About Immaculate Conception · Hialeah, Florida
Immaculate Conception is a Catholic parish in Hialeah, Florida, part of the Archdiocese of Miami's Northwest Dade Deanery. Founded as a mission on March 24, 1954, it is the spiritual home of more than 5,000 families and is paired with a parish school. The community is distinctly bilingual, celebrating Mass in both English and Spanish every day of the week, and it serves one of the largest Cuban-American populations in the United States.
- Established
- 1954
- Patron
- Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Fr. Julio Fernández (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Miami
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception is one of Hialeah's largest Catholic parishes and ministries — Bible groups, Youth Group, Knights of Columbus, Family Life, Music, and Respect Life — that meet in both English and Spanish. Worship is fully bilingual seven days a week, with daily Mass, Saturday Vigil Masses, and Sunday Masses in English and Spanish, plus Saturday confessions and weekday adoration in the chapel. Add a parish school serving the same community since 1955 and a long-running food pantry and Christmas outreach to needy families, and it's a parish where any newcomer family — English- or Spanish-speaking — can easily find a pew, a ministry, and a school for their children.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Bilingual, or by appointment)
Adoration times
- Daily: 6:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Chapel, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
- Thursday: 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM (Chapel; except the first Thursday of the month)
About Immaculate Conception Parish
Immaculate Conception is a Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Miami, located in the Northwest Dade Deanery and serving the community of Hialeah, Florida. The parish describes itself as "a welcoming Catholic community called by God to live out the message of Christ in love and service to all people." It is one of the largest parishes in Hialeah, with a fully bilingual (English and Spanish) schedule of daily Masses, a Saturday Vigil, five Sunday Masses, and a robust CCD program for children in grades 1 through 12. The parish campus also houses Immaculate Conception Catholic School.
- Parish of the Archdiocese of Miami
- Located in the Northwest Dade Deanery
- Bilingual: English and Spanish
- Parish Hall is the original 1954 temporary church building
History
Immaculate Conception was founded as a mission on March 24, 1954, by Father James F. Nelan, just as the city of Hialeah was beginning to boom. Within months the mission attracted more than 2,000 families, and a school was opened under the care of Sisters of Mercy from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland. The mission reached parish status in 1964, the same year its permanent church was dedicated, and by the 1970s the parish numbered more than 5,000 families.
- March 24, 1954: Mission founded under Father James F. Nelan
- Father Irving Nugent — first assistant priest
- April 11, 1954: First Mass celebrated in the temporary church (now the Parish Hall)
- February 1, 1955: First five Sisters of Mercy arrive from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland
- 1960: First graduating class of Immaculate Conception School
- 1964: Mission attains parish status; permanent church dedicated
- 1970s: Parish grows to 5,000+ registered families
Pastoral Staff & Liturgy
Day-to-day pastoral care is provided by the Parochial Administrator together with two Parochial Vicars, with a retired priest and a permanent deacon rounding out the liturgical team.
- Fr. Julio Fernández — Parochial Administrator
- Fr. Pietro Pironato — Parochial Vicar
- Fr. Enzo Prendes — Parochial Vicar
- Fr. Ronald J. Noguera — Retired
- Manuel Alfonso — Deacon
Rectory & Parish Staff
The rectory is staffed by a parish secretary, business manager, sacramental-records clerk, accounting clerk, and a small reception team — bilingual support for a parish that operates in English and Spanish.
- Maria Cristina Duron — Parish Secretary
- Jennifer Stangland — Business Manager
- Raiza Garrido — Sacramental Records
- Denise Sainz — Accounting Clerk
- Damien Sorondo — Receptionist
- Rodrigo Ovalles — Receptionist
- Fredsvinda Guijaro — Receptionist
Religious Education (CCD)
The parish's CCD program serves children in grades 1 through 12 (ages 6–17) over a two-year curriculum designed to help them grow in the Catholic faith. Registration for the 2024–2025 school year took place over four Wednesday evenings and four Saturday mornings in August and early September.
- Nubia Stanley — Director of Religious Education
- Nancy Alfonso — Assistant Director of Religious Education
- Registration phone: (305) 823-9563
- Bilingual registration support
Ministries & Groups
The parish lists six formal ministries on its website — Bible Groups, Youth Group, Knights of Columbus, Family Life, Music Ministry, and Respect Life — and reaches out to the wider community through a food pantry and Christmas outreach. A Young Adults group and weekly Spanish prayer gathering (Grupo de Oración La Inmaculada Concepción) round out parish life, alongside the Seminario de Vida en el Espíritu held in August and into September.
- Bible Groups (English and Spanish)
- Youth Group
- Knights of Columbus
- Family Life
- Music Ministry
- Respect Life
- Young Adults
- Grupo de Oración La Inmaculada Concepción
- Food pantry and grocery distribution
- Christmas outreach (trees, gifts, and groceries for needy families)
Immaculate Conception Catholic School
Immaculate Conception Catholic School shares the parish's mission and occupies its own campus one block away. Founded in 1955 with grades 1–3 and staffed from the start by the Sisters of Mercy of Enniskillen, the school now serves a much larger student body and has continued to expand its facilities — most recently the full renovation and restoration of 'Building 4' for the upcoming school year, supported by the Archdiocese of Miami.
- Founded in 1955 under the Sisters of Mercy of Enniskillen
- First graduation in 1960
- Address: 125 West 45th Street, Hialeah, FL 33012
- Phone: (305) 822-6461
- Recent project: full renovation of Building 4
Visit, Contact & Getting Involved
The parish invites visitors and new parishioners to join a ministry as "a great next step to living life in the community and building lasting relationships." Questions about sacraments, registration, school enrollment, or the parish calendar can be directed to the rectory by phone or email during office hours.
- Address: 4497 West 1st Avenue, Hialeah, FL 33012
- Rectory phone: (305) 822-2011
- Religious Education office: (305) 823-9563
- School office: (305) 822-6461
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.icchialeah.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father James F. Nelan1954 (founding)
Founding pastor; celebrated the first Mass in the temporary church on April 11, 1954.
- Father Irving Nugent1954
First assistant priest to Fr. Nelan at the founding of the mission.