About Little Flower · Pensacola, Florida
Little Flower Catholic Church is a parish in the Myrtle Grove neighborhood of Pensacola, Florida, belonging to the Diocese of Pensacola–Tallahassee. Founded in 1945 at the intersection of two dirt roads (now Lillian Highway and 65th Avenue), the parish grew from a small house and barn into a vibrant community known for its striking cultural diversity. Pastor Fr. Matthew Worthen has described Sunday worship as a 'mini global church,' with roughly half the congregation drawn from the Filipino and Vietnamese Catholic communities alongside Anglo and Hispanic parishioners. Little Flower operates the parish school (pre-K through 8th grade, about 200 students) and the St. Teresa of Calcutta Mission food-and-clothing pantry.
- Established
- 1945
- Patron
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux (the Little Flower of Jesus)
- Rector
- Rev. Matthew Worthen (Fr. Matt)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Pensacola–Tallahassee
Why belong here
Little Flower offers daily Mass and a full Sunday schedule in a diverse, welcoming community that pastor Fr. Matthew Worthen describes as a 'mini global church.' Parishioners can send their children to the on-site Little Flower Catholic School (pre-K through 8th grade, daily religious instruction, weekly school Mass), worship in a parish with a perpetual adoration chapel and 24-hour First Friday adoration, and put their faith into action through the St. Teresa of Calcutta Mission food and clothing pantry and the many Filipino-American prayer groups and missions.
Mass times at Little Flower
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 8:45 AM – 9:45 AM
- Saturday 3:45 PM – 4:45 PM
Adoration times
- Weekdays 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Adoration Chapel, 7 days a week)
- First Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (24-hour adoration after 8:15 AM Mass)
- Saturday 8:45 AM – 9:45 AM
Parish Overview
Little Flower Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the Myrtle Grove neighborhood of Pensacola, Florida, in the Diocese of Pensacola–Tallahassee. Founded in 1945, it serves a working-class, culturally diverse community and is led by pastor Fr. Matthew Worthen. The parish is best known locally for its vibrant Filipino-American community, its still-operating parish school, and its food-and-clothing mission to neighbors in need.
History of Little Flower
Little Flower was founded in 1945 at the intersection of two dirt roads — today Lillian Highway and 65th Avenue — in what was then open country west of Pensacola. The first worship space was a small house and a barn. Over the decades the parish grew alongside the surrounding Myrtle Grove community and developed a reputation as a 'little melting pot' of cultures. Today roughly half of the parish is Asian, with large Filipino and Vietnamese communities alongside Anglo and Hispanic families.
- Founded 1945 in a house and barn at the future intersection of Lillian Hwy. and 65th Ave.
- Built up a parish school that today serves about 200 students, pre-K through 8th grade.
- Developed a strong Filipino-American identity with prayer groups and the annual Feast of San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila.
- Patron saint: St. Thérèse of Lisieux ('the Little Flower'), feast day Oct. 1.
Pastoral Staff
Little Flower is led by a small pastoral team under pastor Fr. Matthew Worthen. Deacon Tom Gordon is publicly associated with the parish and maintains communication tools (website, Facebook, ministries scheduling) for the community. Parish office contact: [email protected], (850) 455-5641.
- Rev. Matthew Worthen — Pastor (since ca. 2016; previously Cathedral of the Sacred Heart)
- Deacon Tom Gordon — assists with parish communications and ministry scheduling
- Parish office email: [email protected]
Little Flower Catholic School
The parish operates Little Flower Catholic School, serving roughly 200 students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Students wear traditional uniforms — plaid skirts for girls and khaki pants for boys — and receive religious instruction daily, with weekly school Mass on Wednesdays. The school is a distinctive feature of the parish in an era when many surrounding Catholic schools have closed (e.g., St. Michael, St. Thomas More).
- About 200 students, pre-K through 8th grade
- Daily religious education; weekly school Mass on Wednesdays
- Traditional uniforms (plaid skirts / khaki pants)
- One of the few remaining parish schools in the Pensacola area
Filipino and Asian Catholic Life
Roughly half of Little Flower's parishioners are Asian, with Filipino and Vietnamese Catholics making up the largest share. The parish offers dedicated Filipino-American prayer groups and missions, and is one of the few parishes in the region that publicly celebrates the Feast of San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila, the first Filipino saint, martyred in 17th-century Japan.
- Filipino-American prayer groups and missions
- Annual Feast of San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila (late September)
- Strong Vietnamese Catholic presence
- Parish described by pastor as a 'mini global church'
Outreach: St. Teresa of Calcutta Mission
Behind the church, the parish operates the St. Teresa of Calcutta Mission, which distributes free clothing and food to neighbors in need. It is open Wednesday and Friday mornings from 9:00 AM to noon. Fr. Matt Worthen has named this outreach as one of the things he loves most about Little Flower: 'we get to serve the poor in many more ways here, and I think that's very important to our parish.'
- Located behind the church on parish grounds
- Free clothing and food distribution
- Open Wednesdays and Fridays, 9:00 AM – 12:00 noon
Getting Involved
Beyond Mass and devotions, Little Flower offers formation and fellowship opportunities for parishioners and visitors of all ages — from Vacation Bible School for children, to adult summer reading groups (e.g., a 5-session study of Fr. Walter Ciszek's memoir of 23 years in a Soviet prison camp), to the parish choir and First Friday Adoration sign-ups.
- Vacation Bible School (VBS) — sign-ups available
- Summer Reading Group (e.g., Fr. Walter Ciszek spiritual memoir)
- First Friday Adoration hour sign-ups in the vestibule
- Parish choir / music ministry
- Filipino-American prayer groups and missions
Plan Your Visit
Little Flower is located at 6495 Lillian Highway, Pensacola, FL 32506, on the corner of Lillian Highway and 65th Avenue, across from Escambia High School. The parish office can be reached at (850) 455-5641 or [email protected]. The parish website is https://www.ptlittleflower.org/ and the official Facebook page is facebook.com/ptlittleflower.
- Address: 6495 Lillian Highway, Pensacola, FL 32506
- Phone: (850) 455-5641
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.ptlittleflower.org/
- Facebook: facebook.com/ptlittleflower
- Directions: From Mobile Hwy., go west on Fairfield Dr., turn left onto 65th Ave. to Lillian Hwy.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Matthew Worthen2016–present
Pastor as of 2018; previously served five years at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Pensacola.