH at the time. The mission grew out of the wider growth of Catholic life in the LaBelle area and was created specifically to serve the Spanish-speaking community, taking as its patron the Holy Martyrs of Mexico.
- Founded: May 12, 2007
- Founded by: Bishop Frank J. Dewane, Diocese of Venice
- Founding Administrator: Fr. Czeslaw "Chester" Domaszewicz
- Source: Diocese of Venice, History of the Diocese of Venice in Florida: Our Silver Jubilee 1984–2009 (Editions du Signe, 2009), 87.
Our Lady Queen of Heaven — The Parent Parish
Our Lady Queen of Heaven, located in the heart of LaBelle, was itself established in 1966 as a mission church of Saint Francis Xavier Parish, first ministered by Monsignor DeVaney and Fr. Thomas Anglim. During its first eight years, Mass was celebrated in the local movie theater. In June 1975 the mission became a parish with its own facility, and it has since grown to over 604 registered families, with 452 participants in Religious Education as of 2020.
- OLQH established: 1966 (as mission of St. Francis Xavier Parish)
- OLQH became a parish: June 1975
- Registered families: 604+ (2020)
- Religious Education enrollment: 452 (2020)
The Holy Martyrs of Mexico — Patron of the Mission
The mission is named for the Holy Martyrs of Mexico, a group of 22 priests and 3 laymen (Cristóbal Magallanes Jara and his 24 companions) who were killed between 1915 and 1937 during the anti-Catholic persecution of the Cristero era. They were beatified by Pope John Paul II on November 22, 1992 and canonized by him on May 21, 2000, with their joint feast day observed on May 21.
- Canonized: May 21, 2000 by Pope John Paul II
- Feast day: May 21
- Group: 22 priests and 3 laymen (including Manuel, David, and Salvador)
- Martyred: 1915–1937, primarily in Jalisco and Zacatecas
Parish Mission Statement
The combined OLQH / Holy Martyrs Mission community proclaims: "We, the faithful of Our Lady Queen of Heaven Church and Holy Martyrs Mission, in the Diocese of Venice, Florida, are called to proclaim that Jesus is the Light of the world, who offers to all who follow Him the light of life." The community commits itself to building lives in the image of Jesus through prayer and the sacraments, placing itself under the maternal protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, devoting itself to evangelization, and serving the poor and needy through acts of charity.
- Proclaiming Jesus as the Light of the world
- Building lives through prayer and the sacraments
- Marian devotion (Our Lady Queen of Heaven, Holy Martyrs of Mexico)
- Evangelization
- Charitable service to the poor and needy
Sacraments
The mission, together with Our Lady Queen of Heaven, celebrates all seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. The parish's stained-glass iconography honors Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. Daily Mass, weekly Confession times, and ongoing faith formation are available to support the sacramental life of the community.
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- Eucharist
- Reconciliation (Confession)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Holy Orders
- Matrimony
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The combined parish community runs a robust Religious Education program under the direction of Deacon Ramon Kanacheril, the Director of Religious Education (DRE). As of 2020, more than 452 children and youth were enrolled. The parish center, built in 2000, contains eight religious education rooms and a centralized administrative office.
- Director of Religious Education: Deacon Ramon Kanacheril
- Enrollment: 452 participants (2020)
- Parish center built in 2000 with 8 religious education rooms
Contact & Office Information
The mission shares its office and contact information with Our Lady Queen of Heaven Parish. Office hours are Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. The parish office can be reached by phone or email, and the shared website (olqhhmm.org) carries the full schedule, announcements, and contact details for both communities.
- Phone: (863) 675-0030
- Fax: (863) 675-0756
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.olqhhmm.org/
- Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Mailing Address: P.O. Box 357, LaBelle, FL 33935
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Czeslaw "Chester" Domaszewicz2007 (founding)
Acting Pastor of Our Lady Queen of Heaven and Administrator of Holy Martyrs Mission at the time of its canonical erection on May 12, 2007.
- Rev. Marcial I. Garciacurrent
Current Pastor of the combined Our Lady Queen of Heaven / Holy Martyrs Mission community, as listed on the Diocese of Venice parish page and the parish website.